Google's market dominance in search advertising isn't being replicated in mobile advertising as Apple and Google are expected to battle to a draw in mobile advertising marketshare by the end of 2010.
In an IDC forecast, Apple will end 2010 with a 21% marketshare, according to BusinessWeek.com.
Apple didn't compete in the mobile ad market in 2009, but entered the mobile ad market this year.
That puts Apple on a collision course with Google, which will see its mobile ad share drop from 27% to 21% by the end of the year, IDC says.
It's evident from IDC's numbers that the mobile ad market will provide a much different landscape than the Internet search market, which is dominated by one player, Google.
Here are other IDC projections:
- Jumptap is slated to have a 13% 2010 mobile ad share, up from 10% in 2009.
- Yahoo's 12% share in 2009 is expected to come in at 9% at the end of 2010.
- Microsoft's share is expected to drop from 10% in 2009 to 7% in 2010.
- And, Nokia seems to be fading: Its 5% 2009 share is slated to decline to 2% this year.
This all seems to be pretty good news for travel advertisers who, despite
Bing's recent strides in Internet search share, have seen it as almost mandatory to wage search engine marketing campaigns with Google to stay relevant.
The mobile ad space is shaping up to be very competitive for now at least, and that hopefully should translate into competitive pricing and models for advertisers.
The mobile ad market is huge and growing.
On a global basis, mobile marketing expenditures are expected to increase from $8.8 billion in 2010 to nearly $15.8 billion in 2012, according to consultant D. Steven White.
New technologies, including Apple's iAd format, will help shape the market.
"iAd can be triggeredi inside an app which is a significnant change from prior moibile ads that required the user to leave the app and view the ad," says Norm Rose, president of Travel Tech Consulting. "The iAd platform will allow travel advertisers to offer ancillary services within the mobile booking path."
Will Google and Apple eventually dominate the mobile ad market? Will new players emerge before the almost inevitable shakeout?
Does anyone have a crystal ball handy?