According to new research from InsightExpress, a leading provider of digital marketing research, mobile consumers can be segmented into three new and distinct behavioral profiles: Mobile Pioneers, Mobile Wannabes and Mobile Traditionalists. This research, the third installment from the companys ongoing mobile research program, indicates that when it comes to usage, two ends of the mobile spectrum exist.
- The Mobile Pioneer (15 percent of the market) is ahead of his peers in terms of mobile behavior, and uses advanced features weekly such as Internet, unique applications, and/or video. The majority of Mobile Pioneers are under 35 years old, one third of them have a smartphone*, and they skew male, single and minority.
- The Mobile Wannabe (25 percent of the market) has tried some advanced features and would like to use them more. Less than half are under 35, and only 5 percent own a smartphone.
- The Mobile Traditionalists (60 percent of the market) are content to use their mobiles for phone calls and texting, and two thirds of them are over 35 years old.
Staying ahead of the mobile curve can be dangerous. *Mobile Pioneers were most likely to have walked into something or someone while using their device, and most likely to have thrown their mobile phone at someone or something. *Luckily, all three profiles stated that they had added ICE (In Case of Emergency) to their phones contact list (35 percent of Pioneers, 25 percent of Wannabes and 22 percent of Traditionalists).
Which behaviors separate the Pioneers from the rest of the pack? Almost two thirds (62 percent) had sent a text message to someone in the same room, compared to 39 percent of Wannabes and 26 percent of Traditionalists. A healthy 57 percent of Pioneers had taken a picture of a product using their phone and sent it to someone to get an opinion, compared to 30 percent of Wannabes and 16 percent of Traditionalists.
While the Pioneers set the trends, the Wannabes popularize them, making these individuals particularly interesting to marketers. This group is likely a barometer of future usage trends that will be adopted on a wider scale. For example, while 79 percent of Pioneers had taught someone else how to use their mobile phone features, Wannabes were not far behind with 65 percent having done so.
Advertisers should be interested in Pioneers and Wannabes because these groups are more likely to agree that:
- Most advertising is relevant to them
- They believe that products that are advertised are a lot better than ones that are not advertised at all
- Advertising keeps them up-to-date on products they would like to have
- They have told someone about an advertisement they liked
Knowing which type of mobile consumer you are contacting, or want to contact, is a big piece of the mobile marketing puzzle, said Joy Liuzzo, Director of Mobile Research at InsightExpress. The Wannabes are especially fascinating since they are eager to learn about and use advanced features. With this research, we continue to drive the conversation about current usage profiles and where mobile behavior is headed.
About The Research
InsightExpress fielded an online survey to 1,516 mobile device owners age 18+ in January 2008. The survey data has a margin of error of between 3-6 percent, assuming a 95 percent confidence interval.
- Defined as Blackberry or smartphone (iPhone, Treo, etc).
About InsightExpress
InsightExpress is a leading provider of high-quality, digital marketing research and plays a preeminent role in the measurement of advertising effectiveness across online, mobile and other media. Through its patented technologies, proprietary solutions, world-class expertise and time-tested research principles, InsightExpress transforms the way advertisers, agencies, publishers and researchers optimize their marketing activities. InsightExpress is headquartered in Stamford, CT, with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.insightexpress.com