Mobile devices are an integral part of consumers’ daily lives, with people using their smartphones to access the internet, play games, listen to music and check the time — as well as make calls — throughout the day.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of smartphone owners around the world use their device at least once every 30 minutes, and over a fifth (22%) look at their phones every five minutes, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Always On – A Global Perspective of Mobile Consumer Experience is based on an in-depth survey of smartphone users in 18 countries in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
In all countries, a majority of respondents said that they access the internet via mobile web and mobile apps at least once a day (mobile web – 88% and mobile apps – 84%).
As for how they use the mobile web and mobile apps, the survey revealed that smartphone users prefer apps for entertainment content such as videos, movies, music and gaming, and for social activities, including email, messaging, social networking, and making voice and video calls. Meanwhile, the mobile web tends to be used more for functional tasks and utility, such as search, accessing information, purchasing a product or service, or booking a service online.
The good news for advertisers is that awareness of advertising on both mobile web and mobile apps is high.
Most smartphone users worldwide can recall seeing mobile ads within the first few days of the ad originally being shown (90% on mobile web and 86% on mobile apps). What’s more, nearly half said that they took action (such as remembering the brand advertised, interacting with the ad or visiting the website of the brand) after seeing mobile advertising, with the two platforms performing similarly in generating consumer response (45% on mobile web and 47% on mobile apps).
“These findings confirm the fact that omnipresent mobile usage is a worldwide phenomenon, which creates a tremendous opportunity for marketers,” commented Anna Bager, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mobile and Video at IAB. “Digital advertising is making an impact and motivating consumers to action, whether they access the internet via the mobile web or mobile apps.”
If you would like to learn more about the latest connected consumer trends, please read our international research report “The European connected consumer: a life lived online“. Through research that questioned 7,000 consumers, comprising 1,000 from each of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, our report identifies consumer trends and the associated business and legal challenges.
