Potential Mobile Purchasers Are Receptive to Mobile Ads
A report from Experian Simmons found that more than half of smartphone owners have accessed the Internet with their phones in the last 30 days. It also found that mobile phones are becoming an important shopping tool.
According to the report, titled “The 2011 Mobile Consumer,” 227 million Americans own a cellphone. Ninety-one percent of American adults own a cellphone, up from 72 percent in 2006; 74 percent of teens own a cellphone, up from 59 percent in 2006; and 22 percent of children ages 6-11 own a cellphone today.
Meanwhile, 98 percent of adults ages 22-24 own a cellphone, according to Experian Simmons.
The report also broke down adult cellphone owners into mobile segments:
-
Social Connectors (22 percent): “Communication is central in their lives, and cell phones allow them to keep up-to-date with friends and social events. Their phone is the bridge to their social world.”
-
Basic Planners (21 percent): “They are not into cell phones or the world of technology. Use of cell phones is just for the basics. The cell phone is just another communication device for these consumers.”
-
Mobirati (20 percent): “Representing the mobile generation, they have grown up with cell phones and can not imagine life without them. Cell phone devices are a central part of their everyday lives.”
-
Pragmatic Adopters (20 percent): “Cell phones came to being during their adult years. They are now learning that there are other things they can do with mobile phones beyond just saying ‘Hello.'”
-
Mobile Professionals (18 percent): “Smartphones help them keep up with their professional and personal life. Their phone has become their all-in-one device for communication and information needs.”
Seventy-three percent of smartphone owners used their phones to take photos in the last 30 days, while 56 percent used their smartphones to access the Internet. Sending/receiving personal email, listening to music/audio, taking videos and playing games were also popular mobile activities observed by the study.
According to the report, 33.3 million Americans use their cellphones for shopping-related activities, the most common of which is researching products/comparing prices (15 percent). Scanning barcodes/optical codes (8 percent) and shopping (7 percent) were also significant shopping-related mobile activities.
Tickets to movies/events were the most popular product/service consumers are interested in buying with their phones (23 percent), followed by travel services (16 percent), games/toys (15 percent), food (15 percent) and electronics (15 percent).
Twenty-three percent of cellphone owners who are interested in making purchases with their phone are also interested in receiving advertisements on their cellphones, versus just 5 percent of all cellphone owners who say the same.
“Furthermore, an impressive 52% of cell owners interested in making purchases with their phone are also ‘willing to accept advertisements sent to my cell phone if I were to receive something of value in exchange,’ versus just 12 percent of all cell phone owners who say the same,” according to the report.
Source:
