Opera Mediaworks, an Opera Software company, today published its Q4 State of the Mobile Advertising report, sharing key mobile advertising data and trends from the last quarter of 2012. The source of the data is the company’s extensive mobile advertising platform, which serves 50+ billion ad impressions per month via 12,000 mobile sites and apps, delivering a total of $400 million in revenue to mobile publishers in 2012.
The report showed that:
- Q4 was a record quarter. The fourth quarter represented more than a two-times increase in impressions and revenue to publishers compared to any other quarter in 2012. This reflects the magnitude of marketing and advertising spend during this quarter, associated with the seasonal impact of holiday shopping.
- Android is on the rise, influenced by the adoption of the Samsung Galaxy S III. The iOS platform is still on top for monetization, but Android smartphones edged out the iPhone by about two percentage points for market share of global impression volume.
- Music, Video and Media is the top category for impressions. Consumers are using their mobile devices more and more for consumption of music, video and media, taking 21.4% of all impressions. Arts & Entertainment proved to be more valuable to publishers, generating slightly more revenue overall.
- North American mobile ad dominance shrinks as global players emerge. From Q3 to Q4, the number of ad requests from North America went from 70% of the global total to 64% due to the growth of international traffic. In particular, the Russian Federation has emerged with significant growth in ad requests (60%) from the beginning of Q2 to the end of Q4 last year, largely due to adoption of Android devices.
The report also finds that the sophisticated features now found on mobile devices allow for high-impact, rich media campaigns. Using examples from DreamWorks Animation and Kraft Foods, Opera demonstrates how brands are able to combine new types of ad units, branded content and embedded calls to action to create an engaging narrative on their customers’ smartphones.
To read the full report, go to opera.com/sma.
About Opera Mediaworks
Opera Mediaworks is the world’s leading mobile advertising platform that helps power the global mobile economy. The platform improves efficiency, through technology, innovation, transparency and trust, to create an open and vibrant marketplace for publishers and advertisers across the globe. Opera Mediaworks includes AdMarvel, an ad serving and mediation platform; Mobile Theory, a premium mobile ad network in the US; 4th Screen Advertising Ltd., a premium ad network in the UK. Also included are impressions served within Opera mobile properties, including Opera Smart Page and the Opera Mobile Store. Opera Mediaworks is a member of the Opera Software family of companies.
About Opera Software ASA
The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 275 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. ‘Opera’, ‘Opera Software’, ‘Opera Mini’ and the ‘O’ logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.
