About eight in 10 (81%) US smartphone/tablet users browse or look for products and/or services with their mobile devices, according to the July 2011 Prosper Mobile Insights mobile survey. This was slightly more than the 80% who use their mobile devices to locate a store or store hours (more than one answer permitted).
The top two choices among the eight offered respondents were about twice as popular as any other response. The next-most-popular mobile activity, researching specific products (56%), was performed by 43% fewer smartphone/tablet users. The only other activity performed by more than half of respondents was receiving text messages with special offers (53%).
Mobile Ads Have Small Influence
Advertisements viewed on smartphones and tablets have relatively small influence on the purchase behavior of mobile users. Only about 11% of respondents said these advertisements regularly influence purchase decisions, while 41% said they occasionally influence purchase decisions. The largest percentage (48%) said mobile advertisements never influence their purchase decisions (total equals more than 100% due to rounding).
7 in 10 Pay Attention to Ads While Surfing Web
More than seven in 10 (72%) smartphone/tablet users pay attention to mobile ads while downloading apps and music either regularly (35%) or occasionally (37%). The percentage who regularly pay attention is substantially higher than that recorded for any other mobile activity, and the total percentage of mobile users paying attention is 20% higher than the 60% of smartphone/tablet users who pay attention to mobile ads while downloading apps and music either regularly (20%) or occasionally (40%).
This attention rate is closely followed by the 58% of smartphone/tablet users who pay attention to mobile ads either occasionally (43%) or regularly (15%) while watching video clips.
In addition, 50% of smartphone/tablet users pay attention to ads regularly (19%) or occasionally (31%) while playing games, as do 47% who pay attention regularly (13%) or occasionally (34%) while watching full TV episodes.
Unica: 4 in 10 Marketers Use Mobile
A little more than four in 10 (43%) marketers currently use mobile technology, according to a study conducted in Q4 2010 by Unica. Data from “The State of Marketing 2011” indicates another 25% plan to do so within the next 12 months, and 16% plan to do so in more than 12 months. Only 15% of marketers have no plans to use mobile technology.
