– and that’s mobile

During the summer months, traditional media consumption dips as Brits head for warmer climes or enjoy outdoor activities in the UK. With weekly average TV viewing dropping by as much as 12 hours a week, brands have historically found it difficult to reach the people that matter to them. But one screen puts the others in the shade as the weather heats up – and that’s mobile.

Even in the UK, a mature mobile market, we have witnessed 10% growth in mobile daily users in the UK in the last nine months alone. Today, 22 million people access Facebook on mobile every day in the UK. They are constantly connected, checking their newsfeed an average of 14 times each day.

Such high, active return rates mean Facebook is perfectly positioned to reach people throughout the summer, enabling marketers to continue personalised conversations and maximise sales as people share their summer on Facebook.

Whether heading off on holiday or simply enjoying the weather in the UK with friends, people love sharing their experiences with friends and family. Nearly half (42%) of people on Facebook regularly share travel stories whether that’s booking, planning, sharing or reflecting on their experiences – making it by far the most talked about category, and more than double the next.

Lipton Ice Tea’s campaign is a great example of how brands can maximise the power of mobile advertising to engage with their target audience during the summer months.

Thanks to sophisticated technology the ad campaign was thermo-activated, so when the weather heated up the ads became live. The aim was to drive awareness and saliency of the brand to 18-25 year olds, by making Lipton Ice Tea famous and loved by Brits. The campaign revolved around a ‘big bang’ creative video featuring a ringing Lipton phone box on the streets of London and members of the public who answered the phone to win prizes. In order to keep Lipton front of mind, the video was supported by a series of supporting video and photo content on Facebook among other channels.

The results were outstanding, with 6.9m people reached and a 12.8% video view rate, equating to just £0.06 cost per view.

Aman Matharu, Digital Marketing Manager, Pepsico commented: “Facebook is a critical channel for us during the summer months when we might otherwise find it difficult to reach our customers at the scale we’re used to. The combination of strong mobile engagement and the ability to target the people that are most important to the brand puts Facebook head and shoulders above the competition during this season.”

Here are my five takeouts for brands and businesses looking to take advantage of Facebook to reach the right people at the right time this summer:

1. People are constantly engaged on Facebook, allowing businesses to promote their summer sales whilst people are on-the-go and even on the beach. We know that the majority (68%) of shoppers access their mobile in-store and 39% use a social network so brands must take notice. It’s all about using Facebook’s targeting and audience insights to reach the right people with the right messages.

2. Summer is full of celebrations, sporting events and outdoor activities. Winning brands will be at the centre of these through clever personalised creative that responds to current events.

3. Don’t forget holiday time. Products like travel insurance and car rental are often booked during last minute preparations and mobile News Feed is a great way to remind people to take action and purchase, whether you’re a travel website using your own data to cross-sell, or an FMCG looking to influence purchases of sun-cream and other necessities using Facebook’s “About to Travel” targeting category.

4. Unlike many other channels, Facebook advertising allows you to be flexible. Brands can quickly promote specific deals at scale to shift unsold inventory such as hotel rooms or flights, as well as adapt their messaging to meet seasonal business needs.

5. Finally, through our Preferred Marketing Developers (PMDs) we’re helping brands and marketers to Supercharge Ads. Whether you’re looking to drive ad efficiency, scale or take advantage of custom functionality, such as switching on your ads when it’s raining, these companies specialise in building technology that make every campaign more powerful and effective.

Every year we spend hours speaking with brands and agencies ahead of major seasonal moments. While each one has its own unique set of goals and challenges, one singular thing unites them all; a common mission to connect the right customers to the right products or services. Mobile is fundamentally changing the summer advertising landscape and never before has there been a more exciting time.

 

By Ed Couchman, UK Sales Manager at Facebook. 

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