First mobile display ads launched by Yahoo

Mobile customers in 18 countries around the world, including the U.S., will now see display ads. These ads will either allow click-to-call functionality or point users to other landing pages.

by Kristina Knight

Yahoo hopes the roll out will make them front-runners in the race for mobile marketers. Most forecasts expect mobile advertising to skyrocket over the next few years. By 2011, the mobile marketing ad spend is expected to reach $4.8 billion in the United States, that should be approximately 12% of the entire U.S. advertising spend. Last year, mobile marketers spent about $426 million in mobile marketing. The biggest boost to mobile advertising is the growing number of users using their mobile phones to access the Internet.

Many big name brands have joined in Yahoo's offering. Pepsi, Nissan, Procter & Gamble and Singapore Airlines are among the first to give credence to the offering. Along with the first display ads, Yahoo launched a new version of Yahoo Go. The newest version of their mobile platform allows users to search for local businesses from maps; they may also share the search results and news stories with friends. Pepsi's Free Ride Campaign will be the first to test display advertising on Yahoo Go.

The early challenge for Yahoo's roll out of their display platform is that not all online marketers have mobile-accessible landing pages. If there isn't a mobile page that users can be sent to, those ad dollars are wasted. So, marketers, get those mobile pages ready. Consumers are waiting!