Mobile content is growing in popularity and use. 51 percent of mobile phone users access
content using their mobile phone on a weekly basis, according to a new study released by research and consultation firm
Frank N. Magid Associates
What's more, mobile
content users spend about the same amount of time with content (39
minutes), as the average user does texting (38 minutes) or talking on
their mobile phone (44 minutes). Consumers are no longer just using
their phones for communication. Instead, these adopters of the mobile
lifestyle are using their phones to keep in touch with and manage the
entertainment, news, and social information critical to their lives.
Looking deeper, entertainment content is just as popular as
utilitarian content. However, entertainment content, such as mobile
games, music, and social networking activities, is accessed for longer
periods of time overall than utilitarian content (such as news, weather
and sports scores). Behaviors fall out expectedly along demographic
lines -- 80 percent of mobile social networking is among 12-34 year
olds, while news consumption is dominated (79%) by 18-54 year olds.
"Young people are driving a lot of the mobile content usage,"
according to Vicki Cohen, Executive Vice President. "Anything
entertainment oriented is a draw for the younger demo -- games, music,
movie times, entertainment news -- it all exhibits a big opportunity
for companies targeting younger demographic groups."
The tween and teen markets are significant revenue opportunities.
Twelve to seventeen year-olds are particularly interested in consuming
mobile content; seventy-two percent do so weekly. Of these, fifty-two
percent buy content regularly, while only 39 percent of all content
users do the same.
Non-users of content say that they are most significantly put off by
the cost of accessing mobile content; however, content relevancy is
just as important. Fifty-two percent of non-users (versus 22% of users)
state that they do not feel a need to access mobile content when they
are away from more traditional content outlets.
"Lack of familiarity with mobile content and no clear perception of
value are the primary barriers for non-users, who are more likely to be
older Americans. The perception that it has to do with the handset
isn't entirely true," says Jill Rosengard Hill, Senior Vice President.
"41 percent of those who don't have a smart phone are accessing mobile
news, music, and playing mobile games."
When it comes to income, however, there is a distinction between
those who are more or less likely to access mobile content. Consumers
living in households earning more than $100,000 per year are more
likely than less affluent users to use mobile content. These users are
about three times as likely to access business-related information and
about twice as likely to access news and/or online shopping on their
phones.
The online survey was fielded in January 2009 and includes a
representative national sample of 4,000 U.S. wireless customers between
the ages of 12 and 64. The sample is balanced by age, gender, ethnic
background, and geography. The report which is available for purchase
highlights perspectives from iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile
users; Mobile Web users; Mobile video users; Mobile gamers and all
advertising demographics.