Takeup of mobile applications in the UK and Germany is being driven by school-age teens and young adults, according to research firm M:Metrics, which claims the young audiences are critical to the sector’s growth.
The company’s February Benchmark Survey showed 13 to 24 year olds are the most likely to use mobile data services, although older users continue to provide the bulk of mobile content audiences.
“Although 13 to 24-year-olds make up less than 20 percent of the mobile audience in the UK and Germany, they show a high propensity to consume mobile content,” explained Paul Goode, vice president and senior analyst at M:Metrics.
“62 percent of British, and 47 percent of German members of Generation M use one or more mobile applications, but the appeal of mobile content extends beyond youth, as the majority of mobile content consumers are over 25. The challenge the mobile content industry faces is to similarly engage a higher percentage of older consumers.”
Mobile gaming is an area which could see older users targeted more effectively, M:Metrics claims, with only 2% of German and 3% of UK mobile subscribers 25 or older downloading a game in February, despite the demographic comprising 62% of game downloaders in both countries.
In comparison, 5% of German teens are reported as downloading mobile games, while 8% of British counterparts have adopted the technology.
In both geographies, males out-gamed females, although the gender gap is largest in Germany, at 60% male, 40% female, versus 54% male, 46% female in Britain.
“This data shows that mobile content has mass appeal,” claims Goode. “But in order for this sector to grow, publishers, operators and other mobile content owners need to better identify under served market segments and develop media that will compel all consumers to look to their devices for information and entertainment.”
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