via: Mobile Marketer

Brands can increase ROI by combining mobile search, display: Microsoft

Microsoft claims its Mobile Marketplaces is adding numerous advertisers daily and to date campaigns have exceeded expectations with click-through rates in excess of 20 percent.

Brands such as Thumbplay and Jamster are examples of advertisers using the new mobile ad product. Microsoft Mobile Marketplaces is a mobile ad product that illustrates the performance advantage of combining mobile search and display.

“Advertisers in the Microsoft Mobile Marketplace have a broad range of goals,” said Jamie Wells, global director of trade marketing at Microsoft, Redmond, WA. “Early entrants are primarily mobile content providers who are interested in increasing their campaign ROI by maximizing user conversions and downloads of music ringtones.”

Microsoft launched the marketplace to a select group of advertisers during the critical holiday shopping season. Consumers are on-the-go and more pressed for time during the holidays.

So far, Microsoft launched Marketplaces for Ringtones, and additional Microsoft Mobile Marketplaces are already in the works, including Holiday Shopping, Mobile Games and Wallpapers.

Here’s how Marketplaces work: A user browsing a Microsoft mobile media property, such as Mobile MSN, Hotmail, Messenger, CNBC or Fox Sports, is presented with a display ad promoting a specific consumer product vertical, such as “Last Minute Holiday Deals” or “Hot Ringtones.” RRJ6NFM42D7N

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