Mobile Advertising to More than Triple by 2016, Says Yankee Group

The entire mobile industry has no doubt hit its stride with most analysts agreeing that growth will only continue for quite a while. It seems that anything connected to mobile has nowhere to go but up — including mobile advertising.

According to a new report from Yankee Group entitled “Mobile Advertising Forecast 2012: Marketing Steps Through the Looking-Glass,” global mobile advertising revenue is set to expand by three and a half times its present level by 2016.

The report goes on to state that high-growth markets such as Brazil, India and China will be the primary drivers of this increase. Indeed, these three markets alone will account for U.S. $6 billion, making mobile the dominant form of advertising in these countries.

“Yankee Group identifies mobility as the primary catalyst for disruptive change, and advertising is a prime example,” said Jason Armitage, Yankee Group principal analyst and author of the report, in a statement.

Adding, “Marketers approached this platform initially as an extension of online, but that approach is no longer sustainable for a platform topping 6 billion subscriptions. Mobile advertising has begun to deliver returns—and those returns will flow to companies that draw on user data to design, personalize and deliver effective mobile advertising.”

While this mobile advertising growth will primarily be driven by smartphones, tablets will play a significant role. By Yankee Group's estimates, over a quarter of smart mobile devices worldwide will be tablets in 2016.

Furthermore, in-app ads will play a key role in mobile growth, helping to drive better-targeted ads as more than 22 percent of smartphone owners and 27 percent of tablet owners clicked on an in-app ad during the first three months of 2012.

Another recent Yankee Group report about price comparison apps suggests that 46 percent of U.S. consumers use their smartphones to check prices and reviews while at retail stores — up five percent from 2010.

Want to learn more about today’s powerful mobile Internet ecosystem? Don't miss the Mobility Tech Conference & Expo, collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct. 2-5 2012, in Austin, TX.  Stay in touch with everything happening at Mobility Tech Conference & Expo. Follow us on Twitter.