According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the total value of the global mobile marketing and advertising market will grow from € 1.7 billion in 2009 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41 percent to € 13.5 billion in 2015. This will then correspond to 15.7 percent of the total digital advertising market or 3.4 percent of the total global ad spend for all media.

The mobile channel is becoming an integral part of the marketing media mix, a progress which is eased by the increasing habitual mobile media consumption exercised by consumers. “Handsets are extremely personal devices which people tend to always have within reach and most often switched on. This enables marketing opportunities which other channels lack”, said Rickard Andersson, Telecom Analyst, Berg Insight.

Mobile marketing is adopted by an increasing amount of companies of all sizes and the budgets now devoted to the mobile channel are substantial. “Brands do however have to establish mobile strategies in order to spend wisely and capitalise on the potential the channel brings”, said Mr. Andersson. He adds that mobile components can be beneficially integrated in campaigns spanning also traditional media.

Berg Insight anticipates that the convergence between traditional web and mobile advertising will continue as the technological capabilities of PCs and handsets merge. Advertising actors which are competent to master both channels are well positioned to be successful in the combined digital advertising industry spanning all types of devices. Corporations such as Google and Microsoft openly aspire for market leadership in competition with among others Nokia, Yahoo! and Ericsson. Apple is a newcomer on the advertising scene and advantageously equipped to monetise the vast amount of free apps in the App Store through its iAd platform for in-app advertising.