The company is running the mobile and audio ads within Pandora. Old Navy has advertised its new collections on the platform in the past.

“Everyone is on their mobile device,” said Marci Troutman, CEO of Siteminis, Atlanta. “There is a high percentage of phones that have access to the mobile Web and people are going to click through.

“A lot of people listen to Pandora on their phones,” she said. “And it’s important to have an ad that takes them directly to a mobile-optimized site.”

Ms. Troutman is not affiliated with Old Navy. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Old Navy did not respond to press inquiries.

Time to shop
The audio and expandable ads highlight the brand’s latest fall looks.

The expandable mobile ad

When consumers tap on the ad, they are redirected to the company’s mobile-optimized commerce-enabled site, where they can not only browse the latest trends, but also find the nearest store to see them in person.

Consumers can also shop by category or search for a specific product.

Customers can also browse other brands such as Banana Republic, Piperlime or the Gap via the mobile site.

“This sort of ‘commerce-actionable’ marketing by Old Navy is very smart, especially as smartphone penetration in the US crosses the 50 percent mark,” said Wilson Kerr, Boston-based mobile marketing consultant. 

“If specific campaigns – or even specific ads – can be empirically linked to mobile commerce conversions, an ‘ROI feedback circuit’ can be connected,” he said. “This means the campaign can be adjusted in realtime, to maximize response in the form of tracked mobile conversions that generate real revenue.”

Mobile targeted
Running a targeted mobile ad such as this on Pandora helps Old Navy reach as many consumers as possible.

Consumers always have their mobile devices on hand and mobile ads are another form of communication between the brand and the customer.

Additionally, highlighting a new product, or in this instance, a new collection helps entice the consumer and not only drive them to a mobile site, but also in-store.

“Many retailers still do not have mobile commerce sites,” Mr. Kerr said. “As such, they are providing a very poor experience for any mobile consumer on  a Web-connected smartphone that clicks on a mobile or social banner ad campaign.

“For retailers, doing any mobile banner advertising without a mobile-optimized landing page that can convert sales is a huge miss,” he said. “Mobile advertising will become more effective and really hit its stride only when advertisers realize that they can judge the effectiveness of a campaign based on conversion performance measured in real dollars, not just clicks.

“When you factor in ‘real world trigger points’ that land consumers on customized mobile commerce landing pages, it becomes even more exciting.”