Entertainment advertisers on the Millennial Media mobile network are actively incorporating video into their campaigns, according to the latest Scorecard for Mobile Advertising Reach and Targeting (SMART) report. Watching video accounted for 71% of the post-click campaign action mix for entertainment advertisers in 2011, far higher than the 24% figure for the average advertiser campaign. This focus is unsurprising, given that 55% of campaign goals centered on product launch and release, with theatrical releases accounting for 43% of spending for the vertical.
Advertisers’ focus on video appears to resonate with consumers. A February 2012 study from Greystripe found that two-thirds of smartphone users and 58% of iPad users have interacted with entertainment ads on their mobile devices. Among the types of ads those users engage with, mobile video ads are most popular, with 56% of smartphone users and 45% of iPad users citing this type. And of those intrigued by video, a large proportion have watched movie trailers on their device (58% and 67% of smartphone and iPad users, respectively).
According to the Millennial Media report, other post-click campaign actions that skew high for entertainment advertisers include mobile social media (33% vs. the 19% average) and mobile commerce (27% vs. 13%). Together, these leading post-click actions enabled entertainment advertisers to show movie trailers and episode previews, encourage users to share content, and drive on-the-go purchases of movie tickets, games, and DVDs, among others.
TV Accounts for 30% Share of Campaigns
Though theatrical releases are responsible for the largest share of entertainment vertical campaigns, other sub-categories also are advertising on the network. TV (cable and network programs) accounts for the next-largest share of entertainment, at 30%, followed by DVD releases (19%). Digital goods and entertainment (4%), theaters and ticketing services (2%), and console games (2%) combine for less than 10% share.
The report notes that the vertical mix can fluctuate significantly during the year as a result of seasonality in the entertainment business. TV campaigns tend to spike in late Q3 and early Q1 to drive audiences to premieres, while home entertainment and gaming spending generally peaks in Q4 to support holiday releases.
Previous reports from Millennial Media found that entertainment was the fifth-leading vertical by ad spend in Q1, and the 3rd-leading vertical by spend in 2011, growing 133% year-over-year.
Mobile Entertainment Users Skews Young
The latest report from Millennial Media was released in partnership with comScore, and details findings from a comScore survey conducted in December 2011, examining consumers who access mobile entertainment content (“mobile entertainment users”). That study found that these users tend to be younger than the overall smartphone audience, with 59% aged 13-34, compared to 49% of the overall smartphone population.
Mobile entertainment users skew male (54%), and are racially diverse: Hispanic consumers are 39% more likely to be part of this audience than the overall smartphone population, while African-American consumers are 10% more likely.
By contrast, mobile users who access kids and family entertainment content skew female, and are more heavily concentrated in the 25-34 (38% vs. 26% overall average) and 35-44 (26% vs. 21%) age groups.
Other Findings:
- The Millennial Media/comScore Mobile Entertainment Study also found that digital purchases – such as movies, TV shows, songs/music, and e-books – are the most popular type of product purchased on smartphones, by 47% of the survey respondents. Clothing or accessories (37%) and tickets (35%) were next.
- 63% of respondents who have made a smartphone purchase said that on-the-go convenience was the primary reason for doing so.
- 31% of entertainment campaigns on the Millennial Media network in 2011 used a form of content-based audience targeting.
About the Data: The comScore Mobile Entertainment Study, commissioned by Millennial Media was conducted in December 2011 via a MobiLens survey of 30,774 respondents aged 13 and older. Other conclusions from the study involved the following methodology: Device Essentials, Publisher census measurement, December 2011; Mobile Retail Advisor, custom survey fielded October 3-7, 2011, n=3,253; GSMA, UK Census level measurement, December 2011; and Ad Metrix Mobile: Mobile display share of voice and ad creative analysis through December 2011.
The S.M.A.R.T. report data and entertainment vertical data featured is based on actual data from campaigns run with Millennial Media in 2011 and 2012.
