Next week MSG’s new contributor Eliza Dashwood takes the helm to summarize the industry stats and reports that matter most. In the meantime, Smaato, mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising agency, has given MSG exclusive access to latest global mobile advertising metrics. The Smaato Worldwide Index- which analyzes ad network fill rates and sheds important light on click-through rates (CTR) segmented by handset operating system, geography and response times – is based on data Smaato collected in February from 35 mobile ad networks and over 4 billion ad requests served in the Smaato network of more than 3,000 registered mobile publishers.

Overall, Smaato’s metrics show that the average worldwide ad network fill rates remain constant at 29 percent in February 2010. The fill rate is measured as the percentage of ads delivered per ad request and varies by different factors, like country, device, content type.

Smaato’s Index also provides a breakdown of CTR data, segmented according to operating system, showing that Symbian continues to lead the pack, with Android a distant second. However, there are some significant shifts that indicate the gap between operating system CTRs could be closing fast. For example, BlackBerry comes in at 51, up from 30 in December 2009, while Symbian – still the dominant operating system – has dropped slightly. It comes in at 147, compared with 173 in December 2009.

However, the biggest surprise is the lead Windows Mobile has over Apple. Specifically, the iPhone and iPod Touch show a declining CTR, coming in with a rate of 89. This is the first time Apple devices have dipped below the average Index of 100, and the first time that Windows Mobile has edged ahead of its rival. In December 2009 the iPhone posted a CTR Index of 119, sliding to 104 in January 2010.

PERFORMANCE

Overall, the best performing mobile ad network in the Smaato Worldwide Index had a fill rate of 72 percent February 2010, down 17 from January. Despite this decrease, the average for worldwide ad network fill rate performance remained steady at 29 percent. What’s more, Smaato found that six of the top ten ad networks performed above this average. This re-enforces the pivotal importance and potential advantages of the network aggregation business model. Smaato embraces the model (aggregating 35 ad networks worldwide) to deliver partners a high fill rate.

By way of background, the first metrics report, which Smaato released in January, identified the mobile networks in the U.S. that delivered the best performance by name. This month’s metrics don’t divulge the identities of the best-performing ad networks in the U.S. – but I can imagine Millennial Media is in the winner’s circle (again).

Speaking of the U.S., the average fill rate of mobile ad networks in the U.S. hovers at 35 percent, a decrease compared to January 2010 (fill rate – 47 percent) and December 2009 (fill rate – 55 percent). However, closer examination shows that the U.S. fill rate is still significantly higher than the worldwide average fill rate of only 29 percent.

Smaato metrics further show that the two top-performing ad networks in the U.S. also improved their fill rate. One network came in at 78 percent (up from 68 percent in January) and the other reached 64 percent (up from 61 percent in January).

SPOTLIGHT SOUTH-EAST-ASIA:

For the first time Smaato metrics examine fill rates in South-East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines), markets where mobile marketing and advertising are buoyant. Overall, the fill rates reveal that two ad networks are performing head and shoulders above the others, coming in with 90 percent and 87 percent fill rates in this region. Overall, the fill rates show a similar spread to those recorded in the U.S.

South-East Asia’s average fill rate of 32 percent is considerably higher compared to that of India’s, which came in at a mere 8 percent in the January Smaato metrics report. As Smaato CEO & Founder Ragnar Kruse sees it: This demonstrates the large differences across the Asian market and the need for developers to search for different partners or a mobile aggregation and optimization service.

The breakdown of the CTRs by operating system in this region provides an interesting and insightful picture of what devices users have and how they interact with mobile advertising.

Interestingly, the iPhone and iPodTouch dominate the region with a CTR Index of 164 followed by Symbian (127) and Android (124), while Windows Mobile comes in at the bottom of the table with 56.

PODCAST SERIES BACK BY DEMAND

In addition to providing us the inside track on what Smaato sees across its network of partner ad networks, the company is also sharply focused on cultivating a robust mobile advertising business ecosystem in which in can play a leadership role. To this end Smaato also dedicates significant resources to identify and encourage mobile advertising pioneers and innovators.

A prime example of this is the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award, which recognizes excellence in the mobile advertising and developers harnessing mobile apps and the mobile Web that can also be tapped to deliver compelling messages and campaigns to consumers worldwide.

Among the top three winners – chosen by a world-class jury of leading influencers of the mobile community including MSearchGroove – were: Aloqa, a U.S.-based mobile service that proactively notifies people of interesting places, events, music, movies and other activities nearby; Waze, an Israeli startup that taps the wisdom of crowds to provide real-time maps, traffic information and turn-by-turn directions; and Yoose, a provider of mobile coupon and loyalty programs based in Germany.

To showcase these high-flyer companies and their views on industry hot topics including engagement, location services, mobile couponing and crowd-sourcing Smaato has collaborated with MSearchGroove to produce a special podcast series showcasing the three company CEOs. In the interviews, which originally aired in time for the Mobile World Congress in February, the executives also comment on the meetings with eight top-notch VCs – high-level introductions that are part of the Smaato Award.

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Listen to the Waze podcast with CEO Noam Bardin here. [4:38]

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Listen to Yoose podcast with CEO Christian Geissendoerfer here. [4:44]

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Listen to the Aloqa podcast with CEO Sangeev Agrawal here. [4:43]

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My take on the winners and the trends: Mobile advertising is content, and its value to us is inextricably linked with its ability to entertain us, inform us or simplify our lives. Waze harnesses our personal mobility and our position as nodes in a larger network to tap the wisdom of invisible crowds to deliver tangible benefits combined with a super-cool user experience.

Location isn’t the killer app we thought. But an app that combines location awareness with technology that can read the clues we leave behind – to passively personalize our experiences and present us with precisely what we are likely to appreciate based on our likes and dislikes — AND offer brands and nearby establishments a chance to monetize that fit – covers all the bases to be a crowd-pleaser.

Another trend that impacts mobile advertising is the avalanche of software applications (apps) that have transformed what we do with our devices. As our focus shifts from novelty to utility we will vote with our feet, visiting those websites that allow us to do what we want, quickly, easily and intuitively. Therefore, Aloqa, which ties together location, social media and a push-approach to local search, is well-positioned to benefit from our increasing focus on finding what’s important to us nearby. The clever decision to open APIs to third-party publishers ensures that Aloqa will cover the long tail, which is where the money really is in local in the first place.

And finally, a comment on Yoose. We know from looking at Japan and Korea that mobile coupons and mobile commerce can be part of our daily mobile experiences – provided the experience is seamless and simple. Yoose has developed more than a website; it has perfected a work flow that could move couponing out of the chasm and into the bowling alley.

Moving forward, Smaato will join MSearchGroove’s growing roster of contributors and collaborators.

Disclaimer: Smaato is not an MSG friend – but not a partner/supporter.

Tags: Android, Apple, Google, iPhone, Location-based services, Mobile Advertising, mobile analytics, Mobile Marketing, podcast, Smaato

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Data Points, Local Search, Location-based services, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Research, Podcasts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.