Shifting Into Click-Through Rate Overdrive
What’s the secret behind Hyundai’s 8 percent CTR?
The buzz is all around mobile advertising, and it’s easy to see why. Savvy marketers are excited about click-through rates on mobile that are leaving their Internet counterparts trailing. Click-through rates of 3 to 5 percent are common in this more personal medium. But some of the programs we’re running for brands are yielding click-through rates in the 5 to 10 percent range; and one program, for the auto manufacturer Hyundai, resulted in click-through rates of 8 to 9 percent.
In spring 2007, Enpocket helped Hyundai launch a mobile program to increase awareness of the Hyundai Elantra and position the brand as fun and cutting edge. The auto manufacturer also wanted to target consumers who are often difficult to reach through traditional channels, and so the brand looked to mobile.
The program included a mobile Web site that enabled customers to download ringtones and screen savers featuring sexy shots of the new Elantra model, viral “send-to-a-friend” mechanics, and a location-aware dealer finder that allows customers to click-to-call a local dealer to test drive the car. It also integrated mobile with Hyundai’s sponsorship of the 2007 South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Concert participants could text in to get Hyundai-sponsored ringtones from artists who performed at the festival, and the free ringtones were also available for download on the brand’s mobile site.
These objectives seem similar to those of any brand aiming to reach new customers with mobile. So what made this campaign garner such dramatic results? The end-to-end program wasn’t just a revamp of Hyundai’s traditional Web site. Rather, it was a made-for-mobile program integrated with Hyundai’s other print, Web and television marketing efforts.
The program engaged consumers with a rich, immersive mobile experience that incorporated a number of post-click mobile ad mechanics, like messaging, ‘send-to-a-friend’ viral mechanics and mobile Web surfing. We’ve found that consumers want instant gratification from their mobile Web experiences, incorporated in this program through content downloads.
The mobile site was also promoted on carrier-grade media, which was a key factor to its high click-through rate, as it represents high-reach, high-quality media. In fact, the program has experienced so much success that Hyundai is expanding its mobile marketing plan to other models in 2007.