- “What’s My Worth?” reveals attitudes to mobile ads in France, Germany, UK and US
- 79% understand ads keep content and apps free, only 3% pay not to have ads
- Audiences twice as likely to remember brand messages on mobile vs. desktop
BALTIMORE – Mobile consumers have told advertisers what they believe they are worth, suggesting that engaging with one minute of advertising on mobile devices is equivalent to $10.80 per consumer for advertisers.
The research shows that ads need to be relevant and useful, but also brief. Consumers have told brands how they want to be engaged with, and that they understand the relationship they have on their most personal medium – mobile.
A new international research study, conducted by Opinium Research and commissioned by Millennial Media, “What’s My Worth? 2015,” polled over 4,000 consumers across four countries. It explored the value exchange consumers have with advertisers in return for letting them into their most personal environment, their mobile devices.
Highlights from the research indicate that today’s consumers understand and accept the value exchange of ads supporting free apps and content:
- Four in five (79%) stated that they understood this paradigm
- Almost three quarters (72%) said they expected ads on mobile devices to keep content free
- Only three percent paid for apps to remove ads
With results revealing that consumers are more than twice as likely to remember a product or message on a mobile device (22%) than desktop (10%), the survey also revealed that over a third of consumers that engaged with a mobile ad in the last 12 months on their smartphone (35%) and tablet (38%) have consequently been prompted to specific actions:
- Most likely to consider a product or a brand that they would not have otherwise have thought about (18%), with other actions including save a page (13%) and to add a product to a wish/shopping list (10%)
- Most significant interestingly for brand marketers, the second most popular action for consumers that had clicked on a mobile ad was to then make a purchase (14%)
- Of all those who made a purchase as a result of clicking a mobile ad, four in 10 (43%) said they made their purchase in a bricks and mortar store, while eight in 10 (82%) made it online
“Mobile is a vital component of the digital marketing landscape,” commented Stephen Jenkins, VP, Global Marketing & Communications for Millennial Media. “As consumers increasingly expect to engage with brands on their mobile, we commissioned this research with a view to better understanding the end consumer’s perception of the brand messages they receive. What is the value exchange that they have with advertisers in return for letting them into their most personal environment?”
Other key highlights from the research include:
- Cross-screen users thriving as a quarter (27%) say they are likely to engage with TV at the same time as viewing other media, and one in four (25%) say the same for mobile
- Of audiences that click on mobile ads, 43% say they would be more likely to pay attention to other adverts from the same brand in future
- Nearly half (48%) of all consumers would be more likely to click on a mobile advert if it was targeted to their interests
“In my view, Millennial Media has shown the courage to ask the right question; and not before time. The industry has been aware that a trade-off has been in play. But it would seem that there has been a certain behind-the-curtain, through half-closed-eyes reluctance to look at the potentially gory details of the bargain,” commented Dr. Simon Hampton, a psychologist from the University of East Anglia. “The research shows that ads need to be relevant and useful, but also brief. Consumers have told brands how they want to be engaged with, and that they understand the relationship they have on their most personal medium – mobile.”
“Knowing how mobile devices are prompting consumers to specific actions provides real value when it comes to determining new ways of engaging them on either their smartphone or tablet. To see how these same engagements are driving actions beyond the click – be that with brand recall or even physical purchases in store – underlines the value of mobile within the marketing mix,” commented Nick Buckley, Head of Mobile for Sony Mobile.
Ben Phillips, Global Head of Mobile for MediaCom, said of the research, “The maturation of mobile is breeding confidence in the medium for advertisers. Critical to that confidence is the development of two key ingredients: firstly consumer acceptance and appeal of mobile ads, which as demonstrated by this report are strong, and particularly so among younger consumers. Second, the development of the component parts to enable solution creators to build apps, ads and tools that are defined by our clients’ individual style and outcomes.”
“Consumers know their attention on mobile is valuable to advertisers, and brands must acknowledge that with campaigns that give them something in return, such as a unique mobile experience or relevant, engaging content,” added Jenkins. “After listening to consumers across the globe, it is clear that attitudes are changing, mobile ads now appeal more than ever before, and consumers very much understand the value exchange with advertisers for keeping content and apps free.”
Results of the full “What’s My Worth?” study, undertaken by Opinium Research on behalf of Millennial Media, are available for download as a report from millennialmedia.com/mobile-insights.
About Millennial Media
Millennial Media (NYSE: MM) is the leading independent mobile ad marketplace, making mobile simple for the world’s top brands, app developers, and mobile web publishers. The company’s unique data and technology assets enable its advertising clients to connect with their target audiences at scale. Millennial Media also drives monetization for its publisher and developer partners by connecting them to networks, advertisers, and an RTB exchange. For more information, visit www.millennialmedia.com.
Methodology
The study, undertaken by Opinium Research on behalf of Millennial Media, was completed in Q4 with analysis conducted in Q1 2015. Qualitative in-depth research was conducted as a 29 person Diary Study across a one week period in the UK in Q4 2014. This helped to inform and was followed up by quantitative research in the form of a Global Survey conducted among 4,018 consumers split across France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
via BusinessWire
