The campaign for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been sending targeted mobile campaign ads in Iowa and New Hampshire to drive voter turnout.

The mobile banner and rich media ads for Mr. Romney, who appeared to be winning the New Hampshire primary at press time were created by Jumptap. They are designed to drive users to a mobile Web site where they can find a local caucus or poll, volunteer, connect on social media, read views and get more information on the campaign.

?New media has impacted presidential politics in unexpected ways: from the first televised presidential debate of 1960 to 2008?s use of social media,? said Jorey Ramer, founder and vice president of corporate development at Jumptap, Cambridge, MA. ?2012 is the year mobile will have a real impact on the voters, giving presidential candidates the chance to connect with voters on a personal level.

?Never more than an arms-length away, smartphones have become the primary information and Internet touch point for many consumers. We?re proud to be among the first to deliver mobile advertising on mobile websites and applications in a presidential primary.?

Up close and personal
Jumptap created the targeted campaign ads for the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primaries.

The Romney campaign set up a mobile Web site that helps voters find a local caucus or poll, volunteer, connect on social media, read views, and get more information on the campaign.

The banner and video ads drove traffic to the mobile Web site. 

The rich media ads embedded similar functionality, where voters could immediately click to Facebook or Twitter, Click-to-Call to locate the caucus or poll closest to them, Click-to-Web for more information on the campaign, and Click-to-Video to view the full video advertisement for the campaign.

The ads were targeted at the ZIP code level.

The objective of the campaign was voter turnout, so ads began appearing close to the caucus and primary dates.

?Mobile costs just a fraction of the expense of TV or online, and is 2-6 times more effective than PC advertising,? Mr. Ramer said.

?Given the smaller screen size, there is less clutter on mobile and only 1-2 ads tend to run at the same time,? he said. ?This gives candidates more air time and a larger share of voice.

?Furthermore, mobile is one of the most personal devices and connects candidates with consumers on a deeper, more focused level.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York