Study Provides Mobile Marketers a Snapshot of Consumers’ Mobile Behaviors
COLUMBIA, Md. – Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), the nation’s largest and fastest growing customer relationship marketing agency, announced the release of its “View from the Mobile Inbox,” a new eight-page report examining online consumers’ adoption and acceptance of mobile technology by demographic. The report’s findings are based on data from Merkle’s annual “View from the Inbox” study, an online survey of 3,281 U.S. adults age 18+ conducted during the fall of 2009.
Merkle’s report is available at no cost by visiting: www.merkleinc.com/vfmb
The findings of the “View from the Mobile Inbox” report provide guidance to marketers looking to fully integrate mobile technology into their digital marketing strategy. Highlights of the report include:
The largest difference in mobile behaviors across demographics is the percent who text. While 70% of those age 18-29 text, this percentage decreases steadily with age, down to just 11% for those age 65+.
Mobile users younger than age 40 are more likely to access their personal email via mobile devices compared to older users, with peak access and frequency rates for those in their 30s.
Internet-enabled phone penetration is 6% higher for men, in that 53% have a mobile phone that can access the Internet. Additionally, men are 3.3 times more likely than women to have an Internet-enabled phone for work purposes.
Of those with an Internet-enabled phone, 44% check their personal email on their mobile. This group spends approximately 18% of their total permission email time on a mobile phone, indicating the importance of sending email that renders correctly across multiple devices.
Consumers with an Internet-enabled phone are one-third more likely to be active on top social networks. This natural affinity of mobile and social networking, both in demographics and ease of use, speaks to the importance of both within an integrated digital strategy.
Merkle’s Director of Research and Analytics, Lori Connolly, said, “The recent exponential growth in mobile phone applications and software is a key example of how marketers must embrace all available technology to keep up with their target markets and engage consumers on their own terms. The number of people accessing the Internet and viewing their personal email on a mobile device continues to increase, which highlights the need to optimize the mobile environment.”
Connolly continued, “As an entry point into mobile strategy, marketers should ensure their emails render across mobile devices and develop WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) sites to support corresponding click-through engagement, as well as improved mobile web site usability. The “View from the Mobile Inbox” provides marketers with the information and data they need to effectively implement mobile programs.”
About Merkle Inc.
Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest growing independent customer relationship marketing agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. By combining a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines, Merkle works with clients to design, execute and evaluate Integrated Customer Marketing™ programs. With more than 1,000 employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered near Baltimore in Columbia, Maryland with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Hagerstown, Md. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.
