The Subway mobile ads are running within the New York Post iPhone application. Subway has continued to turn to mobile advertising in the past to promote new products and drive in-store traffic.

“Using mobile to get the word out about a new product is important – most consumers are using mobile for viewing emails, ads, social media and texting, all by landing on a mobile experience for an action,” said Marci Troutman, CEO of SiteMinis, Atlanta.

“Not including mobile in a new product launch would be missing the mark,” she said.

Ms. Troutman is not associated with Subway. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Subway declined to comment for this story.

Driving traffic
Copy for the Subway ad features a photo of the Subway logo next to creative that promotes a new line of Italian sandwiches.

When tapped on, the mobile ad directs consumers to a landing page where they can either watch a commercial for the current promotion or learn more about Subway.

A click-through on the landing page directs to Subway’s mobile site, where the Italian collection is prominently promoted at the top of the screen.

From there, consumers can browse nutritional information on the sandwiches and check out the full menu of options.

A store locator feature across the top of the screen uses a mobile device’s built-in GPS to find the nearest store. Alternatively, consumers can enter their city, state or ZIP code to find Subway locations.

There is also an option on the homepage of Subway’s mobile site to let consumers sign-up for news and offers from the brand.

Buttons along the bottom of the page let users connect to Subway’s Facebook and Twitter pages, which helps the brand solidify a one-on-one relationship with consumers.

What is great about Subway’s mobile campaign is that it is straight-forward and simple.

The brand’s goal is to drive product trial, and by using mobile advertising, Subway can pinpoint a user’s location to find the nearest store.

Additionally, including nutritional information and a menu are helpful for consumers who want more information before they test out the new sandwiches.

Mobile past
Subway has made mobile advertising a staple in its marketing mix in the past few years.

In January, Subway ran a mobile advertising campaign to promote a new line of Steak Melts sandwiches (see story).

Additionally, last year the company turned to in-app mobile video as part of a bigger marketing campaign to promote summer-themed avocado items (see story).

Although this mobile campaign could be stronger if it included an incentive such as a coupon, Subway is smart to continuously promote their products via mobile advertising.

“As mobile continues to saturate the global population, and marketers start to get their overarching mobile strategy in place, mobile will continue to play an important role and continue to gain traction,” Ms. Troutman said.

“Consumers are mobile and there is no turning back – better to jump in and keep pace in order to not lose the consumer base created,” she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York