To entice users to tap on the mobile ads, Dick’s Sporting Goods is promoting one particular adidas shoe to show consumers what kinds of products are available online. The ads are running within the ESPN mobile site.

“I think simple mobile campaigns such as the Dick’s one that promotes one specific product work well on mobile since as targeted campaign messages work particularly well for small screened devices,” said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

“ESPN is a logical place to advertise a sports shoe, so I’d expect a good click-through rate providing the creative is attention-getting,” he said. “Ad placement – getting your ad in front of the right group of target consumers – has always been a critical part of campaign success and remains so today, irrespective of the medium being used.”

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with Dick’s Sporting Goods. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Dick’s Sporting Goods did not respond to press inquiries.

Mobile sport
Dick’s Sporting Goods is promoting users to visit its mobile site with ads that encourage users to learn more about the adidas adizero shoe by shopping from the retailer’s mobile site.

For a big box retailer such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, luring consumers into a mobile ad with a specific product make the ads more personable for users. At the same time, if a consumer is not interested in the particular shoe, the ad might be irrelevant and annoying.

When tapped on, the ad directs users to a filtered page on Dick’s Sporting Goods mobile site with adidas products.

Driving users to the specific product page is always a smart idea for marketers to make mobile campaigns more targeted and specific towards a group of users.

Users can then add search by product category, add items to shopping carts and check-out via the mobile site.

The site also features a prominent store locator button which can either be synced up by using a mobile device’s built-in GPS or by entering a city or ZIP code.

Users can buy on the spot

Context is key
The Dick’s Sporting Goods ads are running within a mobile site that is highly contextual for the retailer’s core demographic of sports enthusiasts.

Consumers on ESPN’s mobile site are most likely not only interested in learning about sports content but also might want to buy gear directly from their handsets.

As mobile advertising becomes more widespread on both mobile apps and sites, the key will be to keep ads contextually relevant to users.

However, Dick’s Sporting Goods is not the only brand stepping up its mobile game with contextually-placed ads.

Blue Moon recently ran a mobile ad campaign that was placed next to entertainment-related content and encouraged users to find a nearby drink before going to the movies, for instance. (see story).

For a retailer specifically, using both location and online commerce gives consumers a wide variety of choices for how they want to interact with a brand.

“Some consumers will purchase directly from their smartphone especially if the consumer doesn’t have a Dick’s store in their immediate vicinity while others would be likely to go to the nearest Dick’s store to purchase the products,” Mr. Buckingham said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York