It’s no secret that mobile phone users have graduated from simple voice and text usage of their devices. eMarketer estimates more than 650 million people worldwide, or 13.4% of mobile subscribers, use the Web via a mobile device at least monthly in 2010.
According to a Tellabs survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, two-thirds of mobile users around the globe are interested in “smart” services that would feed them information based on personal preferences, location, time of day and social setting.
Mobile users expect these services from a variety of providers, including mobile operators, other Internet application providers, and a combination of many sources. Consumers placed significant trust in their mobile carriers in terms of protecting the information needed to provide smart services, and overall selected carriers more often than any other group as the “most appropriate” provider of services.
Consumers’ expectations regarding smart location-based services closely mirrored their desires in other areas, such as news, media and entertainment content, where less than one-half named mobile carriers as the best source of information, followed by other Web providers and a combination.
When it came to shopping services, however, there was a notable difference: Mobile carriers dropped somewhat in importance, and advertisers became a much more prominent source of information.
US marketers have already begun experimenting with exactly this type of smart shopping service. “Geo-fencing” provides personalized marketing messages to shoppers based on their location or proximity to a marketer’s store. 1020 Placecast, for example, piloted a ShopAlerts program that was embraced by mobile users:
- 60% said the location-triggered messages were “cool” and “innovative.”
- 79% claimed to be more likely to visit a store.
- 65% made a purchase.
- 73% were likely to use the service again.
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Check out today’s other article, “B2B Online Marketers Focus on Lead Gen.”