MXS:

Mobiles X% Solution
A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

Executive Summary:
Marketers currently allocate less than one percent of their marketing budget to Mobile
advertising. However, based on sophisticated return on investment (ROI) analysis of
Mobile, the optimized level of spend in Mobile advertising for U.S. marketers is seven
percent, on average.
Over the next 4 years, Mobiles share of the media mix is projected to increase to over 10
percent based on growth in adoption of smartphones only. It is safe to say, however, that
the growth does not stop there. As with all new media, more effective targeting, creative
excellence, better ad units, tighter industry standards, innovation in technology and other
factors will all contribute to increased spend and the further establishment of mobile in a
marketers mix.
The following MXS white paper will present findings that support this conclusion based on a
scientific ROI analysis vs. the simpler share of time (should) equal share of budget proxy
that is often offered in lieu of ROI optimization. Marketing Evolutions recommended mix is
based on the best available empirical data and proven ROI measurement. The analysis
demonstrates how combining datasets on ad impact and cost, in the context of reach and
frequency provides a powerful framework for predicting ROI, and rebalancing the media
mix to optimize marketing impact.
Additionally the data suggests that the range marketers should spend on Mobile varies
based on the marketing goal and industry category. Regardless of these variances, its clear
that marketers are spending significantly less than they should in Mobile and by settling for
a sub-optimal media mix are losing out on sales and profits.
Consumer media habits are rapidly changing the penetration of mobile smartphones has
skyrocketed and it is clear that Mobile has proven to be effective in successfully achieving a
variety of marketing goals. Even though these facts are indisputable, marketers have been
slow to adjust and rebalance their media mix to reflect consumers mobile-centric world. In
fact, it is appropriate to assert at this time that most marketers should significantly increase
their investment in Mobile advertising. While this may be a bold statement, it is a statement
based on science and mathematics; it is rooted in what we quantitatively know about all
medias impact as well as Mobiles impact and penetration to date.
Based on this information, Mobile advertising (display, video, audio) should be at least an
$11 billion dollar market1 in the U.S. and higher globally assuming similar dynamics exist
worldwide.
1

Based on Zenith estimates of total measured media in the U.S. of $171 billion.

http://www.zenithoptimedia.com/zenith/global-advertising-growth-continues-as-latin-america-and-asia-pacificcompensate-for-weakening-europe/
The 7 percent solution was developed to assist advertisers and was not developed to calculate a resulting total Mobile industry
display revenues. Knowing the comparison will be made, here is a following perspective on this industry analysis: If applied to
just major media spend of $171billion in the U.S. for 2012, then total Mobile spend if all marketers average to an optimized
level of 7 percent, would suggest Mobile display spend to $11.2 billion annually currently. That is about the same amount of
display/sponsorship spend reported in internet media in 2011. As smartphone penetration increases over time and other
factors (increased mobile marketing effectiveness, etc.), then very likely the industry grows beyond that level. It should be
noted that the 7 percent does not include all mobile marketing options. It does not include SMS Customer Loyalty/CRM, Mobile
Search, Mobile Couponing, Branded Apps (Owned Mobile Media). As a very rough approximation, one could apply the 7

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
Identifying the Optimal Mix
Optimizing marketing spend is becoming more sophisticated. It used to be that marketers
could rely on gut instinct and Excel spreadsheets with basic audience composition formulas,
but now many are relying on advanced software with ROI models to give them the most
accurate optimizations for their marketing mix. By taking advantage of these advances in
technology and statistics, we have developed a model that incorporates the three key
factors cost, impact, and media usage all of which go into determining the optimized
level of media spend.
Empirical ROI Analysis
The analysis uses real world cost data for Mobile advertising and the other media channels
as well as data collected directly from major buyers. Understandably, there is a range of
costs in every media channel, but we feel confident that we have used accurate negotiated
pricing as the data point for our ROI analysis.
Real-world impact data, data on how the advertisement changed consumers brand
perceptions and purchase behavior, is the next factor. Our analysis uses impact study
results from a mix of verticals and from campaigns with a variety of marketing objectives.
The marketing impact data measured changes in brand perception from awareness to
purchase intent. The mix of verticals, the various marketing objectives, and the historical
range provide for a rich data set.
Furthermore, in order to calculate diminishing returns, we sought observational research
on media usage, particularly the reach and frequency dynamics. Combining the dynamics of
reach and frequency with the different levels of advertising impact at different frequency of
exposure allows us to calculate the diminishing returns curve for Mobile investment.
Combining all these elements creates a SIRF a Spend to Impact Response Function that
in essence plots out the value of each media channel based on the three building blocks of
ROI identified above.
Specific Recommendations
Our recommended share of the budget depends on the situation, ranging from awareness
(so called upper funnel marketing objective) to purchase intent (a lower funnel marketing
objective) and from higher involvement brands (such as automotive and financial services)
to lower involvement brands (such as CPG and entertainment). The overall average of our
budget recommendation is 7 percent, with a higher level (up to 9 percent)
recommended for higher involvement brands.

percent to all 2012 measured media spend in the U.S., which includes direct mail, events activities and totals $368 billion,
according to Zenith Optimedia. In this calculation, Mobile overall would be nearly $26 billion. To repeat and underscore, it is
not the intent of this report to project the Mobile X% solution marketers should spend to optimize the marketers ROI
to forecast the Mobile Advertising industry size in total. Rather, the point is it illustrate that markers as a whole are
under-investing in Mobile Advertising currently.

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

The range varies in the model based on the following variables:

The industry vertical (e.g., automotive behaves differently than CPG).
The marketing objective (e.g., Mobile has a different impact on awareness than on
purchase intent).
The profile of the people the marketer hopes to reach.
The marketers budget and scope of the budget. (Our recommendation is based on a
typical budget level observed in each vertical, and includes the following media in
the mix: TV, magazine, newspaper, radio, cinema, web display and social media).
As with any model, as more data is gathered and available, the recommendations will
change over time. Finishing out 2012 and going into 2013, marketers and agencies need to
look closely at how they are allocating against Mobile based on these findings.
This project was supported by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and interested
parties from all facets of the marketing business that were invited to participate in the
analytic process, and to review data and recommendations. These parties include marketers
(Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola Company, Adidas, Procter & Gamble, Colgate), agencies
(Joule, The Integer Group, Ansible Mobile, The HyperFactory, MindShare World, Ogilvy,
Havas Digital, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Leapfrog Online, Harte Hanks, Mobext, MEC),
research and measurement/data provider (InsightExpress), media owners (Turner, The
Weather Channel, Millennial Media), and media planning software industry leader (Telmar).
While these parties had an opportunity to review the data and recommendations, these
recommendations are Marketing Evolutions.

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

Full Report:
Perspective
Methodology Review: Calculating Media Mix
Findings
About Marketing Evolution, Telmar & MMA

Page 4
Page 7
Page 11
Page 16

PERSPECTIVE
The Mobile revolution did not happen overnight. We caught our first hint of the
possibilities when we measured advertising effectiveness on the Palm Pilot in 2003, as part
of Marketing Evolutions widely published Cross Media Research. The screens were black
and white, and low resolution by todays comparisons, and the population using the precursor to the smartphone was very small. Nonetheless, we analyzed the impact with a
carefully designed exposed and control measurement and could see potential.
A few years later, when we worked with Motorola to measure the ROI of their advertising
programs, we marveled at how the RAZR became the hottest technology, selling 50 million
devices in two short years. We saw first hand consumers appetite for Mobile devices when
Marketing Evolution conducted the ROI analysis to determine the optimal media mix for
Motorola SLVR in 2006. We then watched the subsequent rocket ship take off of the Apple
iPhone launched mid 2007. And then came Android. Then the game changing iPad. These
devices substantially expanded the population that can be reached by advertising. These
devices deliver an amazing user experience with crisp full color displays, and processers
capable of animating ads and even delivering video ideal for advertising.
We watched as consumers took their first hesitant steps in Mobile, experimenting with text
messaging. Now teenagers send over 3000 texts a month, on average.2 We made note as
devices grew more advanced, networks offered faster connections, and new things called
apps shifted the value from voice calls to access and information.
Through this all, the marketing innovators have been experimenting, testing, and learning
how to connect with consumers in this new medium. Brands, agencies, and start-ups have
pushed the envelope and celebrated as they blazed new trails in connecting with
consumers. The only thing more amazing than how far weve come is how much further
still the Mobile space will grow.
We are now past the point of experimentation. A critical mass of quantitative experiments
has produced data and insights that can be applied to a wide range of marketers. Now its
the time to roll-up sleeves and build Mobile into an integrated marketing strategy. In 2012,
marketers will spend $2.6 billion on Mobile advertising in the United States, and $6.5 billion

http://mashable.com/2010/10/14/nielsen-texting-stats/

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
globally, according to eMarketer estimates. An already sizable spend but, this is just the
beginning.
Consider the following statistics:3
14% of the global population uses a smartphone in 2012; in the United States, 37%
By 2016, those numbers will be 59% in the U.S. and 30% worldwide
Mobile usage is the only media that has continually increased in time spent since
2008, almost doubling in time spent by 2011.
As
1. marketers become aware of Mobile advertising ROI, and
2. media consumption patterns continue to shift toward Mobile, and
3. reach increases through the proliferation of smartphones and tablet devices (e.g.,
iPad, Kindle),
marketers will rely more heavily on Mobile as part of their campaign mix.
We already see companies shifting their business models to take advantage of Mobile. Many
are offering innovative new content and experiences and other enticements to encourage
audiences to engage. Companies are staking their claim in the Mobile landscape. If you are
in doubt, consider the degree to which major media companies, like Facebook, Pandora, and
The Weather Channel are identifying themselves as Mobile First companies today.
Despite the possibilities, some skeptics have asked about the size of the Mobile screen and
thus the impact of current ad formats. Too often, advertising people try to superimpose
their own perceived reaction to advertising and may under-estimate its impact. These
concerns echo the early days of online display advertising, and they can really only be
answered with quantitative research to precisely measure the actual impact on consumers
brand favorability and purchase behaviors. Weve amassed enough of this research to draw
conclusions and it shows that Mobile can be effective in building awareness and purchase
intent.
The next logical question is, What share of my marketing budget should I devote to Mobile
advertising?
We address these questions using patented methodologies - first developed in the early
2000s and now perfected and adopted by hundreds of marketers covering thousands of
studies measuring billions in advertising spending. This research has the proven ability to
synthesize the existing data from a variety of sources to give marketers data-driven budget
recommendations. This puts a stake in the ground in recommending the Mobile advertising
investment level for marketers. As discussed in this paper, this Mobile mix recommendation
is based on ROI data. Integrated here is the impact on a variety of metrics from brand
awareness to purchase intent. This data is combined with media costs and reach and
frequency distributions to calculate the budget recommendation that optimizes ROI.

eMarketer, 2012

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
Bear in mind that not all marketers today use such a rigorous way to build a media mix.
Some rely simply on updating last years plan, or go with a feeling about what media options
fit with a message style, or are perceived as more valuable (the proverbial I know it in my
gut approach). The reason that John Wannamakers infamous quote (I know half my
advertising is wasted, trouble is Im not sure which half) persists is because many
marketers lack the data and software to optimize media plans based on maximizing ROI.
The analysis here embraces the tenets of Impact Based Planning, and uses software to get
an objective benchmark of optimized industry mix. This provides a recommendation based
on multiple synthesized data sources an approach that is increasingly becoming the way
savvy marketers approach budget allocation. Using a combination of statistical analysis
and the deep experience of building models, Marketing Evolutions results provide a never
before seen insight into Mobiles role in the marketing mix.
Obviously, each marketer and each campaign is unique. Our meta-data establishes a
benchmark for planning future budgets. But benchmarks are only a reference point.
Nonetheless, media agencies and marketers that plan their marketing budget allocations
with Impact Based Planning benchmarks and optimization software are consistently better
off than those that build plans without spend-to-impact response functions (SIRFs).
The tenets of Impact-Based Planning are:
1. No matter how cool a medium is (or how good a fit it is for a brand), there is a point
where the price is too high and the marketer is better off buying something else.
2. No matter how good the initial ROI is, there is a point of diminishing returns where
it no longer makes sense to keep spending on a medium.
3. Impact Based Planning is not Reach/Frequency planning. Optimizing impact comes
from examining how much impact per dollar spent each medium produces. This ROI
optimization approach recognizes that not all impressions are of equal value in
achieving a marketers goals, and allows the marketer to arrange the highest value
media mix.
4. Because different media produce impact differently for different marketing
objectives (i.e. awareness vs. purchase intent), the art of Impact Based Planning is in
selecting the right marketing objective to match the business need.

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

METHODOLOGY REVIEW: CALCULATING MEDIA MIX

Over the past several years, Marketing Evolution has amassed a ROI database covering
billions of dollars worth of marketing spending and developed software to integrate ROI
data from a variety of sources. This allows us to offer integrated cross media marketing mix
recommendations based on empirical data. At the heart of these recommendations are
Spend to Impact Response Functions (SIRFs) for each media channel. With this analysis, we
are adding Mobile advertising to our media planning database and software.
How Does One Quantify The ROI Of Mobile Advertising?
To answer this question, lets recap how advertising creates value for marketers. As people
use their Mobile devices, they have the opportunity to be exposed to ad messages. Those ad
exposures are commonly quantified by ad servers delivering the ads, or by using reach and
frequency analysis from research firms that track the usage of Mobile devices through a
panel-based data set. But impressions, even when reported as reach and frequency
distribution only indicate the opportunity to influence people based on exposure. What a
marketer needs to know to calculate ROI is the impact of each exposure relative to the cost.
The impact of the ad exposure can be quantified using well-designed advertising impact
studies that measure the effectiveness in changing brand attitudes and purchase behavior. A
growing database of these studies is available, and used in this analysis. Cost can be
observed directly by examining the real-world negotiated price paid and delivered. For all
media, we examined media cost and did not include creative production costs.

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
Sidebar: Key Inputs to the ROI Model
Since SIRFs are the building blocks to achieve the vision of ROI management, it is important
to understand the raw materials of a SIRF. Behind the SIRF equation are peoplepeople
like you and mewho use media, buy stuff, and occasionally take a survey.
Research has shown that marketers cant simply ask customers why they bought a
particular item and expect to get an accurate answer. Our brains simply dont analyze the
complex array of media and other factors that subtly influence our decisions. In fact, most
people like to believe they are immune to advertising. But if instead of asking customers
why they buy, we design experiments with different levels of advertising, we can observe
what truly influences customers.
Marketing Evolution uses data, particularly from exposed/control analysis, to understand
what causes purchase, or changes brand perceptions. For the most part, one customers
individual data isnt enough to draw any conclusions. We need lots of people so we can
compare and contrast to find patterns between marketing spending and impact. The key
inputs that define the relationship between spend and impact are as follows:
1. Impact Lift: The observed way in which a marketing activity changes consumers
attitudes or behaviors (shown here as a percent lift curve at each frequency of
exposure compared to a control group).
2. Reach/Frequency: The exposure pattern of the media, specifically the way in
which frequency builds (shown here as a reach and frequency curve).
3. Cost: The price of the media exposure.
These three factors come together to produce a SIRF. The SIRF shows the total impact a
marketer can expect at each dollar level of spending. This can be analyzed to find the
optimal media mix (see chart 1).

August 2012

MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
When the Mobile SIRF is combined with SIRFs for other media (as in the chart below for
purchase intent in the automotive category, with Mobile shown as a dotted line),
optimization calculus can be applied to generate the optimal media mix recommendation.
That is, the recommendation that produces the greatest impact for the budget is calculated.
The impact of Mobile will vary by industry, marketing objective and target audience. Since
the SIRFs for all media have a curved shape with diminishing returns, the recommendation
of share of mix will also depend on the total budget size.

This approach of marketing spend allocation supports zero-based budgeting, because the
analysis starts with all media at zero budget, and then allocates each dollar according to
what optimizes ROI. The recommendations can also be modified based on pre-existing
commitments in which case the software calculates the impact of the pre-existing mix
items, and optimizes the remaining budget accordingly.

Methodology Caveats:
Through this effort, we have brought together the best data available to shed light on Mobile
ROI. As with any ROI model, it comes with a series of caveats based on the data used.
1. Impact Measurement: The impact of exposure to Mobile advertising has been measured
using a modified control/exposed methodology where possible. The modification occurred
because of the Mobile device limitations in cookie acceptance and the related limitations in
ad server capabilities compared to online. In order to maintain as close a comparison to
digital and traditional media, we only used impact data that employed a standard
control/exposed methodology. We were also careful to factor in decay rates when impact
was measured immediately after exposure.

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MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

2. Media Synergy: Not included in this analysis are ways in which media may work
synergistically. This research was designed to measure Mobile marketings incremental
impact above and beyond other media in the mix, but there may be clear ways to create
synergy among media with Mobile that we did not observe. We hope to address Mobile
marketing synergy in future research and budget recommendations.
3. Reach & Frequency: Available reach and frequency data pass logic checks. The data
sources however, are relatively new and have not been audited to the same degree as reach
and frequency data in other media. In particular, footing the reach and frequency to a day,
week or month (or a period of time matching a campaign) is not easy.
4. Cost: Cost data is collected from actual campaign spending from a variety of sources.
However, there is a wide range in pricing for the same types of advertising. In this case,
weve conducted this analysis based on the average impact data and the average cost data.
It may be the case that some inventory is worth more than others but this cannot be known
with any certainty until the impact data is gathered and matched to the exact same cost
source data. For consistency with other ROI data in our database, the cost data only applies
to the media spend and does not account for any creative development costs.
5. Analysis Focuses on Mobile Advertising: This analysis focuses on advertising delivered
in the most common Mobile formats such as: web browsing, video, apps, audio, games, and
social media. The following Mobile marketing programs are not included in this analysis,
although the same ROI model could be applied to them at a future date, based on industry
interest: SMS Customer Loyalty/CRM, Mobile Search, Mobile Couponing, Branded Apps
(Owned Mobile Media). Unfortunately, reliable industry sources of data for lift benchmarks
or audience reach and frequency for these types of Mobile campaigns are not available at
this time.

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MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper

FINDINGS:
Marketers are losing out on influencing millions of customers this is the conclusion from
Marketing Evolutions analysis of the ROI of Mobile relative to other media choices.
1. As a guideline based on current ROI and smartphone penetration, Marketing
Evolution recommends 7 percent of the media mix, on average, should be
invested in Mobile advertising.
Our data shows that the exact recommended share of the budget should be higher for
marketers selling higher involvement products, such as automobiles and financial
services approximately 9 percent, and a bit lower for brands selling lower
involvement products, such as fast moving consumer packaged goods. Moreover, the
analysis shows that marketers focused on objectives such as influencing purchase intent
(a lower funnel marketing objective) should invest more than average approximately
8 percent. Those focused on so called upper funnel metrics such as awareness should
invest a little less than average around 5 percent. The chart below summarizes the
share of media mix recommendation based on analysis of over 40 budget scenarios
across a range of industries and marketing objectives.

The range varies in the model based on the following variables:

Industry vertical (automotive behaves differently than fast moving consumer
packaged goods).
The marketing objective (Mobile has a different impact on awareness than on
purchase intent).

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The profile of the people the marketer hopes to reach.
Marketers budget and scope of the budget (this recommendation is based on a
media mix including TV, magazine, newspaper, radio, cinema, web display and
social media).
Expressed as a total dollar figure, the 7 percent recommendation for the U.S. implies an $11
billion Mobile advertising industry in the U.S. alone, if all marketers sought to maximize
their ROI.

2. Marketers are leaving profits on the table by under-investing in Mobile

Marketers currently devote less than one percent of their budget to Mobile advertising.
Marketing Evolution recommends that, on average, most major marketers should be
devoting 7 percent to Mobile advertising in 2012 and 2013.
The point of budget allocation is to optimize the marketing mix to squeeze the most
impact out of each dollar invested. Many marketers suspected that changing consumers
habits would mean that more marketing budget should go to Mobile but this research
goes further by looking at the actual impact achieved per dollar invested. Increasing
Mobile investment to the levels recommended will produce better business results for
the same budget.
According to our analysis, a $50 million Automotive ad campaign for a new car launch
that reallocated investment to Mobile would make 2.4 percent more people aware of the
new car and would create purchase intention for an additional 3.4 percent compared to
a $50 million investment in campaign mix that that did not include Mobile. For CPG
Food, a $10 million campaign for a growing product, roughly 70,000 more people would
intend to purchase the product in a campaign mix using Mobile than one without it. In
other words, optimizing Mobiles role in the mix delivers better results for the exact
same budget.

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3. Marketers should increase their investment in Mobile to approximately 10
percent over the next four years.
As smartphone penetration increases over the next several years, the reach and
frequency of the Mobile advertising platform will continue to grow. eMarketer forecasts
that total usage of smartphones will extend from 37 percent in 2012 to 59 percent in
2016.
Using the eMarketer forecast to adjust the shape of the reach/frequency curve,
Marketing Evolution estimates that the media budget allocation to Mobile advertising
will increase over the next four years, shifting from 7 percent to 10 percent by
2016, assuming all other media remain similar in reach/frequency/cost and impact.
If all marketers budgeted to maximize their advertising ROI, this would imply the
advertising portion of the mobile industry would be about $17 billion by 2016. The total
mobile marketing industry could be well in excess of this level when one considers nonadvertising aspects of Mobile such as direct to consumer Apps, etc.
Optimized Budget Allocation: Recommended Mobile Share of the Media Mix for 2012,
And Projection For 2013-2016 Based On Estimated Increase In Smart Phone Usage

Can These Results Be Applied Globally?

Marketing Evolution conducts marketing ROI analysis in over twenty countries, spanning
mature markets of Western Europe, to developing countries including Brazil, China and
Russia. The software and models have been built to recommend media mix by country,
provided country level cost, impact and reach/frequency can be provided. While we have
measured Mobile in different geographies around the globe, we do not have a sufficient
number of studies to generate country-by-country Mobile mix recommendations. The
recommendations in this paper are based on U.S. data and therefore should not be applied
on a global scale.

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A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
But here is a thought exercise to consider for global markets: What if impact and cost were
similar around the globe? If this were the case, then the penetration of smartphones, or
phones with media and ad format capabilities would change the reach and frequency
dynamics and alter the recommended mix. In a country like Singapore, where smartphone
penetration is reportedly 75 to 80 percent, if other dynamics of cost and impact are similar
to the US data then a more appropriate mix would be in excess of 10 percent for Mobile. In
a country like Brazil, where smartphones are less than 20 percent, the optimized mix might
be closer to 5 percent.
Heres another thought exercise: What if cost per impact were different in different
countries? Consider a country with heavy text messaging media because text messaging is
highly targeted and often immediately read with active attention, the impact produced may
be greater than display advertisements. If the cost per impact of the text message is less
than the average cost per impact of Mobile ad units (not including text messaging) then we
might find a higher recommended share of the mix for Mobile.
What if the dynamics of other media are different? If TV is priced differently, if Mobile or
any channels impact is better, then the recommended mix will adjust according to the
impact, price and diminishing return dynamic. In the absence of data, Marketers should
work through their experience and assumptions carefully.
Having an empirical ROI database is the best way to manage the complexity inherent in our
increasingly fragmented media landscape. The point of the thought exercises is to bridge
the gap in data with thoughtful consideration of the dynamics of ROI in any given country.
While a marketer may recognize that the better approach to media budget planning is to
use ROI data one has to start somewhere. Getting the data may begin with a marketer
identifying opportunities for investment, followed with careful measurement to populate
the SIRF database. The idea is to quickly move from thought exercises and hypothesis to
real-world data on a country specific level. As the empirical data mounts, recommendations
based on a critical mass of ROI measurement and extensive analysis can be performed (as
we have done for the U.S.).
The net takeaway when considering a global perspective is that the methodology used to
recommend Mobiles role in the mix can be extended globally. Data from multiple ROI
measurement firms can be integrated, provided the quality of data collection and the
exposed/control method is rigorously applied. Marketing Evolution is working to amass
data for each country they work in. We encourage further research to identify the optimal
mix on a country-by-country basis, and collaboration to combine ROI databases to achieve
critical mass, and enable an answer to What is Mobiles role in the mix sooner.
Conclusions:
This white paper was developed to put a stake in the ground in terms marketing investment
that should go toward Mobile advertising, based on ROI analysis. We hope to spark a
serious dialogue across the industry and to advocate for further research. We hope to
encourage greater collaboration so that we can integrate more data into SIRF databases to
enable Impact Based Planning globally.

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What we believe to be true today is that marketers must revisit the way they are allocating
their budgets to Mobile and should very quickly:
1. Allocate approximately 7 percent of media budgets per campaign to Mobile.
2. Do more best in class research to really understand the value of Mobile and the
opportunity inherent in capturing a competitive advantage.
3. Examine media synergy in research. For example, consider flighting Mobile
campaigns to reinforce the awareness message when other media (TV, print, etc.)
hit their points of diminishing returns. Examine the value of consistent messaging
look and feel across media. In other words, expand the understanding of Mobiles
synergy with the rest of the mix.
Marketers should feel confident that Mobile advertising has demonstrated a significant
impact on consumers and justifies a larger media budget allocation than current industry
practice. With the rapid evolution of Mobile advertising, devices, and consumer behaviors,
this allocation percentage may shift, but is unlikely to decrease. Marketers that take these
recommendations to heart will reap the benefits of the increased ROI.
As marketers begin to dig deeper into reallocating their budgets, here are some further
discussions points to consider:
1. How do I prioritize which Mobile media I purchase with my increased budget?
2. What metrics and measurements do I need to have in place to understand the
impact on the ROI that Mobile provides?
3. How do I go about identifying where my customers are spending time on Mobile?
4. What are the best practices for Mobile creative? How can A/B split tests help me
further maximize my ROI?
5. How do I conduct a cross media study to discover the synergistic role of Mobile in
the media mix?

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For more information, contact the white paper author:
Rex Briggs,
CEO & Founder
Marketing Evolution
+1 916 933 7536
[email protected]
About Marketing Evolution:
Marketing Evolution originated cross-media research a decade ago in an effort to determine
the share of the mix digital advertising should receive. Since then, Marketing Evolution has
served CMOs of leading companies to measure the effectiveness of their marketing
campaigns and to help optimize their marketing and media mixes.
Marketing Evolution specializes in integrating marketers ROI data into SIRF models for
budget planning, and conducting original research to quantify marketing ROI. Marketing
Evolution has been at the forefront of measuring digital display, search, and social media, as
well as traditional media such as television, magazine, radio, and so on. Marketing
Evolutions methodology has been praised as the gold standard by an independent review
by the ARF and called best practice by ESOMARs independent panel of academics and
research industry experts that reviewed over 10,000 papers over the past decade.
Marketing Evolutions cross media method was one of only 30 best practices in all of
marketing research to receive the prestigious honor and inclusion in the Best Practices
book published by Wiley & Sons.
Over the past several years, Marketing Evolution has amassed an ROI database covering
billions of dollars worth of marketing spending and developed software to integrate ROI
data from a variety of sources. This allows Marketing Evolution to offer integrated cross
media marketing mix recommendations based on empirical data.
Given Marketing Evolutions tradition of ROI measurement and marketing mix modeling,
the Mobile Marketing Association contracted Marketing Evolution to accelerate publishing a
Mobile advertising budget guideline culled from the best available data to recommend what
the share of the marketing mix should go to Mobile.
About Telmar:
Telmar is a world-wide leading supplier of media advertising software and services used for
reach, frequency and optimization. Telmars 10,000 users across 85 countries include many
of the worlds leading advertising agencies, digital and print publishers, broadcasters and
advertisers. Telmars partnership with Marketing Evolution allows Telmar to offer media
planning optimization based on Marketing Evolutions ROI database.
A full version with complete access to cross-media broken out by media type, including
Mobile, Television, Social Media, Search, Magazine, Radio, non-mobile digital display, etc., is
available as Telmar Media ROI (TMR). Marketers should contact Marketing Evolution
[email protected] and advertising agencies and media owners should contact
Telmar. Contact: [email protected] or Tel: +1 212 725-3000

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MXS: Mobiles X% Solution,

A Marketing Evolution Whitepaper
About MMA:
The MMA is the premier global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth
of Mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented
organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish Mobile media
guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth and preserving privacy, and evangelize
the use of the Mobile channel. MMA includes more than 700 member companies,
representing nearly 50 countries across the Mobile marketing industry including hardware
providers, marketers, software developers and more. MMA global headquarters are located
in the U.S., with regional chapters in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

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