As forecasts with big numbers catch marketers’ eyes, hard data reminds us that in many ways, mobile content is still finding its foothold. Most mobile phone users in the US are sticking with the basics for now, according to data released in October 2008 by Accenture.
According to the survey, fielded in December 2007, nearly 80% of respondents did not use their mobile device for gaming, 84% did not use mobile e-mail and 88% did not watch mobile videos.
While 12% of respondents said that mobile e-mail usage took up 1 to 4 hours per week, 4% said it occupied 5 or more hours weekly. For mobile video, those numbers fell to 9% and 3%, respectively.
In addition, there was a notable difference in mobile content use between Generation Y and their parents—those considered baby boomers or older. More than one-quarter of respondents ages 18 to 24 used their mobile phones for voice calls only, a dramatic difference from the 69% of those ages 45 and older who did so.
“These survey results point to important missed business opportunities in the mobile handset and social networking arenas,” said Accenture’s Kumu Puri, in a statement. “Clearly, many consumers are not widely embracing higher-end mobile phone applications.”
As smartphones start to branch out from the enterprise market and make inroads with consumers (think iPhone and Google’s G1), eMarketer believes that mobile content will begin to gain traction. The US market for mobile games is projected to grow from $344 million in 2007 to $1.15 billion in 2012, while spending on mobile music will surpass $4 billion in 2012, from just under $1 billion last year.
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