MMA releases mobile attitude/usage study, revises ad currency definitions

Conducted with research partner Synovate with the objective of helping brands and advertisers understand the habits of mobile users, the Annual Mobile Attitude and Usage Study provides insights into overall consumer mobile usage by demographic group as well as the awareness for the US, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America markets.

The study's key global findings include:

• Overall interest in mobile marketing varies by geography. The US and Western Europe report comparable interest levels in mobile marketing; similar interest levels are also noted among mobile phone users in Asia Pacific and Latin American markets.
  
• One-in-four mobile users in the US and Western Europe express strong or moderate interest in mobile marketing.
  
• Interest levels are higher in Asia Pacific and Latin American markets, where roughly one-half and two-thirds of mobile users respectively express strong or moderate interest.

  • In all regions, “text-to-win” and interactive voting campaigns are the most common efforts in which mobile users have participated.

• Echoing receptivity to mobile marketing overall, Asia Pacific and Latin American markets report greater participation in mobile marketing efforts; roughly one-in-five mobile users in these regions report having participated in mobile marketing efforts in the past year.

  • Creating strong market opportunity for mobile marketers, across all countries and regions surveyed, heavy penetration and reliance on mobile phones combined with strong feature, text and mobile web usage indicate a willingness to accept mobile phones as devices that reach beyond traditional communications.

• More than half of mobile consumers (regardless of market) report that their mobile phone is “highly important” to their daily life.
  
• Mobile feature usage of non voice applications (text, mobile web, camera and picture messaging) is strong in all markets.

“The Annual Mobile Attitude and Usage Study is one of the most powerful tools available in our industry and we are pleased to expand the number of countries profiled in this year's study,” said Laura Marriott, president of the MMA. “Consumers are becoming more adept at using their mobile devices, opening the door to help them to explore and discover mobile marketing campaigns.”

“Overall, interest levels in the mobile marketing concept vary by market and geographic region - however, common in all markets is the importance of mobile phones in daily life. Further, all markets show an ever increasing reliance on services that are precursors and enablers to mobile marketing efforts,” said Beth Ritchey, VP, Synovate Tech and Telecom.

“This year's Mobile Attitude and Usage Study contains a wealth of information geared to help marketers understand market trends and opportunities in both individual markets and geographic regions.”

The global study covers the following markets: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, UK and US. The study is available on Monday, 17 November, free of charge, to all current MMA global and regional members and available at a discount for MMA Local Council members - the launch of the South African Local Council was announced earlier this week.

The market studies will also be available, for sale, after 1 December. For more information, go to www.mmaglobal.com

Revised definitions

Addressing common ad currencies, the newly revised Global Mobile Measurement Ad Currency Definitions are designed to create consistency across the industry and to serve as the basis for the development of future mobile ad guidelines.

“Metrics and measurement are critical in order to drive further brand spend into the mobile channel,” said Marriott. “We appreciate the leadership of the MRC, and the foundation from the IAB, in helping to shape the ad currency measurement definitions, a crucial step towards driving the adoption of mobile advertising world-wide. We also appreciate the endorsement of the 4 As.”

Developed by the MMA Measurement Committee in close collaboration with the Media Rating Council (MRC), the definitions use the Interactive Audience Measurement and Advertising Campaign Reporting and Audit Guidelines developed by the IAB as a basis to cover the following areas of mobile advertising:

• Ad impressions
  
• Streaming video advertising
  
• Rich media ad impression
  
• Click measurement

“Measurement initiatives that provide industry consistency and qualified metrics on the performance of campaigns, rather than different data according to vendor or network, are essential criteria for the continued growth of mobile advertising campaigns. This is a key step towards the first set of guidelines around metrics and future industry standardization,” stated George Ivie, executive director and CEO of The Media Rating Council.

The currency definitions included participation from the following MMA Measurement Committee member companies: ADObjects, Amobee Media Systems, AOL, DoubleClick, O global, Isobar, Media Rating Council, Microsoft (MSN and Windows Live), The Coca-Cola Company and Yahoo!

The MMA Mobile Measurement Ad Currency Definitions may be downloaded from www.mmaglobal.com/adcurrencies.pdf.