More and more young people are using their mobile devices to keep track of their health and diets these days, and that’s opening up new advertising opportunities, The New York Times reports. Of the roughly 100 million Americans who own a smartphone, young adults are much more likely than older people to use it to look for health information, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which surveys technology trends. Advertisers are taking note. Led by auto companies and packaged goods makers, they spent $3 billion online in 2011, including $818 million for mobile ads, PricewaterhouseCoopers says. That was more than for print or radio, although television still got the largest share of the ad dollars. Health care companies, however, have been slow to advertise online. ComScore says health ads accounted for just 1% of all online display ads at the end of last year. As for placing their ads on smartphones, many drug companies are struggling with the challenges of fitting safety information required by regulators, like side effects, onto the smaller screens of phones. ComScore says 17 million people used their phone to get health information in September, October and November last year. With that many potential customers out there, drug companies will likely find a way to solicit them on their smartphones and tablets. “It may change the way we craft strategy,” says Geoff McCleary, group director for mobile innovation at Digitas Health—which is owned by the Publicis Groupe, the Paris-based ad giant. Check out the full story here. (Subscription may be required.)
Today’s poll question: Do you use your smartphone or tablet to keep track of your health and diet?
