Zapp360 disrupts mobile advertising industry by launching world’s first right-time mobile ad platform

London, UK – 22^nd May, 2014: Zapp360, the mobile advertising innovator, has unveiled the world’s first real-time mobile advertising platform, enabling advertisers to issue targeted display advertising messages based on a mobile phone user’s location, interests and in reaction to current events. This has created a new paradigm to increase user engagement and enables brands to send smartphone users right-time, right-place, right-context promotions, specifically customised for mobile browsers. 

The Zapp360 platform delivers an unobtrusive scrolling message of up to 140 characters embedded into consumers’ mobile browsers or apps at a time specified by the advertiser. Customers can then simply tap the message to navigate to a location, place a call, see a video, redeem a coupon or land on an advertisers’ website. This level of immediacy and interactivity drives a richer experience and delivers conversion rates that have far exceeded industry averages.

Historically, mobile advertising has relied upon repurposing desktop advertisements for the smaller screen. UK publisher IPC Media was the first to trial the new Zapp360 ad unit across its NME mobile web property. “Our editorial team really likes the Zapp unit and feel it offers a much more relevant and less intrusive user experience” said Sam Finlay, head of digital advertising for IPC Media. He added, “We’ve been encouraged by the strong engagement rates and effective CPMS that Zapp360’s right-time messaging platform has delivered so far.”

Dentsu Aegis Network’s Trading Desk, Amnet, was the first to trial the Zapp platform. Managing Director, Steve Hobbs commented, “The benefit of programmatic trading is our ability to serve bespoke, personalised and relevant communication to mobile users on behalf of clients. Zapp360’s real-time solution perfectly complements this by allowing our clients to quickly and easily react to market conditions.

“Amnet already uses data and efficient buying methods to offer the most effective digital solutions for our clients and Zapp360’s new scrolling text format for mobile further enhances our mobile offering, with a focus on always being relevant for users.”

UK phone retailer Phones 4U was one of the first advertisers to embrace the Zapp360 platform. Wendi Chan, Online Display Manager for Phones 4U commented: “We’re always looking at innovative new approaches to connecting with our target audience. Trialling multiple offers via Zapp360’s messaging platform enabled us to acquire new customers through our mobile website at a very competitive yield.”

Zapp360 co-founder, Jamie Estrin said, “Mobile advertising offers the unparalleled versatility to target customers based on audience, content, device and location. By putting right-time, right-place, right-context promotional tools at the disposal of advertisers, the industry can finally realise the dream of delivering real-time advertising to consumers.

“Today’s launch marks a new dawn in the way advertisers view, and are able to utilise mobile advertising. Mobile advertising has grown in importance and is now worth over $14.3bn per year, yet many advertisers still have not updated their methods of reaching smartphone users beyond pushing through compressed versions of existing adverts. This is the digital equivalent of squeezing a billboard ad onto a business card.”

Estrin surmised, “This lack of flexibility restricts brands and ultimately means a slower response to the market than would otherwise be needed to deliver the best results. Zapp’s platform is the breakthrough needed by the industry and empowers advertisers with a text-based creative that can be conceived and deployed within minutes.”