Mobile Internet Becoming Compelling Marketing Platform
The mobile internet is a compelling platform for content and marketing, with strong growth and consumers watching and acting upon advertisements, according to the latest research from the Online Publishers Association (OPA).
Pam Horan, OPA president, said: “While people often think of the mobile Web as the realm of ringtones and messaging, it is clearly a rich platform for quality content and marketing.
“Mobile content consumption is high and growing – in the year ahead, current users plan to spend more time with the mobile Web and new audiences will adopt the platform. Additionally, a large number of consumers are watching ads and acting on them. The OPA ‘Going Mobile’ study indicates that very real opportunities exist for marketers and publishers to take advantage of the mobile Internet.”
According to Going Mobile, 76% of all consumers in the US and Western Europe have access to their mobile device, and one third (32%) use it.
Among those with mobile access, the UK leads in usage (54%), followed by the US and Italy, both at 41%.
18% internationally expect to spend more time in 2007 on the mobile web, with the US leading the way on 25%, followed by Italy on 22%, and the UK on 20%.
Additionally, 41% of those without mobile web access expect to have it on their next mobile device.
One-third (34%) of mobile users internationally say that they will watch advertisements in exchange for free mobile content. The appreciation of ads run highest in Europe, with 37% willing to watch ads.
These ads are driving significant numbers of consumers to take specific actions internationally, both online and offline.
Nearly one-in-ten consumers actually made a purchase based on a mobile web ad. Other common actions include: checking out a website (23%); requesting more information about a product or service (13%); and, going to a store to check out a product (11%).
Horan commented, “Consumers in every country are watching mobile ads and large numbers are being compelled to act. Nearly one quarter of mobile Web users have visited a website based on an ad they viewed, and one out of ten make a purchase.
“This is a clear indication that the mobile Web is an effective advertising delivery platform and a potentially valuable source of revenue.”
Going Mobile found that PC internet brands are the leading source for mobile Web users internationally. Across all content categories, more than 50% of mobile Web consumers use the same brands they use on their PC.
Leading the way are consumers who read technology news on the mobile Web: 73% rely on PC internet brands. Mobile Web users that access stock quotes (69%), business news (66%) and health news (65%) also rely heavily on PC internet brands.
The study also revealed that the mobile internet is complementing activity on the PC internet. 18% of users internationally say they actually spend more time on the PC internet since they began using the mobile internet.
More than one-in-ten mobile internet users have paid for content across categories. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of Americans have paid for tech news, followed by lifestyles content (21%) and product information (20%).
A recent forecast from Informa Telecoms & Media predicted that The mobile web will herald dramatic growth in revenues in the mobile content and services market (see Mobile Internet To Herald Growth In Content And Service Revenues).
Meanwhile, the Mobile Data Association released figures in January which showed that an overall total of 45.6 million unique users were recorded as having used their phones for downloads and browsing the mobile internet in the UK throughout October, November and December last year (see Mobile Internet User Numbers Grow).