Action Engine Webinar Polling Uncovers Mobile Advertising Insights

AOL and the Yankee Group Join Action Engine in Webinar Covering Mobile Advertising Experiences, Preferences, and Predictions

BELLEVUE, Wash. — September 6, 2006 — Action Engine® Corporation, the mobile application platform leader, today announced highlights and polling statistics from their recent Webinar, "Learning to Love Mobile Advertising.�

The Webinar covered mobile advertising preferences and experiences as collected in the Yankee Group's 2006 mobile user survey of 5,300 adult mobile users, Action Engine’s user group studies, as well as live polling of Webinar attendees. Speakers included Linda Barrabee, program manager in the Yankee Group’s Wireless/Mobile division; Michael Wehrs, vice president, chief technical evangelist of AOL's Wireless Group; and Jim Souders, senior vice president of worldwide field operations at Action Engine. The event was moderated by Fierce Wireless editor, Brian Dolan.The Yankee Group research presented by Barrabee suggests that fewer consumers (53 percent) are interested in increasing their spending on mobile data versus a year ago (67 percent). The reversal may be at the heart of another Yankee Group finding — consumers prefer mobile ad-based business models over subscription-based business models for mobile content and mobile Web-based content. Within the coveted 18-35 year-old target demographic, nearly 40 percent are open to pure ad-supported mobile data and content. By 2010, the Yankee Group predicts the mobile ad market could reach about $2.2 billion, which would equate to 6 percent of the overall data market or 20 percent of all infotainment revenue.

During the Webinar, attendees were polled on a series of mobile advertising issues. Highlights of the Webinar poll include:

* 78.8% of the Webinar poll respondents would rather see a banner advertisement and receive free mobile services, while 21.1% would rather pay subscription fees for advertisement-free content.

* 76.4% of the respondents see media companies moving more aggressively toward mobile advertising, while 23.5% see mobile operators as moving more aggressively.

* 48.9% of the respondents would click on a banner advertisement when using a data service on their phones.

* 77% of the respondents think mobile advertising will emerge as the next large advertising medium.

"Advertising is going to play a critical role in the future of mobile data services, however, today it's still an emerging market," said Action Engine's Jim Souders. "To succeed, mobile advertising must be extremely non-intrusive. It can't delay access to the application or the information. It can't be in your face, uncontrollable, and overpowering the content. In other words, the user experience must remain compelling, which is why we enable non-intrusive, relevant, targeted advertising."

Wehrs of AOL notes another key to mobile advertising success lies in drawing a clear distinction between online and mobile advertising. Success in one medium does not guarantee success in the other. Companies cannot simply take a campaign that is appropriate for online or broadband and do a mobilized version of it. The mobile campaign must accommodate the unique constraints within the mobile environment — the constraints in handset power, keypads, network bandwidth, and screen sizes.

About Action Engine

Winner of the IDC Top 10, the Fierce 15, and the Mobile Star Awards, Action Engine® Corporation, the mobile application platform leader, delivers a breakthrough in mobile application usability. The Action Engine Mobile Application Platform™ introduces a browserless, client/server approach to searching for and discovering mobile content that takes 80% fewer keystrokes and trips to the network, and drives 20x faster response times than competitive alternatives. The company’s award-winning mobile search, mobile advertising, and location-based service solutions enable content providers and wireless operators to quickly deliver a superior mobile user experience. Action Engine’s software has been deployed by a robust list of global companies that include Sprint, Verizon Wireless, SingTel, Optus, MSNBC.com, TiVo, and SmartVideo.

Source: Action Engine