Mobile

With mobile penetration in the US estimated by eMarketer at nearly 80% this year, and the increasing sophistication of handsets, there is a mature mobile market with a critical mass of users increasingly receptive to marketing and content. As the space becomes more important for marketers’ efforts, they must keep pace with the changing scene.

At the 2010 NAB/RAB Radio Show, Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) and Jacobs Media are showcasing key findings from their collaborative study “Goin’ Mobile,” which examines the impact of the smartphone on consumers, and the implications for broadcasters. View video here.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Luth Research released the July 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing, MMA’s monthly survey of U.S. adult consumers about their mobile marketing behaviors and opinions. Available exclusively to MMA members, the new survey shows high interest in mobile Web sites, with 25 percent of respondents saying they plan to access the Web from their mobile device on a daily basis in the next year.

More than 79% of Americans have a mobile phone as of 2010, according to eMarketer estimates, making them a highly personal third screen in just about everyone’s pocket.

Consumers around the world are hungry for access to information and communication, especially in countries with a growing middle class. Defying classic economic models, the demand for communication (cell phones) leads traditional media growth, signifying a global, disruptive phenomenon. The demand for information via the Internet follows slower, more predictable growth patterns. The implications for marketers: lead with mobile advertising in high-growth, emerging economies.

At first glance, Hispanics appear highly engaged with mobile activities. A November 2009 Federal Communications Commission study found both Hispanic and black adults to be more active in a wide variety of mobile activities than their white counterparts.

Mobile devices provide one of the most personal and intimate ways for marketers to reach consumers. eMarketer estimates nearly 80% of the US population has a mobile phone as of 2010. But many marketers are slow to take advantage of the channel.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced the release of “Prevailing Mobile In-Application Advertising Formats,” the industry’s first benchmark for ad formats being offered in mobile applications. Summarizing the results of a survey of IAB member companies, the document showcases current trends in mobile advertising and covers the seven major mobile/portable application platforms: Android, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, Palm, Symbian and Windows Mobile. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE.

Mobile internet and data usage is becoming more popular overall as smartphones proliferate and feature phones become more sophisticated, but not all adults are taking up the new habits at the same pace.

African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos continue to be among the most active users of the mobile web. Cell phone ownership is higher among African-Americans and Latinos than among whites (87% vs. 80%) and minority cell phone owners take advantage of a much greater range of their phones’ features compared with white mobile phone users. In total, 64% of African-Americans access the internet from a laptop or mobile phone, a seven-point increase from the 57% who did so at a similar point in 2009. DOWNLOAD REPORT.

For years, companies have watched the mobile youth population develop and grow, but aside from text messaging there have not been many clear-cut marketing opportunities on the mobile phone.