There are advertisements that stand still and stay where they are like the giant billboards  and banners along the roads and atop buildings. But where is the fun in such an ad? Chances are the people who pass by it on Monday are the same people that will pass it the next day and so on. There is little value added in having it posted there for a straight month besides recall. Thus, marketing people thought of putting the ads on moving vehicles or even on people. The billboards and posters were literally mobile. The point is making the message reach and follow the target consumer wherever he or she is. Right now, they are on their cellphones, laptops and tablet pc’s so there is where ads will be. This is the birth of mobile advertising as we know it today. There is truly something eerily stalker-like about the manner that advertising is done.

Mobile advertising on cellular phones can be classified between the two types. The first type is in the form of SMS messages received that attempt to sell promos and products to its recipient. These SMS barrage are done via businesses soliciting mobile phone numbers from previous customers. For example, after making a purchase at a store, the saleslady would ask if you would like to be part of their mailing list. If you say yes, you will begin receiving text infomercials. If you receive texts that advertise something you did not sign up for, the company probably got your number by buying a list of phone numbers. On the other hand, it is possible that the company paid for a cell broadcast meaning everyone within an area would receive the text so there is no need to be afraid of your privacy yet.

The other type of advertising on cellular phones happens when you use the phone for internet browsing. Similar to how ads appear on the screen when you are surfing the net on the pc, there are also ads on top of your mobile phone screen called banners or at the bottom of the screen called posters when you go online on your phone. Like its counterpart on the pc, mobile advertising also utilizes user profiling and data mining. By going through the cellular phone’s browsing history, a computer would form a profile on the user and decide which ads to show him or her. In other words, if you have just used your phone to go to an airline’s website, you would likely find a travel agency ad on your screen the next time you go online.

The marketing and advertising industry is really competitive so no one can blame the people there for aggressively pursuing consumers. For them, mobile advertising is a good medium. Where else can you find a venue where you can specifically address someone with interest and curiosity for your product or service? The motto was send your message to the potential customer and advertising on cell phones does just that.