The results reveal that although 80% of respondents feel annoyed when receiving unsolicited messages, the same proportion could be won back by operators and brands if they implemented best practices to improve customer engagement.
The survey clearly highlights that consumers in South Africa and in Nigeria share the same desire to be in control of the mobile marketing campaigns they receive: 83% of respondents consider that mobile marketing should be permission-based and 90% want to be able to easily identify the sender. They also want messages to be relevant to them and there is room for improvement in this respect as nearly 70% said they received promotional messages not in line with their interests. Consumers also want tangible benefits: 53% of South Africans expect, in order of preference, immediate discounts, loyalty benefits, and the possibility to collect points and gifts.
In conclusion, the survey indicates that there is a clear and strong potential for mobile marketing in Africa, provided mobile operators and marketers implement the golden rules: right person, right message, and right moment. If the end user is given control to opt in, opt out and select the frequency; and if messages are relevant and provide value, then 80% of those surveyed in both countries would become "connected ad lovers".
In the South African market, mobile end users can be won back by adopting best practices which are more respectful of their wishes. As for Nigeria, where mobile marketing is still in its infancy, those golden rules can be implemented right from the outset.
"In a continent where the mobile phone is the most widespread screen, mobile marketing has tremendous potential for operators and brands to engage better with their audiences," said Nadia Gonzalez, Vice President of Mobile Marketing at Gemalto. "Mobile operators have key assets for improving end-users' experience of mobile marketing. Starting with a respect for consumer privacy, their ability to segment campaigns by end-users' profiles, location and interests puts them in the driving seat in helping brands apply these golden rules."
French research firm Ifop, on behalf of Gemalto, conducted face-to-face interviews with 800 adult (18 years of age and older) owners of a mobile phone in Nigeria and South Africa, to understand consumer perceptions regarding mobile marketing and to identify blockers and drivers for mobile marketing in each region. The survey was fielded in July 2014 and included 400 respondents from South Africa and 400 respondents from Nigeria.
