For Brands, The Way To A Man's Heart Is Through His Mobile Phone
M:Metrics reports that 36 percent of 18-34-year-old males access mobile media and 9 percent respond to SMS adverts in Western Europe
VENICE and LONDON - April 15, 2008 - As the media industry assembles in Venice this week for the Venice Festival of Media and in London for the Mobile Marketing Forum, M:Metrics reveals the demographics and size of the audiences for mobile media. The measurement firm reports that young males are a rich target for mobile advertisers, as among mobile phone users 36 percent of 18 to 34-year-old men accessed mobile media in February. Men in this age group are also highly receptive to SMS advertising, with 9 percent responding to an SMS advert they received, versus a 4 percent market average.
In Western Europe, the male population is more inclined to browse and download content on the mobile Web. Fully a quarter of all male mobile phone users accessed mobile media, compared to just under 19 percent of women. This audience is also quite young: 28 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds consume mobile media, only 12 percent of those 55 and older do.
“Reaching the 18 to 34-year-old age demographic is a real challenge to advertisers, as this group is spending less time consuming print and broadcast media,” observed Paul Goode, senior analyst. “According to TGI M:Metrics data, in Great Britain, young consumers are redirecting that attention to mobile, as 18 to 34 year olds comprise 56 percent of mobile media users, compared to only 29 percent of TV viewers”.
Percent Reach of Mobile Media usage, by Gender, EU5: February, 2008 | Percent Reach of Mobile Messaging usage, by Gender, EU5: February, 2008 | |||||||
Age | Male | Female | Total | Age | Male | Female | Total | |
13-17 | 32.6% | 24.3% | 28.4% | 13-17 | 85.6% | 92.7% | 89.2% | |
18-24 | 38.5% | 27.2% | 32.9% | 18-24 | 90.5% | 94.6% | 92.5% | |
25-34 | 34.5% | 23.7% | 29.2% | 25-34 | 89.9% | 92.7% | 91.3% | |
35-44 | 26.4% | 19.3% | 22.9% | 35-44 | 83.6% | 88.4% | 86.0% | |
45-54 | 19.3% | 13.3% | 16.5% | 45-54 | 74.9% | 84.0% | 79.3% | |
55+ | 12.3% | 11.1% | 11.7% | 55+ | 64.6% | 73.8% | 69.3% | |
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2008. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31st February 2008, mobile subscribers in EU, France, n = 12,973 Germany, n = 15,128; Italy, n = 13,599; Spain, n = 12,446; United Kingdom, n = 16,459. | ||||||||
Mobile Messaging Audience defined as subscribers who sent one or more text messages in month | ||||||||
Mobile Media Audience defined as subscribers who browsed or downloaded in any form in month. | ||||||||
Interestingly, U.S. mobile users are more active consumers of mobile media, as unlike Europeans they use SMS less frequently for news and information retrieval and are more likely to have data plans, which directly impacts mobile content consumption. Among Europeans, the UK has the highest percentage of mobile media users, at 26.8 percent, while Germany and France lag, at 18.4 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively.
Size of mobile audience: February 2008 | ||||||
FR | DE | IT | ES | UK | US | |
Total Mobile Subscribers (aged 13+) in millions | 46.5 | 49 | 47 | 34 | 47.5 | 226 |
Mobile Media Audience | 18.5% | 18.4% | 23.4% | 23.5% | 26.8% | 27.3% |
Mobile Messaging Audience | 76.4% | 79.7% | 87.4% | 85.0% | 86.9% | 48.6% |
3G Penetration | 16.2% | 21.0% | 37.2% | 34.6% | 24.2% | 25.5% |
Smartphone Penetration | 6.1% | 8.6% | 22.3% | 14.9% | 10.6% | 6.4% |
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2008. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31st February 2008, mobile subscribers in France, n = 12,973 Germany, n = 15,128; Italy, n = 13,599; Spain, n = 12,446; United Kingdom, n = 16,459; United States, n = 31,348. | ||||||
Mobile Messaging Audience defined as subscribers who sent one or more text messages in month | ||||||
Mobile Media Audience defined as subscribers who browsed or downloaded in any form in month. | ||||||
It should be noted that, while advertising inventory is growing, not all mobile media users can be reached by advertisers at present. | ||||||
“In Great Britain, mobile media is attracting a highly desirable audience that is 44 percent more likely to be defined as ‘cash rich, time poor ‘than the market average,” said Goode. “In fact, data from TGI M:Metrics confirms that one third of all UK mobile media users agree they are tempted to buy products they’ve seen advertised.”
Percentage of consumer audience in Great Britain who agree | ||||||||
| Mobile media | Internet | Cinema | Radio | Magazine | Newspaper | TV | Outdoor |
“I’m tempted to buy products I’ve seen advertised.” | 33 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Cash Rich Time Poor | ||||||||
Benchmark Index | 144 | 130 | 129 | 112 | 110 | 104 | 102 | 101 |
Source: TGI M:Metrics 2008 – Base: All GB adults (aged 15+)
“Since the early days of mobile advertising, SMS advertising has been an effective way to reach the masses, but advertises are now actively looking at the mobile web to access new audiences,” said Goode. “According to TGI M:Metrics, adding mobile to a media plan increases the efficiency of reaching key target groups, a metric that will continue to improve with the growth of 3G and smartphone ownership.”
M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world’s most authoritative mobile media measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers 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 February Benchmark Survey.
Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications | |||||||
US | EU | FR | DE | IT | ES | UK | |
Total mobile subscribers (13+) | 226 m | 224 m | 46.5 m | 49 m | 47 m | 34 m | 47 m |
Watched video | 5.9% | 9.3% | 7.5% | 6.3% | 11.7% | 12.5% | 9.5% |
Listened to music | 7.0% | 17.3% | 15.4% | 16.8% | 14.2% | 21.1% | 19.8% |
Accessed news/info via browser | 13.5% | 9.5% | 9.7% | 5.9% | 8.0% | 6.9% | 16.1% |
Received SMS ads | 19.1% | 49.5% | 63.7% | 29.8% | 54.1% | 73.0% | 34.6% |
Played downloaded game | 21.4% | 23.3% | 13.4% | 23.1% | 26.5% | 26.5% | 27.7% |
Accessed downloaded application | 4.8% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 4.0% | 2.3% | 3.2% |
Sent/received photos or videos | 22.2% | 28.2% | 25.5% | 22.1% | 33.1% | 30.7% | 30.5% |
Purchased ringtones | 9.2% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.4% |
Used email | 12.2% | 8.5% | 6.3% | 7.1% | 10.8% | 9.1% | 9.2% |
Accessed social networking sites | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 4.7% |
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2008. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31st February 2008, mobile subscribers in France, n = 12,973 Germany, n = 15,128; Italy, n = 13,599; Spain, n = 12,446; United Kingdom, n = 16,459; United States, n = 31,348; | |||||||
About M:Metrics
M:Metrics is the mobile media authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics 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 required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.
About M:Metrics Data
Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics. The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month’s sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.
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