NOV. 18, 2010 • Independent mobile ad firm Millennial Media reported that in October both the iOS and Android platforms accounted for 37% of U.S. ad impressions. Blackberry systems came in at 20%. Ad impressions for the iOS grew 12% between September and October, while Android saw 65% growth for the same period. A large number of devices spread over numerous carriers was the primary reason for Android’s higher growth rate.
Impact: Mobile is the new frontier in advertising as many consumers spend more time engaged with Internet enabled smartphones than they do with more traditional media devices like televisions and computers. It appears that one of the biggest opportunities going forward will be on mobile platforms where consumers generally expect cheap and free content whereas on console systems there still is a comparatively higher willingness to pay for games. Ad supported mobile games may in fact be a more viable business model in the long run compared to the current business on console. In May 2011 DFC Intelligence will be hosting the GameReach conference in Boston, a one-day event designed to focus on how advertisers can take advantage of the many emerging platforms that consumers are using.
