Research carried out across Europe found that, on average, a quarter of consumers would be more likely to respond to advertising in any media if it allowed them to do so using their mobile device. Of the most common mobile response options, texting a keyword to a shortcode was consumers’ preferred method for responding to adverts in each country.
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) study of consumers in the UK, France and Germany, carried out with its research partner Lightspeed Research, asked respondents about their awareness of, and preferences for, mobile response options and how it would enhance their engagement with advertising. Consumers of all age groups demonstrated high levels of awareness and response across multiple media delivery methods, including print media, cinema, radio, outdoor and in-store advertising.
The research should make interesting reading to the retail community as it shows that mobile is already playing a key role in the minds of consumers when it comes to interacting with adverts for brands. Mobile advertising is set to be a key driver for getting consumers to start to buy things on mobile from retailers, so the fact that any form of media advertising encourages consumers to reach for their mobile should be warmly welcomed and is something to build on.
Television advertising was most frequently mentioned for its inclusion of mobile response mechanisms across all three markets, and was perceived by consumers to be the media where mobile response was most effective. UK consumers however emerged as being more likely to respond via mobile to adverts seen on a PC or laptop, while those seen in a print magazine or on a PC or laptop were most popular in France. Direct mail came out on top for consumer response via mobile in Germany.
According to the research, on average, 25% of consumers (31% UK, 24% France and 20% Germany) felt that they would be more likely to respond to an advert that provided a mobile response cue. In the UK, mobile response advertising seen on a PC or laptop elicited a higher activity rate in the last month (25%) than other media. In France, print advertising or advertising delivered via a PC or laptop was the most popular (34%), while direct mail was ranked the highest in Germany (23%).
Texting a keyword to a shortcode was recognized as the best way to gain a response in all three countries, while going to a mobile site or calling a number were also popular across all markets.
“Enabling consumers to respond to traditional advertising methods via mobile is a great way of bringing adverts to life and increasing their impact with today’s highly mobile consumer. Using mobile as an access point enables consumers to engage with brands of their choice whenever and wherever they want. Integrating mobile response mechanisms into other advertising channels also provides an effective way of assessing return on investment from which to shape future campaigns and understand consumer behaviour,” says Dr. Peter A. Johnson, VP of Market Intelligence for the MMA.
“These regular reports represent invaluable insight to marketers on key issues that can help them understand the opportunities that mobile enables,” adds Ralph Risk, Marketing Director, EMEA, Lightspeed Research. “It is interesting to note that television was the most recognised channel for providing mobile response, and the one that consumers felt would be the most effective, yet it did not generate the highest response. Marketers need to understand the best channels to help encourage consumers to respond to their campaigns, both in terms of the media channels available but also the response mechanisms.”
