American consumers are interested in receiving opt-in marketing messages on their phones, according to a new survey commissioned by San Francisco-based 1020 Placecast and Harris Interactive. The survey of 2,029 adults aged 18 and older, of whom 1,725 own a mobile phone, measured consumer preference levels and receptivity for opt-in mobile marketing messages from brick-and-mortar businesses.
The results found that 42% of 18 to 34 year olds and 33% of 35 to 44 year olds are at least somewhat interested in receiving opt-in alerts on their mobile phones from their favourite establishments. Men are more interested than women; 51% of men aged 18 to 34, and 34% of women of the same age range, are at least somewhat interested in receiving opt-in shopping alerts on their mobiles. 
Food, entertainment and consumer products top the list of categories. Only 1% of those surveyed currently receive alerts about sales at their favourite establishments on their phones, yet 27% would be at least somewhat interested in receiving such alerts, assuming they were permission-based.
Of those interested in receiving alerts, 53% would be at least somewhat interested in being notified about restaurant specials around them. About 2-in-5 of these adults would like to receive alerts about sales for movie/event tickets (43%); weather information (39%); and clearance or liquidation sales (37%).  
About another 3-in-10 of these adults would want to be alerted about pizza (31%); clothes (30%); and fast food (27%). About one quarter would want to be notified about electronics (25%); music (24%); Happy Hour specials or bar and night club offers (21%).
The survey found that marketers have a substantial opportunity to influence impulse purchasers. In fact, about 9-in-10 US adults have made an impulse purchase when they were out shopping in a store based on a sale or special going on around where they were. 22% of adults owning mobiles make this type of impulse purchase at least once per week or more often. Among women with mobiles aged 18 to 44, 27% report making at least one impulse purchase a week; among men aged 18 to 34, this number rises to 31%.   
Opt-in mobile marketing has an enormous potential if done responsibly and is specifically focused on the stores/restaurants that matter to each consumer, says Alistair Goodman CEO and Founder of 1020 Placecast. There is an opportunity to design an opt-in service for consumers that alerts them about the brands they are interested in when they are near that brands physical location.
Thee survey forms part of a larger body of research work entitled The Alert Shopper, which is focused on understanding consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing messages.