Mobile targeting is a concept that goes far beyond simply reaching your target audience. Instead, true mobile targeting focuses on the different habits consumers demonstrate across different mobile devices such as smartphones and notebooks. It also encompasses targeting consumers by their location – more specifically, their current location.
The challenge with mobile targeting, when compared to desktop targeting, is that mobile devices lack a universal tracking mechanism such as cookies. For this reason many mobile technology firms have been looking for ways to track consumers more efficiently on their mobile devices.
Some top industry players like Google and Apple have achieved exceptional success in their ability to track consumer habits via their unique tools and tracking abilities generally tied to mobile apps.
Today, a growing number of advertisers are fascinated with digital fingerprinting, a process of tracking users and their devices throughout a mobile ecosystem. However, most still shy away from digital fingerprinting due to consumer privacy concerns.
Cross-screen mobile tracking technology is on the list of to-dos for many mobile ad tech firms. They are researching methods of gathering data points from statistical ID use. As of yet they are only able to achieve 70% to 80% accuracy. But these efforts are still new and expected to improve markedly in coming years.
Indoor mobile tracking technology is also being explored through the use of Bluetooth low energy. The technology pinpoints mobile devices by location and sends consumers relevant ads for the retail store or area they are currently in. So far, this method of mobile tracking has made quite an impression, particularly in the form of Apple’s iBeacon.
More advanced methods of mobile tracking technology are sure to be developed in the months and years to come. In addition to the 48% of advertisers who already find that cross-screen tracking and related campaigns are essential for their efforts to be as impactful as possible, 88% plan to place more value on cross-screen tracking and targeting tactics over the next 24 to 36 months.