Will World Cup 2010 see mobile advertising explosion?

Mobile ad network InMobi is today claiming to be the largest mobile advertiser currently operating in South Africa – with over 650 million mobile ad requests served per month. The network also revealed its plans to use the Foootball World Cup 2010 as a platform to massively boost mobile advertising (and its own interests) in the region.

Who is InMobi?

InMobi is a mobile advertising network – effectively a massive mobile channel that delivers advertising content. It has connections not only to a huge number of advertisers, but to mobile publishers that ads can be placed with. InMobi connects the two in a measurable way, allowing agencies without an actual mobile presence to effectively advertise on the medium.

Known as MKhoj until recently, a re-brand to InMobi this summer revealed new investors, an American office and a more global attitude. The European market was always going to be tough, but InMobi has been doing perfectly well elsewhere. Along with its heavy South African presence, the network serves ads in growing mobile markets like Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt.

So what’s this about the World Cup?

Mobile and sports really seem to go together very well. Sports fans are, by nature, arranged in large community groups – and there is no better channel for connecting communities than mobile. We’ve seen lots of good blends of sports and mobile in 2009, and some of the most successful mobile campaigns have been centred around sports.

So InMobi is predicting that the footie fever accompanying the World Cup this year will cause a massive spike in mobile advertising. Sports brands and agencies will have a better chance than ever to connect with fans and consumers through mobile. Not only that, but FIFA and mobile operators are co-operating to allow every single match played to be streamed live to mobile devices around the world  (AT&T must be having a fit). While this will be global, InMobi claims that football is the greatest unifying force in Africa – which, combined with the massive growth of mobile ownership on the continent during 2009 will lead to never before seen numbers for mobile marketing.

So InMobi is girding its loins and readying itself for the surge. It has teamed up with MobiClicks, a company focusing on creating mobile-optimised web portals for businesses that can display on any device.

Abhay Singhal, Head of Global Ad Sales at InMobi, said “the success of South Africa is now spreading to the rest of Africa and has shown some promising results in countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt. It is perceived that mobile is now accelerating the economic growth of the entire continent. The World Cup 2010 will be a catalyst for mobile advertising in Africa, and we’re positioned to lead the market and connect brands and publishers to this emerging market.”

“Our partnership with InMobi has been very fruitful in the region. InMobi has been with us at every step and has ensured that our performance never dips. We believe 2010 will be another banner year for mobile advertising in South Africa and believe InMobi is a solid partner for advertisers looking to reach mobile consumers in the region,” said Shaun Rosen, CEO of MobiClicks.

What we think?

I think InMobi has the right attitude for the upcoming events – the World Cup is one of the biggest advertising opportunities in the world. Thanks to its presence, suddenly the biggest brands in the world will be turning up right in the middle of one of InMobis most lucrative markets. If InMobi can have a mobile advertising opportunity ready and waiting for every company that comes through the door, then it stands to make a killing.