Brands are always vying for creative ways to engage consumers and capture their attention. With the shift from desktop to mobile, however, one of the largest considerations brands face is the data usage that consumers must use to view and engage with their advertisements. While a wildly creative ad placed before a YouTube video might work well on a desktop, on mobile, users must consider how much data it will take to view that video in it’s entirety, and might choose to skip it after the required 5 seconds– regardless of how cool they find it.

The Spanish telecom Telefónica announced at the Mobile World Congress that it will begin testing a new program where customers can engage with brands in exchange for more data. This interesting new program will hypothetically be a win-win situation for everyone involved: brands will get the engagement they desire from willing participants, and consumers will be able to interact with their favorite brands without worrying about expensive data overages. If this program is successful, it could end up entirely changing the mobile advertising landscape.

What Sparks Our Fire: Innovative new mobile advertising ideas that give big benefits to brands and customers