Marketing Pilgrim

If you’re like me, you long ago abandoned your antiquated landline and are exclusively using your mobile for telephone calls. Apparently we’re not alone.

According to findings released today by Ingenio, Inc. (“voice commerce solutions” provider) and conducted by Harris Interactive® nearly 85% of people surveyed admitted to having a mobile compared to only 71% admitting to having a land line. When you dig a little deeper you discover that only 57% of adults between 18-34 have a land line.

More than just calls

Making calls is just one part of what US consumers are doing on their mobile devices. 49% of those surveyed indicated that they’ve used their phone “for more than just making and receiving phone calls”. 57% stated they “anticipate using their phones for more than just making and receiving phone calls in the next three years.”

In addition to making calls, respondents to the survey indicated they were checking email, performing Internet searches, scheduling, taking/sending/receiving photos, using the Internet, and listening to music.

Men were more likely to tackle things like Internet search, listening to music, and scheduling; however, women used SMS more often and were more likely to take, send, and receive photos on their mobile device.

Mobile Advertising

This data represents a growing opportunity for mobile advertising which seems to be largely untapped as Ingenio reports “…only a minority of mobile phone owners (30 percent) can recall seeing or hearing an advertisement on their mobile phone in the past year”.

According to the survey, the most favorable type of ads delivered through a mobile device are sponsored text link ads presented with Internet search results. For the army of SEMs out there salivating at the opportunity to go after mobile users this is good news in deed.

On a more horrifying note, the second most favorable type of mobile ad was a ringtone which played an audio ad. I’m not yet sure how I feel about hearing a “Grey’s Anatomy” promo blasting out from the phones of my fellow patrons in a movie theater.

These survey results released by Ingenio and conducted by Harris Research seems to indicate a growing opportunity in the mobile space. With more people using their mobile devices for more than just making and receiving calls and very few of these people being exposed to ads through their mobile devices it seems the landscape is wide open.

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