Author: Lucy

The most recent report from the IAB has shown that the average amount spent has surged.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has just released their latest report, which has indicated that mobile marketing spending has been sharply rising, as it recorded an increase of 111 percent throughout 2012.

The statistics recorded by the IAB and which were presented in the report showed $3.4 billion in spending.

The report showed that the spending exploded to well over $3 billion last year, which made 2012 the second year in a row that there was a very dramatic rise in the amount that was spent in mobile marketing.

The rate of spending is rising as more mobile marketing companies see the rising importance of the channel.

Smartphones and tablets are becoming far more common and they are starting to be a highly important part of the daily lives of many consumers. According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, David Silverman, as the mobile marketing environment matures, so does the level of its understanding and the amount that is being spent. As its credibility is being proven, so its use continues to increase.

Silverman stated that “They have certainly made the buying experience easier—similar in what we’ve seen with online [exchanges].” However, he also went on to say that “there are a whole host of other factors that have created the growth of mobile.”

He explained that what the mobile marketing ecosystem is currently seeing is a sudden influx of consumers looking directly at their smartphones during much of their time. Therefore, “Marketers are trying to reach them where they are at—on elevators, at coffee shops, etc. The inventory is there, and the people are there. You combine those elements with localization, and mobile presents a great opportunity.”

Last year, the total revenue from digital ads reached the $36.6 billion point. This also showed a considerable increase, year-over-year. Though much more moderate than that of mobile marketing use, it was still 15 percent greater than it had been the year before. Silverman predicted that the channel will start to see a massive rise in social media, and this will have a considerable impact on ad inventory that can be sold, particularly when it comes to the display category.

The latest research indicates that it makes up only 0.01 percent of the total in the United States.

According to a report that was just issued by Javelin Strategy & Research, mobile payments using contactless technology at the point of sale (POS) made up only a tiny sliver of the total volume in the United States in 2012.

The report indicated that this technology was used for only 0.01 percent of the total POS volume in the U.S.

The research data showed that the total amount spent over contactless mobile payments was approximately $500 million. At the same time, though, the report did not see a grim future for this form of smartphone based transaction. In fact, based on their predictions, things are looking bright in that area.

The forecast made by the report is that there will be an increase in mobile payments at a CAGR of 61 percent.

According to Javelin’s predictions, the compound annual growth rate that will be seen for mobile payments using contactless technology will be 61 percent this year. This will mean that the method will experience growth at a rate that is higher than any other method. In fact, it is predicting that this trend will continue over the next five years, and that in 2018, the total volume will have reached 5.4 billion. This will mean that it will make up 0.13 percent of the total POS volume in the United States in that year.

A Javelin industry analyst, Aleia Van Dyke explained this trend by saying that the point of sale market in retail is experiencing a very rapid evolution, as the popularity of smartphones and mobile payments takes off. There is a much greater expectation from consumers today, as they feel that the retail businesses where they shop should be providing an enhanced shopping experience while inside the walls of the store through the use of smartphones.

The rapid implementation of mobile payments and other transaction options such as prepaid and gift cards have helped with the adoption of other technology based options, among consumers, according to Van Dyke. As a whole, retail POS purchases last year brought in $3.98 trillion. The prediction for five years down the road is $4.2 trillion.