MobiMogul audio mobile advertising

by: admin Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Rating: guru, king, mogul.. are you listening?

by Bena Roberts

MobiMogul provides audio advertising and is set to launch in Q1 2008. The first product is called the AdTones advertisement ringback. This is a short 10 to 20 second clip that offers consumers the chance to earn a percent of the ad revenue every time an advert is heard.

So the advert would replace a ringback tone and work or function in the same way.

From the press release
“We have three situations currently taking place in regards to mobile advertising: 1. Advertisers want a better way to communicate with their potential customers; 2. service providers want to increase subscriber loyalty, revenue, and market share; and 3. mobile users want a way to decrease their bills as well as earn some extra cash. The solution: AdTones™ which creates a win-win-win solution for all parties involved.”

What we think?
We think that using ringback tones for advertising is innovative, but perhaps a tad early. Ringback tones are increasing in popularity but haven’t taken the world by storm. Video ringback tones are starting to shift into first gear and mobile audio advertising isn’t even in neutral.

This might work, but what will make it work is consumer understanding that they are listening to an advert. The first time I got a ringback tone; my mother kept on hanging up as she thought she had the wrong number or was paying to listen to music.

This is naive – but also a reality. Also the “share revenue argument” is a bit weak - surely there is a better business model?