Microsoft has announced the availability of mobile display advertising on the MSN Mobile portal. MSN Mobile users in the UK will see banner and text ad placements across the mobile portal, and all the ads seen will conform to mobile advertising guidelines provided by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA). NIVEA VISAGE, Yell.com and SanDisk are among the first companies to launch a MSN Mobile campaign in the UK.
"The launch of display advertising on MSN Mobile further demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to connecting advertisers with their target audiences at home, at work and on the go across multiple platforms, devices and geographies. With technology created by Microsoft's Advertising and Publisher Solutions Group and by the acquisition of ScreenTonic last year, today's launch reinforces our position in the market both in the UK, and following December's US launch, as a leader in mobile advertising, providing brands with much demanded premium inventory through which to engage consumers," said Chris Ward, Commercial Director, UK, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions.
Susann Wolschendorf, Assistant Brand Manager at Beiersdorf, NIVEA VISAGE, added: "We are delighted to be one of the launch advertisers for the new MSN Mobile display ad offering. The entrance of Microsoft into the UK mobile ad market fills a gap where, until today's launch, there has been great demand for new premium ad inventory to be made available. The fact that all the MSN Mobile ad formats available conform to the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) industry standards for advertising gives strong indication of Microsoft's desire to not only grow MSN Mobile as an ad platform but to grow the mobile advertising industry as a whole."
Poppy Wilson, Account Manager, Carat Digital, who conceived and negotiated the campaign for NIVEA VISAGE, said: "We were keen to invest in a high-impact and creative ad campaign that would really get mobile users excited and engaged with the NIVEA VISAGE brand as an experience not just a product, and Microsoft has delivered just that. We're excited to be leading the way in creating a truly digital experience for the mobile consumer".
Today's announcement is said to build on Microsoft mobile advertising offerings already available in Belgium, France, Japan, Spain and the US.