Agencies Show Increasing Interest in iAd Platform

More than one-third of ad agencies are showing interest in shifting marketing budgets to the mobile category after the recent launch of Apple’s iAd platform, reports media-buying systems provider Strata.

Interest in the emerging sector has more than doubled from the 16 percent that Strata observed last spring, relays MediaPost. Most of the activity is centered on Apple’s iPhone, which 87 percent of firms want to run ads on.

Though the iPhone’s operating system has less market penetration than either Android or Research in Motion, the overwhelming interest in iAds shows the power of Apple’s brand. “The iPhone has 50 percent higher interest than any other phone out there, even though BlackBerry has more phones out there,” Strata CEO John Shelton told MediaPost. “Advertisers are interested in being associated with the iPhone.”

The iAd network launched on July 1. Though Apple’s platform is relatively new to the market, many ad publishers are supporting it in a big way, with initial reports indicating that major brands, including Nissan and Disney, have invested more than $60 million in the network.