What’s happening in mobile around the world
Mobile-only site targets China’s working class
A mobile-only e-commerce site targeting China’s working class is pulling in 100 million yuan (about US$16.3 million) a month, according to Internet Retailer. Because many lower end Chinese consumers do not own computers and access the internet primarily through their mobile phones, the site has been able to drive huge sales of “clothing, bags and electronics to farmers and migrant workers through their handsets.” It is predicting it will have a year-end revenue of 2 billion yuan (US$327 million). Also in China: China Mobile is expected to make an unprecedented ad spend advertising the iPhone 5S and 5C, which, given the providers 700 million-person subscriber base, could lead to more impressive sales for Apple.
[Read more via Internet Retailer]
Skype rolls out mobile ads on Android
Microsoft has rolled out mobile ads within its video chatting service, Skype, on Android. Previously it had sold ad space in its Skype app only on iOS and Windows 8 smartphones. The move opens up a large amount of real estate and could represent a large revenue growth for Microsoft, according to Big Mobile partner Graham Christie who said, “moves like this one from Skype offer marketers a shot in the arm in terms of scale and frequency, because people who use Skype are generally frequent users, they are not just using it once every couple of months.”
[Read more via Ad News]
QR Codes to get less ugly
QR codes serve the purpose of directing consumers towards information or offers, but they aren’t known for being visually pleasing. A company called Visualead is hoping to change that with new, more colourful QR codes that it says will fit the visual aesthetic of ads better than the codes’ current iteration. Click through to see a mock-up and decide whether the company’s new QR codes are any better looking than the current eye sores.
[Read more via QR Code Press]
Mobile ad spend to boom in Asia Pacific
Mobile ad spend is set to explode in the Asia Pacific region, according to a new survey that revealed 90% of advertisers plan on expanding their mobile marketing budgets in 2014. The survey, by the marketing research firm Warc, also showed that a third of advertisers are planning to spend up to 75% more on mobile advertising next year. “Over the last six months since the first iteration of the survey, we are seeing a shift in attitude away from tapping mobile execution tactically to a more strategic imperative. We expect to see substantial growth in budget allocations as mobile becomes a key part of the overall marketing mix,” said Rohit Dadwal, Mobile Marketing Association managing director for Asia Pacific.
[Read more via Business World Online]
