New York, London, UK, Singapore & São Paulo: Nov. 8,  2010 - The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) and its official research partner, Luth Research (www.luthresearch.com), today released the September 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 found that 42 percent of all mobile consumers have downloaded apps and that 25 percent of mobile apps are used on a daily basis.

 

Based on Luth Research’s online panel, SurveySavvy™, each MMA U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing collects answers from a demographically representative sample of more than 1,000 U.S. adult consumers. Conducted September 17-24, the survey asked consumers the following questions about their usage of their mobile phone and some of its features, including:

 

 

The new survey confirms that mobile apps have emerged as a significant medium in their own right, within the overall mobile channel, one which brands and marketers need to capitalize on. For example, 10 percent of mobile consumers who have downloaded apps described their most used app as one that can be used for ordering or purchasing products. This indicates that apps are fast becoming a consumer shopping and sales tool offering both mass-market reach and intensity of usage.  

 

The survey’s other key findings include:

 

·       Sixty percent of those surveyed said their “most used” app provides entertainment

·       Twenty-two percent of respondents expect to download more apps next than they have this year, while 40 percent expect to download the same amount

·       Over the next year, mobile users will seek new apps focusing on entertainment, restaurants, banking and travel

·       As free apps supported by advertising represent about 31% of all downloaded apps, apps represent a significant advertising opportunity for brands

“With half of all mobile consumers downloading apps this year or next, MMA can officially mark the birth of a new mainstream advertising and marketing channel within the family of mobile media,” said Peter A. Johnson, vice president of market intelligence, MMA, and author of the study. “Marketers now have the opportunity to bundle fun and advertising, drama and customer service, utility and sales in a single, quarter-inch icon. To place an app on the mobile desk-top that commands consumer attention on a daily basis should be on every marketer’s “to do” list as they plan for 2011.”

 

“This survey quantifies a trend that’s been impossible to overlook: mobile apps are now solidly in the American mainstream,” Jacqueline Rosales, EVP, Business Development & Client Service, Luth Research. “Although the percentage of smartphone users is still a minority of all mobile phone owners, app interest and usage have now reached the point where no brand or marketer can afford to dismiss apps as just a niche play with limited reach and effectiveness.”

 

Available exclusively to MMA members, each MMA Consumer Briefing includes a 2- to 3-page executive summary, all survey questions and up to 50 tables of detailed results. Survey responses are provided both in aggregate and in cross-tabulation by standard audience demographics, such as age, gender and income, as well as wireless carrier and handset manufacturer.

 

 

 

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA’s primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix.   The MMA works to promote, educate, measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA’s global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.