All this seemingly provides additional evidence of how, in terms of mobile web VS. Applications, HTML5 will definitely close up the existing gap in terms of navigation, functionalities between apps and mobile web. What has up until now required browser plug-ins and other patches to HTML, most typically Flash, will soon be renderable, natively, in all major browsers. Web developers are likely tp play an important role on this shifting landscape over the coming years. It is extremely probable that they will soon be able to deliver such content and experiences in all major browsers using one base of markup and script code (JavaScript and/or jQuery), without having to resort to browser-specific code and workarounds. Despite what the sceptics say, Microsoft is seemingly dedicated to full-on HTML5 support in their version 9 of the browser which is currently under development.
HTML5 features
So what then, are the new major features of HTML5 and how will these affect the mobile marketing and advertising industry?
• 2D drawing capabilities and 3D transforms
It therefore becomes possible to render 3D images and animations, making HTML-based games more feasible than at present.
• Embedded audio and video
A media player can appear directly in a web page without resorting to plug-ins while content can play automatically.
• Major enhancements to form-based input
Line-of-business applications, with complicated input and data validation are supported directly.
• Offline caching, local storage and client-side SQL database
These facilities simply allow Web applications to function more like native apps, even if no Internet connection is available.
• User-defined data
Data (or metadata – data about data!) is easier to embed statically and/or retrieved and updated with Javascript code, eliminating the need to embed that data within a separate file or script code.
Although all this may sound slightly complicated, what it essentially boils down to is that, when combined, these features enable HTML to compete with, and perhaps even overtake Adobe’s Flash/AIR as a viable Web platform for media rich internet applications, (essentially apps that function more like desktop software than web sites) and interactive Web content, including games.
For example, the New York Times’ website uses HTML5 to embed video clips without resorting to Flash. They are simply obliged to do so, otherwise iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users would not be able to see them in the Mobile Safari browser. The importance of the iPad on this ever-changing landscape is not to be overlooked. For Michael Scafidi, technology director at Razorfish, it will be a catalyst for HTML adoption. He believes that Adobe’s Flash will most definitely lose share to the new open Web standard, directly due to advertising on the iPad, given its lack of support for Flash. However, outside of the iPad and iPhone, he believes it will still be used for more immersive media and advertising. Other companies have made it known that they will stick with Flash for advertising wherever it seems to make sense.
So how important will new tablet devices be for the future of mobile marketing and advertising and is the absence of Flash on the iPad really the tablet’s Achilles heel? Flash’s detractors would argue that the cross-platform browser plug-in is incredibly intensive to run on any device, and burns through batteries faster. They argue that HTML5 can do almost as much as Flash without the power drain. Under these circumstances, it would seem that advertisers need to start creating ads in HTML 5 and it would seem that the brands which have already done this successfully on the iPad have benefitted from fantastic results. A recent report on “Tabvertising” published by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) would also seem to support this as it points out the various different advertising opportunities that are available including search, email, social media, video, websites and apps. The IAB advises marketers to create iPad-ready websites (rather than branded apps) since sites can be found in search engines (while apps currently can’t be). Furthermore, according to the IAB, display advertising on the iPad represents an incontestable opportunity, due to the way in which adverts are displayed on tablets and the advantages offered to advertisers by new touchscreen capabilities. While some commentators point to the lack of consistency with formats across online and tablet ads and believe this could hinder the creation of large campaigns, others are more optimistic and believe that Apple’s iAds will encourage the standardization of advertising on the iPad.
A co-existence
So, all of this tends to back-up the theory that HTML and apps will happily co-exist, in the medium term at least. However, there are obviously other elements that confirm this viewpoint, that need to be taken into account. Central to App. V HTML5 debate is the fact that some things are simply function better through an app, generally games or content that is resident on a device rendering access simpler and bypassing the need to call a website. Moreover, only applications can take advantage of phone features such as the camera and the accelerometer. These phone features are not available at the browser or HTML5 level, so the need for specific tool like apps is highly unlikely to completely disappear. Neil Strother, a practice director at ABI research in Kirkland (WA), believes the concept of APP/HTML5 co-existence is a valid one. “A brand will provide a good mobile application for content or specific services that can take advantage of certain devices (Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry), and a good mobile site that allows for anyone for a mobile browser to visit and have a good experience,” he says. It is also important to remember that although many brands and creative agencies believe that they need to develop iPhone apps, what they need in reality is a good mobile site. It costs less to develop, manage and work across all handsets. Additionally, customization is a value of apps that cannot be replicated on the mobile Web because mobile sites cannot track cookies.