Increasing Number of Mobile Internet Users to Drive U.S. Mobile Search Ad Revenues to $2.3B by 2013, According to BIA/Kelsey

BIA's The Kelsey Group, a division of BIA Advisory Services, LLC, forecasts U.S. mobile search advertising revenues to grow from $39 million in 2008 to $2.3 billion by 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 125.6 percent.

"We anticipate a tenfold increase in the number of mobile Internet search users during the forecast period -- from 5.2 million in 2008 to 56.2 million in 2013," said Neal Polachek, chief executive officer, BIA's The Kelsey Group. "The attendant increase in searches per user and the percentage of search results that are served with ads will drive the growth in mobile search ad revenues."

BIA/Kelsey will present the forecast during "Winning Media Strategies," its first conference to focus on the new media landscape and the opportunities for traditional media businesses and online companies, May 20-22 in Washington, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) recently partnered with Winning Media Strategies to demonstrate the importance of mobile and other online methods of distribution to the broadcast industry.

The Winning Media Strategies program will examine the role of mobile advertising in multiplatform business models and focus on how local advertisers can find income through cross-platforms, including online, social and mobile media. Rick Ducey, BIA's chief strategy officer, will lead a panel titled, "How Broadcasters Can Get the Local Edge in Mobile Advertising," featuring Sam Matheny, general manager, News Over Wireless, and Ivan Braiker, CEO, HipCricket. The panel will discuss specific opportunities for broadcasters to win new segments of the advertising pie, including local content, mobile video, messaging and even interactive applications for mobile devices. In addition to advertising revenue models, subscription revenue models will also be explored.

"Broadcasters are very aware that new technology trends can help them compete better in today's marketplace," commented Anne Schelle, executive director, Open Mobile Video Coalition, and a speaker at Winning Media Strategies. "The next step is to determine viable, effective go-to-market strategies that monetize their assets."

This discussion will be front and center at Winning Media Strategies where attendees will examine how to leverage local content and sales forces and develop cross-platform media campaigns to add unique value to their sales and marketing solutions and drive new forms of revenues.

The Winning Media Strategies agenda features speakers from many key market segments, including broadcast and Internet media, mobile platforms, print media, government, academia, finance, lobbying companies, law firms, and trade associations, who will share their insights on what it takes to remain relevant in the changing local media industry. Attendees will learn from industry leaders and innovators from both traditional and new media, including keynote speakers John Kannapell, vice president, AOL Search and Directional Media; Marci Ryvicker, vice president, Wachovia; Jeff Smulyan, CEO, Emmis Communications; Mark Walsh, CEO, GeniusRocket; and Dick Wiley, partner, Wiley Rein.

Media partners for the conference include TVNewsday, Washington Business Journal, Radio-Info.com and Inside Radio. CobbCorp is a conference sponsor. Additional information on Winning Media Strategies, including a full list of sessions and speakers.

About BIA Advisory Services, LLC

BIA Advisory Services, LLC, a subsidiary of BIA Financial Network, provides research, data, analysis, and financial and strategic consulting to media, telecommunications, technology, directory publishing, and local search companies. BIA Advisory Services includes The Kelsey Group, experts in traditional and online local media and advertising; BIA Research, providers of competitive and comparative market information and analysis through data services, specialized reporting, engineering studies and mapping; and BIA Consulting, specialists in business intelligence and corporate growth strategy, and the nation's leading communications appraisal and valuation firm.