T-Mobile is boosting ad inventory to monetize its subscriber reach
T-Mobile marketing chiefs took part in the NewFronts conference organized by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and divulged some of its future plans for marketing across its physical and online platforms.
It turns out that the Un-carrier has plans to greatly increase its ad inventory. The channels it owns and operates span from retail to digital, but according to IPG Mediabrands CIO Maureen Bosetti, retail space is actually the fastest developing channel with 20% annual growth.
T-Mobile is well positioned to take advantage with its in-store Retail Media Network (RMN) that owns and operates 20,000 screens between all the T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile retail locations.
A recent IAB presentation places special emphasis on those retail advertising locations, saying that it is actually retailers that have the ultimate treasure trove of consumer shopping data and behavior across their physical space, loyalty programs, and app data.
Speaking of app data, T-Mobile also has access to 7 million users of its T Life app that serves its loyalty program (former T-Mobile Tuesdays). When combined with the connected TV ad contracts it has with Plex, T-Mobile claims total access to 240 million users across its ad inventory.
Needless to say, "changing advertising for good" could mean more ads served to T-Mobile's current and future subscribers across its retail stores, carrier-locked phones, loyalty apps and connected streaming content that it has partnerships with.
In short, brace for more and better targeted advertising by T-Mobile, as the carrier embarks on a journey to monetize its underdog status in ways more subtle than directly raising plan prices.
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