Research commissioned mobile marketing technology and services company Velti has found that 79% of UK consumers believe the growth of mobile advertising is inevitable. The survey, which polled more than 1,600 UK mobile phone users about their usage habits, showed that the majority of Britons are starting to accept that mobile marketing and advertising will continue to increase in popularity, but also laid down a clear message for any marketers hoping to make use of the medium: We want something in return.
The results of the study showed that, while 80% of UK adults surveyed initially said they did not wish to receive advertising on their mobile phones, 56% of all respondents agreed that they would support mobile marketing and advertising campaigns if it was on an opt-in basis and in exchange for incentives or rewards, ranging from cash, free minutes or relevant special offers from brands.
This research clearly shows that although consumers expect mobile marketing and advertising to grow in popularity, brands using the medium to communicate with target groups will need to offer consumers added value to be successful, says Velti CEO, Alex Moukas. Learning how to incentivise and reward participants is key; consumers understand their value in the chain, so campaigns that fail to offer anything relevant or beneficial will, at best, be treated indifferently and at worst, create negative associations with the brand.
According to the research, cash is king, with 50% of respondents admitting that hard currency is the key to securing their buy-in. Next on the consumers incentive wish list were free minutes, free texts or data, with 40% of respondents citing them as an attractive reward for receiving advertising or marketing messages. Finally, 22% of respondents viewed location-based services, such as local restaurant reviews, as a worthy exchange for mobile marketing communications.
Despite the fact that almost 60% of all respondents agreed that incentivised marketing and advertising campaigns were attractive, 55% of mobile users over 45 were adamant that nothing would encourage them to engage with mobile marketing. This was in contrast to only 29% of under 24s opposing the use of mobile as a commercial channel.
Mark Fallows, Director of Digital Content at McCann Erickson, find the results of the survey encouraging. He says:
Mobile advertising and marketing has opened up a channel for brands looking to engage their consumers in a more contextually relevant manner. Its exciting, as it forces agencies and clients to be very precise in the value we offer in exchange for consumers interaction. The fact that consumers are becoming increasingly open to mobile as an advertising and marketing medium is an encouraging and timely development.
Velti and its mobile marketing agency Ansible, recently ran a campaign with Johnson & Johnson which engaged with pregnant women by asking them to text their due date to a shortcode. This allowed Johnson & Johnson to send the mothers-to-be only the most relevant information and offers corresponding to the exact stage of their pregnancy. The campaign also allowed mothers-to-be to join a mobile community contributing to a support network for pregnant women in their area. According to Velti, the campaign achieved a 94% retention rate over six months, with the expectant mums opting back in on a monthly basis.