The rise in tablet ownership is growing faster than most industry analysts predicted. This includes smaller tablets like the galaxy tab and the new smaller Kindle from Amazon. Companies need to re-examine how their websites, micro-sites and  product specific landing pages will appear on these devices as well as smartphones. Reach out to ApolloBravo for a free mobile readiness evaluation.

via WARC 

NEW YORK: Nearly a fifth of consumers in China, the UK and US now own a tablet, up from less than 5% late last year, according to a new report.

Citigroup, the financial services provider, surveyed 1,800 people in these three nations, and found the proportion of respondents possessing slate devices had grown from 3% to 18% since November 2010.

Penetration has reached 21% in China, ahead of 17% for Britain and America. Similarly, 26% of the Chinese sample were “very likely” to purchase a tablet, falling to 12% for both the UK and US.

Citigroup’s analysis revealed 31% of its panel were at least somewhat keen to buy such a gadget, versus 14% late last year. In all, 77% of this group would like to obtain an iPad, climbing from 73% in the same period.

Alternatives powered by Microsoft Windows witnessed a slide from 52% to 40%, and equivalents utilising Google’s Android operating system enjoyed a two-percentage point gain, to 38%.

Price remained the “primary inhibitor” to greater uptake, mentioned by 39% of adults questioned, although a “lack of functionality” when compared with PCs was another common factor.

A 62% share of tablet owners saw it as a “toy/gadget”, growing from 44% in 2010. Meanwhile, 18% had acquired one for work, a lift from 13%, while giving someone the device as a gift logged 18%, down from 27%.

Overall, 94% of iPad owners have downloaded apps, with 63% accessing 11 or more such tools, totals standing at 79% and 37% in turn for individuals using competing products.

Thus far, 81% of the iPad population have paid for applications, measured against just 43% of customers for rival brands. Equally, iPad users had paid for 39% of apps, declining to 22% for users of other slates.

Data from the US and UK showed 67% of the tablet audience surf the web via this route, with 55% sending email and instant messages, 31% reading ebooks, 33% social networking and 17% playing games.

Looking forward, the number of people expecting to log on to social networks in this way fell to 29%, with gaming also sliding to 14%, but both pastimes are likely to see rising interest.

Elsewhere, the study reported that laptop ownership rates had climbed from 62% to 81% since November 2010, figures hitting 28% and 59% respectively for smartphones. 

Data sourced from PC Mag, Barron’s, AllThingsD; additional content b Warc staff, 28 September 2011 

Independent research from IDC and IDATE   below show mobile web use surpassing wired by 2015. With the massive growth of smart phones, mobile devices, and tablets combined with declining PC sales most analysts see this happening sooner rather than later.  While many companies have put social media plans in place, most are unprepared for the wave of small screen mobile devices that will be accessing traditional websites. Contact ApolloBravo for a free mobile readiness evaluation.

via WARC.  The number of consumers accessing the mobile web around the world will surpass the fixed-line internet audience in the next two years, IDATE, the research firm, has predicted.
According to the company’s estimates, the amount of fixed-line web users worldwide should increase from almost 1.5bn at the end of 2010 to 2.3bn in 2015.

During the same period, the number of people going online via mobile devices is expected to rise from just over 1bn to 2.6bn.
The exact crossover between these two channels is due to occur in 2013, when the mobile internet beats the 2bn user threshold, and moves fractionally ahead of the traditional alternative.

Such a trend will be driven, in particular, by markets like China and India, where wireless handsets are likely to become the primary means of online access for many consumers, rather than more expensive laptops and PCs.

A key benefit following on from the rapid expansion of the internet population should be a “steady” increase in the revenues accruing to digital channels including search, social networks, video and online retail.

IDATE’s analysis further suggested the web could take 20.2% of global advertising spend by 2015, or €88bn.
This will result in the internet nearly doubling its share of advertising expenditure in 2008, when the net took 10.4% of the total outlay recorded by brand owners.

Elsewhere, IDATE predicted that ecommerce revenues would top €1.1tr by 2015.
Data sourced from IDATE; additional content by Warc staff, 20 September 2011

Cable operators beware. It’s becoming all about the WiFi. More and more consumers are getting their TV on multiple devices including iPads, smart phones, Roku and other wi-fi devices, and less and less via traditional cable. With Netflix,Hulu, Amazon, Apple others providing a lot of the content there is  declining demand for traditional cable, but a growing need for  HD content delivered via WiFi.   Contact ApolloBravo for innovative ways to reach this changing audience.

Via Warc

NEW YORK: Television viewing habits are changing in the US, with young consumers watching more content on the web and via mobile phones, a study has found.

Altman Vilandrie & Company, the consultancy, and Research Now, the survey firm,polled 1,000 adults to discuss evolving attitudes in this area.

They found only a third of 18–34 year olds view shows as they are first broadcast every day, compared with the figure of 58% posted by panel members over 35 years old.

A 60% majority of 18–34 year olds also watch online video once a week or more, and 11% play back TV programmes and movies on a mobile phone on a daily basis.

Using laptops or desktop PCs while the TV was on is also “common for all age groups”, and 28% of people owning a tablet like the iPad use this device at least 50% of the time they are in front of the television.

Overall, 20% of respondents now spend less on cable TV than in the past – what the study described as “cord shaving” – as online video platforms meet their needs, a total rising from 15% in 2010.

Within this, 24% of 18-34 year olds with cable services have seriously considered “cutting the cord”, although only between 3% and 4% of all consumers had actually done so thus far.

“Consumers are removing the shackles of the traditional primetime TV line-up and creating their own personal networks of preferred programming and viewing times,” said Jonathan Hurd, a director at Altman Vilandrie & Company.

In an example of the growing integration between TV and the web, 23% of Netflix subscribers reported this was the main reason they paid for broadband, and 22% would downgrade their connection if they no longer used the streaming service.

Elsewhere, the study showed 41% of 18–34 year olds would prefer to utilise a smartphone, tablet or computer keyboard to change TV channel than use a remote control.

Similarly, half of 18–34 year olds wanted to access modified programme menus, such as a screen offering apps or pictures of the content available, rather than the current style of TV guide.

High-definition formats were popular among 75% of 18–24 year olds, suggesting service providers can attract a younger audience with excellent picture quality.

Data sourced from Altman Vilandrie & Company; additional content by Warc staff, 9 September 2011

I’ve always been fascinated with how retailers can make waiting in line more interesting. Smart phone promotions give retailers a great opportunity to make one last pitch to consumers and keep them busy. Some companies that have a constant flow of visitors do a good job reaching consumers with digital video opting them in for text or e-mail offer alerts via their smartphone.  But you don’t always need  interactive video sometimes a quick call to action on a chalkboard will do the trick.  The 59% of users stat is probably the least surprising in this list check out some of the others in the 70+ percent range like how consumers access their smart phones in restaurants. Read on.

From Warc

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Smartphone use is increasingly influencing US consumers’ media use and shopping habits, a study has indicated.

Digital giant Google and research firm Ipsos OTX MediaCT questioned 5,013 adultswho accessed the web via these devices, and found that 93% of the sample used the gadgets at home.

Moreover, 87% did so “on the go”, a figure attaining 77% in stores, 73% in restaurants and 72% at work.

A majority (59%) logged on to the mobile web while waiting in line, 48% did so as they ate, 44% during shopping trips and 43% while travelling.

The week before the survey was taken, 81% of contributors said they had browsed the mobile internet, 77% used search engines, 68% used apps and 48% played back video.

More broadly, 72% of respondents had engaged in simultaneous media use involving smartphones and other mainstream channels at some point.

This included 33% watching television at the same time as using the wireless web, 29% who went online through a PC, 27% for gaming and 22% for reading print media.

“Mobile search is often prompted by cross media exposure,” said Selina Rennie of Google’s Agency Team.

“Over two-thirds of smartphone owners have carried out a search on their smartphone as a result of traditional media.”

When discussing specific activities, 82% of smartphone subscribers employed email services on their phone and 63% visited social networks.

Similarly, 82% researched and read news, 75% exploited navigation tools, 65% enjoyed entertainment content, and 45% managed their finances, social life or travel arrangements.

An extra 46% of participants used ecommerce sites, 43% viewed video-sharing portals, 38% visited general consumer websites and 26% official brand platforms.

Turning to shopping, 79% of the smartphone audience used their handsets for commercial purposes. Some 78% had located retailers, compared prices or searched store inventories, and 69% sought out product information, such as by scanning a barcode, watching online video or reading reviews.

Another 52% contacted a retailer, 40% had sourced coupons, and 28% redeemed virtual discount vouchers.

Within the 74% of individuals claiming to have previously made purchases because of using a smartphone, 76% bought goods at a bricks and mortar outlet and 59% did so from a PC.

Additionally, 35% snapped up a product straight from their phone, 27% looked to mobile websites and 22% turned to apps for the same reason.

Where people bought goods through a smartphone, the average annual expenditure hit $300, with 48% of relevant consumers buying entertainment items, as electronics and apparel both secured 45%.

Conducting research on a smartphone and then buying in-store remains the most common path to purchase, with 67%, but 9% of respondents had taken the opposite route.

Elsewhere, 23% undertook investigations on a wireless device and then a bricks and mortar store before completing transactions on the web.

A further 16% researched and purchased on a phone, with a trip to a store sandwiched in the middle.

Having been asked to describe mobile advertising formats they could recall, 45% of those polled referenced banners and graphical ads, and 43% mentioned executions on a website they had viewed.

A 35% share remembered ads embedded in apps, standing at 34% for paid-search listings, 28% for SMS and 21% for video and location-based alternatives.

“In terms of advertising, smartphone users are not only noticing mobile ads, they are receptive to them: 82% notice ads on their smartphones, half of which take action,” said Rennie.

Data sourced from Google; additional content by Warc staff, 10 June 2011

Contact us for more information on how to reach consumers with smart phones in retail.

Our mobile marketing trends 2010 report was a big hit with over 65,000 views and comments on slideshare and scribd. This year we cover the rapidly expanding use of smart phones to access social networks. We also take a deep look at creative ways to use SMS text promotions and integrating them with Facebook, QR Codes and mobile websites.  We share some of our mobile campaigns Including Text to Win, Snap to Win, Text to Give, Text to Screen, digital signage and mobile coupon integration.  Plus much more…Take a look.
 
Mobile Marketing Trends 2011. Mobile Goes Social

• Reach: Cell phone penetration is currently 89% of the US population. By way of comparison, this is better than penetration figures for cable TV, home internet access, and PC’s in the home.
• Acceptance: In the USA, over 102 billion text messages are sent each month, and over 1 trillion globally.
• Ubiquitous uptake: Mobile phones offer a reach never seen before by any other medium. Today there are more wireless mobile devices than televisions and computers combined.
• Globally There are 5.3 billion mobile subscribers (that’s 77 percent of the world population). What other medium offers that reach?
• Texting Nation: Of the 272 million US cell phones currently subscribed, over 96% of them are SMS capable. (CTIA 2010)
• Many mobile Web users are mobile-only, i.e. they do not, or very rarely use a desktop, laptop or tablet to access the Web. Mobile-only in India 59 percent, even in the US it’s over 25 percent of subscribers. Still think you don’t need a mobile site?
• High response rates: More than 5x as many people respond to mobile messages as compared to traditional, off-mobile call-to-action campaigns (94% of received text messages are read) 97% of consumers carry their phone at retail. (PMA 2010)
• Targeting: The mobile medium is an inherently intimate medium enabling highly targeted, one-to-one communication with audiences & lots of potential for personalization and up-selling.
• The Wireless Web: Over 3 billion targeted mobile ads are served every month.
• Widespread availability of unlimited data plansis critical to penetration of mobile media usage, it drove mobile media in Japan, now it’s driving the US with unlimited data plans starting at $25 per month
• Global: Europe is the most mature wireless market with (96%) penetration rates, followed by Japan (88%), the United States (89%) CTIA 2010
• Despite all the media hype, and vast sums pumped into developing and promoting native apps, more consumers use their browser than apps in developed nations. Only a minority will use Web or apps exclusively.
• Over 30% of visits to Facebook are Mobile, over 40% for twitter.
• In 2011 over 85 percent of new handsets will be able to access the mobile Web.
• Comscore (Febuary 2011) estimates that 80 percent of mobile subscribers in US and Western Europe have a phone that can access the mobile Web. 48 percent of US and 61 percent of W. Europeans have a handset with an HTML browser (this proportion is increasing fast), the rest have WAP browsers.

Learn more : Sources, ComScore.com , MobiThinking.com, CTIA.com, Gartner.com, Pewfoundation.com

NEW YORK via Warc.com: Smartphones are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the purchase decisions of US shoppers, a study by Google and Ipsos OTX has found.

The two firms surveyed 5,013 smartphone owners, and reported that 81% regularly surf the net via this route, while 77% access search engines, 68% leverage apps and 48% stream video.

Simultaneous media use was also widespread, as 72% of those polled were active on their touchphone when consuming other channels, including 33% doing so at the same time as watching TV.

More broadly, 93% of participants used gadgets like the iPhone and alternatives powered by Google Android at home, suggesting they have grown beyond solely being deployed on-the-move.

Search engines proved the most-visited category of website, as 77% of interviewees logged on to these platforms through their phone, beating social networks, ecommerce portals and video-sharing services.

Overall, 90% of mobile enquiries entered on properties such as Google and Bing resulted in some form of concrete outcome, be it buying something, travelling to a store or calling a company.

Indeed, 24% of contributors recommended brands and products after inputting a search enquiry in this way.

Elsewhere, 71% of respondents had searched the mobile web in response to advertising, with traditional media ads registering 68% here, measured against mobile’s 27% and online’s 18%.

Another 82% could recall viewing ads on a wireless handset, and half of this group engaged in a positive reaction, incorporating 49% making a purchase and 35% going to a website. Mobiles are also exerting a growing influence as a “shopping tool”, with 79% of people possessing smartphones having used them to compare prices, find product specifications or locate retailers.

Exactly 74% have previously bought goods and services as a consequence of using smartphones for parallel purposes, whether it be in stores, online or from mcommerce platforms.Similarly, 70% had employed their phones for these reasons when in bricks and mortar shops.

Local information was revealed to be especially popular, as 95% of the audience looked for such content on a handset, and 88% took action within a day of tracking down relevant material. A 77% share contacted a company, with 61% calling on the phone and 59% attending a physical outlet.

“Make sure you can be found via mobile search as consumers regularly use their phones to find and act on information,” the study said.

“Incorporate location-based products and services and make it easy for mobile customers to reach you because local information seeking is common among smartphone users.”

Further recommendations included developing a meaningful cross-channel strategy, and taking advantage of mobile advertising which taps in to concurrent media usage.

Data sourced from Google; additional content by Warc staff, 28 April 2011

Contact ApolloBravo for more information on reaching mobile shoppers.

For years we have looked to the UK Europe and Asia as a mobile marketing crystal ball. As trends emerge from markets with more mature mobile consumer habits (and carrier ecosystem) we can get a very good gauge of how consumers will be utilizing mobile in this country. Traditionally the US has been a year or two behind other markets in mobile usage and adoption figures. However the app / smart phone explosion in the US after has sped up the process. So we see similar numbers as presented in this study only about a year away in the US. Is your company ready for the mobile web explosion that’s headed to our shores? Reach out to ApolloBravo for a complementary corporate mobile readiness evaluation. Pay special attention to the nearly 70% of consumers accessing the mobile web via their phones.

From wark.com and IAB

LONDON: Consumers in the UK are adopting an increasingly diverse range of mobile habits, from browsing the web while on the move to using their phone when watching TV.

Industry body the IAB and research firm Connect Insight asked 500 people who regularly utilise applications and the internet, or download content, via handsets to keep a “media diary” for a week. These data were supplemented by six digital focus groups to gain a rounded picture regarding the daily role of wireless devices.

On average, individuals engaged with their mobile 18 times each day, going online most frequently among the pastimes assessed.
Indeed, 66% of contributors “couldn’t live without” such gadgets and 58% believed they helped ensure life was more organised.

Elsewhere, 40% of the panel had participated in one of the featured activities having witnessed advertising communications.
Some 69% of respondents accessed web-based content through a mobile browser, as opposed to links, shortcodes, apps and equivalent tools.

A further 27% agreed their phone assumed the status as “first choice” when it came to consuming content at least once a week.

Simultaneous media use is another widespread habit, given that 70% of the sample deployed a mobile at the same time as being exposed to a different medium. This is most commonly the case for TV, as 53% of those polled leveraged mobile media while viewing television broadcasts between 9pm and midnight.

From 6am to 9am, the mobile information of greatest interest concerned finance, weather and travel, a position held by entertainment, shopping and maps in the 3pm to 6pm slot. Entertainment, music, sport and games then took over, as people sought to relax after work.

“The implications of this consumer behaviour for advertisers are huge,” Alex Kozloff, the IAB’s mobile manager, said.

“Mobile is a hygiene factor that every brand should be thinking about to make sure the customer experience is a positive one.”

Data sourced from IAB; additional content by Warc staff, 3 February 2011 www.warc.com

RESTON, VA: US email habits are undergoing a dramatic shift, with more and more people checking their messages on their phones.

Visitors to email websites fell 6% between November 2009 and November 2010, according to comScore.

But use of mobile email climbed 36% over the same period and now covers 78% of the nation’s smartphone population, in what the research firm is calling an “email evolution”.

Around 153 million Americans visited email sites such as hotmail.com and gmail.com during November 2010, spending a collective 43,474 minutes on the site and viewing 38,204 pages.

These totals are 6%, 9% and 15% lower than their equivalents for November 2009.

The drop-off in usage is sharpest among younger demographics, though the number of over-55s actually increased from the previous year.

In all, 70m Americans used their mobiles to access email during the month.

This not only represents a 36% increase in users, but a 40% increase in daily users – suggesting that accessing the services has become routine.

Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile, suggested the trend towards mobile is part of the general fragmentation of media use observed over recent years.

“From PCs to mobile devices, whether its email, social media, IM or texting, consumers have many ways to communicate and can do so at any time and in any place,” he said.

“The decline in web-based email is a byproduct of these shifting dynamics and the increasing availability of on-demand communication options.”

Data sourced from comScore; additional content by Warc staff, 24 January 2011 http://goo.gl/4Fvxf

Contact ApolloBravo for a Mobile Marketing Readiness Evaluation. 703.548.3400

Via Advertising Age 01.27.10 J. Spero

In 2009, the media buying community discovered mobile media works. Advertisers in a broad range of verticals shared results proving mobile is an effective medium for driving awareness, acquisition and purchase. “Is this the Year of Mobile?” can be retired. Media buyers are being asked — ‘What’s your mobile strategy for 2010?’

Many factors contributed to the development of the mobile ecosystem and the excitement we see. Dozens of companies, including the MMA and the IAB, worked to build the foundation of mobile media. It all came together in 2009 as mobile web usage exploded, with more than 61 million people in the US accessing it in December 2009, according to Nielsen. In 2010, agencies, advertisers and publishers will need a plan for mobile.

The top five things you need to know about buying mobile media in 2010:

1) Ask for data. Ask for help.
Mobile advertising is 3-4 years old and evolving rapidly. There’s valuable data for media buyers and mobile sellers can educate and assist you in gathering it no matter what your target audience. Ask sellers for case studies on mobile campaigns in your category and with your goals. There are a number of free reports with valuable market data to help with planning. These include Nielson Mobile, comScore, Flurry Pulse and AdMob Mobile Metrics.

2) Learn about (don’t worry about) different platforms.
The mobile Web is accessible from most phones, and you can run your campaigns across all platforms to target mobile Web users or on a specific platform. You can take advantage of rich-media formats designed specifically for smartphones and create a more robust version of your landing page for users on devices supporting a richer Web experience. You can also reach users as they engage with apps on a specific platform or promote your own app if you have one.

3) Talk to publishers and ad networks.
Prior to 2009, ad networks drove much of the innovation in the space with their focus on mobile. However in 2010, many publishers will have ad serving capabilities and mobile rate cards due to investments in 2009. Marketers now have more mobile media options than ever before.

4) Set your expectations for what mobile can and can’t do.
Focus on your needs and let your mobile seller explain the options available. Mobile promises powerful granularity based on location, need states, device capabilities and more for precise targeting — albeit on a limited scale in 2010. Sellers can provide data to target effectively and to ensure you don’t overcut your audience.

Rich media will grow significantly in 2010, but the solutions are limited compared to online. Web-based Flash is still not available on most phones. There are different rich media solutions for different platforms; some work on webkit browsers (Android, Research In Motion, Windows, Palm Pre) and some are vendor-specific solutions for iPhone apps.

You can use tools for tracking in mobile, but third party ad serving and campaign management functionality is limited. Site-tracking offerings will improve dramatically in 2010.

5) Drive traffic, track user interactions, repeat.
Jump in. Ask sellers what brands in your vertical are active in mobile and read case studies. Start with a basic call-to-action and drive users to a simple landing page with a few relevant means of engagement. Track what happens. Mobile user behavior may surprise you — you won’t believe their insatiable appetite for video content, for example — and use the learnings from one campaign to inform future mobile campaign strategies.

Review our free mobile marketing report http://blog.apollobravo.com/mobilemarketing/

Media Buyers: Roll Your Own Mobile Strategy – Advertising Age – DigitalNext.