By Stephen Waddington

Google firmly staked out its intention to replicate its lead in web advertising in the mobile industry this month with its $750 million acquisition of AdMob. Advertising is deemed a crucial mechanism for monetising mobile content.

Mobile advertising is red hot, characterised by more than a dozen mobile ad networks. AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo have all made acquisitions in the last 24 months in a bid to stake a claim on the sector.

AdMob has been a Speed client since it launched in Europe in September 2006. Team leader Lucy Wimmer explains in the story below how we’ve helped build its profile, initially in the technology sector, then amongst advertising agencies, and latterly in the national and business media.

Although Google offers many forms of mobile advertising, its focus to date has been on mobile search ads, while AdMob’s focus has been mobile display ads and in-application ads.

By Lucy Wimmer, Technology

When Speed signed AdMob up as a client in 2006 mobile advertising was the new kid on the block. As well as establishing its brand in the UK, AdMob was faced with the challenge of driving mainstream awareness of mobile advertising and moving the perception beyond SMS.

To achieve this, the launch PR programme focused on introducing AdMob to the mobile, telecoms and technology press, with briefings supported by technology demonstrations.

Once AdMob was firmly positioned as a mobile advertising leader in its key trade media, our attention turned to building AdMob’s profile in the marketing and advertising media and educating the national press about mobile advertising. Using customer stories, statistics-driven news based on AdMob’s Mobile Metrics report, opinion pieces and proactive comment on relevant news stories, the company’s media footprint extended to the likes of Media Week, New Media Age, Marketing and Revolution.

Then came the iPhone. With its user-friendly interface and fixed rate mobile web pricing, suddenly everyone could see the potential of the mobile and the device proved to be a real catalyst for mobile advertising both in-application and in-browser.

The topic was placed firmly on the agenda of many national papers. As one of the world’s largest mobile advertising networks, a source of invaluable statistics and an innovator in iPhone ad formats, the company has gained national coverage in The Times, The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

By Steve Earl

Technology is a sector where things move quickly, and many a fortune has been made. And many an entrepreneur is all-too aware of how valuable PR can be in creating positive perception and excitement about a company ahead of a listing or sale.

There are few better indicators of this value than turning up to meet a client post-acquisition or float to see them stepping out of a new Ferrari. True, at the moment these incidents are few and far between, but an agency’s track record in working with fast-developing businesses and helping them to generate the right publicity in the build-up to the big monetary event speaks volumes about its commercial savvy. And it’s ability to make the key people rich.

This month saw Speed client AdMob, a company that the consultancy started working with when it had just one employee in Europe, sell to Google for $750 million. It’s the latest in a long line of clients that we’ve worked with through the rough and the smooth as they’ve rocketed to become acquisition targets or stock exchange darlings. Acquisitions in particular are an important accolade, and over the years we’ve worked with businesses that have achieved substantial valuations.