Ticketmaster is running the campaign within MLB.com’s mobile site. An effort such as this proves that it is important that marketers test their campaigns before rolling them out.

“Ticketmaster’s latest campaign extends the company further into the mobile phone market, which is the best way to success in today’s competitive business environment,” said Isabella Lin, content director at Appitalism, New York.

“Ticketmaster’s latest campaign is very closely designed to correlate to the app MLB Major League Baseball they’re advertising on,” she said. “The ad campaign is designed for people who check the score or watch a game on MLB Major League Baseball and see this Ticketmaster’s latest campaign and want to buy a ticket.

“The campaign also appeals to those people interested in sports, but also those who want to participate in other activities such as theater, concerts, family events etc. The campaign includes great deals for concerts, sports and theater and family events.

Ms. Lin is not affiliated with Ticketmaster. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Ticketmaster did not respond to press inquiries.

Mobile ticketing
The Ticketmaster mobile banner ad reads “Ticket Deals. Promotions, Special Offers & More.”

Consumers are encouraged to see all of the deals by tapping on the mobile ad.

However, that is where the experience falls short.

When users tap on the mobile ad, they are redirected to the company’s Web site where they have to pinch and zoom to browse special offers and deals.

By asking consumers to pinch-and-zoom, Ticketmaster devalues the user experience.

Consumers are more tech-savvy nowadays and therefore, expect a lot more from their favorite companies.

What is strange is that Ticketmaster has a mobile-optimized site as well as applications.

Leading consumers to the company’s mobile offerings would have proved to be more effective.

Past efforts
Ticketmaster has been dipping its toes in the mobile space since 2009.

In 2009, the company rolled out a BlackBerry application that let consumers browse and search through thousands of live entertainment events and buy tickets (see story).

Earlier this year, Ticketmaster launched an iPhone application that lets consumers browse and search for concerts and games in their area (see story).

“Overall, Ticketmaster’s latest campaign also provides the opportunity to consumers and users to understand more current trends performances or activities, because they widely offer a various occasions and activities – there is always a ticket for you,” Ms. Lin said.

“Ticketmaster has developed a very strong promotional offering for the desktop Internet as this is their heritage and expertise, over time, they will learn to extend this functionality to their mobile apps and mobile-optimized Web sites so that they can become the masters of tickets for the mobile Internet too,” she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York