Interactive Study Examines Wireless Phone Usage & Satisfaction Ratings Of Moms vs. Dads.

Moms and dads have remarkably different wireless phone habits, and they place different emphasis on price and coverage when choosing a service plan; nonetheless, both parents are relatively satisfied with their service providers. Telephia, Inc., the leading provider of mission-critical data and intelligence for the global wireless industry, and Harris Interactive, the global leader in Internet-based market research, conducted a recent study exploring the similarities and differences of parents who use wireless phones. The results suggest that carriers running holiday promotions and targeted advertising campaigns need to consider the differing habits and needs of two very different market segments.

For the study, Telephia isolated the responses of two subscriber categories from its ongoing survey of wireless phone users: mothers, defined as females with at least one child, and fathers, defined as males with at least one child. The study focused on parents who are current wireless phone subscribers (eliminating non-subscribers), and examined their varying wireless phone habits as well as the level of satisfaction with their wireless phone service. Conducted jointly with Harris Interactive in March 2001, the study was based on an online survey of approximately 15,000 wireless subscribers and non-subscribers in the country’s 10 largest markets.

The results show that moms are much more likely than dads to place more personal than business calls on their wireless phones. While approximately half (53 percent) of dads said they use their phones for mostly or all personal reasons, a significant number (17 percent) said they use them for primarily business purposes. Moms, however, responded overwhelmingly (75 percent) that they talk on the phone for personal reasons, with only a few (six percent) reporting primarily business use.

Another major difference between moms and dads is their reason for selecting service providers. While both groups listed price as the primary concern when choosing a provider, moms (32 percent) did so in significantly greater numbers than dads (25 percent). Dads, however, were more than twice as concerned (16 percent) about choosing a provider with good coverage than moms (seven percent).

Surprisingly, despite the fact that they often choose service providers for different reasons and use phones for different purposes, both parents gave similarly high marks regarding their satisfaction with providers. Based on a scale of one to 10 (with 10 being best) moms gave an average satisfaction rating of 7.4, almost the same as that of dads (7.3). Additionally, when asked if they would recommend their service provider to a relative or friend, a relatively high percentage of both moms (70) and dads (72) said yes.

“With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day around the corner, during a time when carriers are spending increasing amounts of money on targeted advertising and promotions, it’s interesting to look at how parents put different values on price and coverage when selecting service,“ said John Oyler, president of Telephia. “While both parents are satisfied with their service, they tend to use their phones for different purposes, and a Telephia/Harris Interactive Study Examines Wireless Phone Usage And Satisfaction Ratings of “Moms” vs. “Dads’ one-size-fits-all marketing approach won’t be as effective in reaching these two unique consumer groups.”

This study is based on the Telephia/Harris Interactive Wireless Phone User Survey, which examines the attitudes, perceptions and habits of wireless phone users nationwide.

For more information at http://www.telephia.com