TV marketing mania among mobile phone makers reached new heights over the past month. Buoyed by Amazon’s entry into the category (via the Fire Phone), Cortana’s integration into Windows Phone and Samsung’s competitive response to Friday’s launch of the iPhone 6; TV spend over the last month within the mobile devices category increased more than 50 percent over the same period last year.
National airings on TV rose nearly 75 percent and spend over the last 30 days surpassed any 30-day stretch over the 2013 Holiday shopping season. All of this is before Apple has even begun buying TV spots for its iPhone 6 campaign.
Over the last month, the greatest online engagement in the category came from competitors who creatively compared themselves directly to iPhone. Both Windows Phone, with its “Siri vs. Cortana” campaign, and Samsung with the “Note vs. 6 Plus” creative has seen tremendous online viewership of its original TV commercials. Not all of the digital engagement has been positive, as iPhone devotees have taken to social media to lambast the Microsoft and Samsung efforts, but consumer attention to the creatives has led to sizeable incremental ad impressions for these brands.
Networks running college football and NFL games have benefited most from this spend, but FXX garnered significant dollars from the category during the network’s “The Simpsons” marathon. Likewise, other live events, such as the Emmy’s and MTV Video Music Awards attracted spenders in the mobile category.
The confluence of football, “The Simpsons” and awards shows gave mobile advertisers with reason to spend a broad base within which to pour their dollars. The fall premiere season and continued football action await the dollars to come from iPhone 6’s launch campaign and the continued competitive response from other brands. Expect the massive TV spending in mobile to continue into the holidays.
Written by Joshua Ziliak