A new study released by research and consultation firm Frank N. Magid Associates revealed that 51 percent of mobile phone users access content using their mobile phones on a weekly basis. It was further found that mobile content users spend approximately 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 more and more using their phones for purposes other than communication such as keeping in touch with and managing the entertainment, news, and social information critical to their lives.
If one takes a deeper look it can be found that entertainment content is just as popular as utilitarian content. However, one crucial differentiating factor is that entertainment content such as mobile games, music, and social networking activities, is used for longer periods of time overall than utilitarian content (such as news, weather and sports scores). There is an expected demographic divide in the way the mobile content is used – 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.”
Significant revenue opportunities are provided by the tween and teen markets. Twelve to seventeen year-olds are especially interested in using mobile content. Seventy-two percent do so, on a weekly basis. Of these, fifty–two percent buy content regularly, while out of all content users only 39 percent do the same.
The cost of accessing mobile content is what significantly holds off non-users of content. However, content relevancy is equally important. It is stated by fifty–two percent of non-users (versus 22% of users) that they do not feel the requirement of accessing mobile content when they are away from more traditional content outlets.
The difference between those who are more or less likely to access mobile content comes into play when it comes to income. Consumers from households earning more than $100,000 per year have a higher likelihood than less affluent users of accessing mobile content. These users have three times the likelihood of accessing business-related information and about twice the likelihood of accessing news and/or online shopping on their phones.
The online survey was conducted in January 2009 and consists of 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.