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Photo Messaging Climbed 60 Percent in the United States During the Past Year
RESTON, VA, July 8, 2008 -- Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the latest figures from the M:Metrics Benchmark Study which reports that photo messaging from mobile phones has grown 60 percent in the United States over the past year and 16 percent in Europe, where photo messaging got an earlier start. As the mercury climbs in the summer months, so does the usage of photo messaging in the United States, where for the past three years, photo messaging rates have been higher than average in July and August.
“Summer vacations provide the perfect context for photo messaging, as the utility of instantly sharing a holiday moment with loved ones is undeniably compelling,” commented Mark Donovan, senior vice president, Comscore Mobile Products. “The cameraphone could replace the postcard as the preferred mode to say ‘wish you were here,’ as even parents and grandparents are snapping and sending photos from their mobile devices.”
Mobile Photo Messaging Usage by Seasonal IndexSummer 2007Total U.S. and EuropeSource: Comscore M:Metrics*
United States
Europe**
July
103
100
August
112
107
*Survey of mobile subscribers. Data are seasonal index calculations of monthly usage of photo messaging. These figures compare monthly consumption averages against the annual average with 100 representing average.
**Includes France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and U.K.
In Europe, where photo messaging is more mature, usage rates are more consistent throughout the year, rising only slightly in summer. From 2006 to 2007, the rate of photo messaging use in Europe during the month of July was average and in August, 7 percent higher than average. Instead, usage spikes during December, as families share Christmas holiday celebrations and send photos from their newly acquired phones. The same phenomenon is also observed in the United States, where photo messaging is also higher in December than it is in an average month.
The M:Metrics Benchmark Study indicates that the photo messaging growth in the U.S. is coming from all age demographic segments, with the fastest growth coming from teens and those older than 35. In the more developed European market, the strongest growth is coming from those aged 55 years and older.
Percentage Growth of Mobile Subscribers Using Photo Messaging by Age
April 2008
Total U.S. and Europe
Source: Comscore M:Metrics*
Age
13-17
68%
13%
18-24
55%
8%
25-34
53%
16%
35-44
63%
15%
45-54
73%
17%
55+
67%
36%
Total
60%
*Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending April 30, 2007 to the three-month period ending April 30, 2008
“Cameraphones are in the hands of the majority of mobile phone users and are increasingly a part of the fabric of peoples’ lives, with 78 percent of Europeans and 66 percent of Americans owning a cameraphone today,” said Donovan. “Photo messaging rates have risen steadily month over month with nearly a quarter of all American mobile phone users and about a third of Europeans sending or receiving photos in April.”
Comscore M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications, delivering the most accurate mobile market metrics through the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its April 2008 Benchmark Survey.
M:Metrics Benchmark StudyApril 2008Total U.S. and EuropeSource: Comscore M:Metrics*
US
EU
FR
DE
IT
ES
UK
Total mobile subscribers Age 13+ (MM)
226
224
46.5
49
47
34
47.5
Sent/received photos or videos
23.9%
27.6%
24.7%
20.6%
31.9%
31.1%
30.7%
Listened to music
7.9%
18.5%
16.7%
17.7%
15.6%
22.9%
20.7%
Accessed news/info via browser
14.4%
9.6%
10.3%
5.4%
8.0%
7.4%
16.4%
Received SMS ads
19.1%
49.3%
63.0%
28.5%
54.0%
72.5%
36.2%
Played downloaded game
9.1%
8.4%
4.4%
7.5%
8.9%
11.7%
10.2%
Accessed downloaded application
5.0%
3.0%
1.6%
2.6%
4.2%
2.9%
3.4%
Watched video
6.3%
7.2%
6.1%
11.3%
12.6%
9.5%
Purchased ringtones
9.3%
3.6%
3.7%
3.1%
3.2%
Used email
13.1%
8.6%
6.5%
6.7%
11.5%
9.4%
Accessed social networking sites
5.2%
2.2%
1.5%
2.8%
5.3%
*Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30th April 2008, mobile subscribers in France, n = 13,570 Germany, n = 15,202; Italy, n = 13,575; Spain, n = 12,160; United Kingdom, n = 15,282; United States, n = 32,931;
About M:MetricsAcquired by Comscore, Inc. in May 2008, M:Metrics is an authoritative source of data on mobile usage. As one of the few research firms to measure the audience for mobile media using on-device metering and one of the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile users, M:Metrics provides data on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence used to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics services are used by more than 180 clients, including global leaders in the mobile, advertising, technology and consumer goods industries such as Verizon, Vodafone, Microsoft, RIM, FOX, CBS, BBC, BMW, Samsung, Palm, Qualcomm, Ericsson, O&M, and JWT. For more information, please visit www.mmetrics.com
About ComscoreComscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of about 2 million Internet users who have given Comscore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. Comscore panelists also participate in survey research that gathers and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Using its proprietary technology, Comscore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of digital behavior and attitudes and helps clients design more powerful marketing strategies that deliver superior ROI. With itsrecent acquisition of M:Metrics, Comscore is also aleading source of data on mobile usage. Comscore services are used by over 950 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon Services Group and ViaMichelin. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.