Mobile media usage rises

Around 80% of mobile media users access mobile media once a week, with 46% using it daily, according to new research from Orange.

The survey, of more than 2,000 mobile media users from across all UK mobile networks, also found that the strongest usage of mobile media being in the home: 67% of participants who used their mobile for email did so in their home and 56% for mobile internet browsing.

The research revealed that people are very much open to mobile marketing and contained some important insights for brands looking to engage with consumers using the media:

• 70% of participants are attracted more by interactive marketing formats, such as sponsorship, coupons or picture messaging mechanics
• In general, consumers viewed marketing formats with perceived value as the most appealing, such as coupons offering discounts and sponsored games available for free download
• When clicking on adverts on the mobile internet, the next stages which are most popular are: adverts which click straight through to the brand’s website (favoured by 47%); voucher code or coupon (43%); click through to another area of the site (36%); entered in a competition (34%)
• Icons letting users know what to expect from mobile advertising were received positively by 76% of participants

Steve Heald, director of Partner Channels at Orange UK, said: “The public is looking for campaigns that reflect their perceptions of mobile as unique and innovative and that entices and excites them with clever interaction. There’s also a clear signal that brands need to be clear on what consumers can expect from mobile campaigns.”