Research into UK consumers has revealed that 45 per cent of are willing to accept branded communications via mobile if delivered according to their opt-in terms – a figure that rises to 55 per cent if the company is perceived as a ‘trusted’ brand. And retailers are among the most trusted, giving them an early adopter advantage in the mobile marketing space, finds research, commissioned by Velti, and conducted by MobileSquared.
The study found that a UK consumer will sign up to receive communications from on average just three companies, making first-mover advantage critically important for brands hoping to exploit this lucrative mobile marketing channel. And who are those trusted brands? According to the study retailers (25.6 per cent), financial services firms (16.9 per cent) and travel companies (16.5 per cent) are all well positioned to be a ‘trusted’ brand and exploit the mobile opportunity.
The study also finds that UK consumers are open to frequent mobile marketing messaging – 37 per cent of respondents are open to receiving messages from a chosen brand on a daily basis versus 24.6 per cent who prefer a monthly message. Some One in four UK consumers (24.5 per cent) would like to receive branded communications at anytime (weekday or weekend, morning or afternoon).
36.9% of consumers prefer to receive messaging on a mobile (SMS – 24.3%, MMS – 5.1% and mobile optimised email – 7.5%), whilst 78.3% prefer email. Yet we know that emails are increasingly being opened on a mobile device (in excess of 20% and growing rapidly), therefore it is vital that these brand communications connect the end consumer through to a fully mobilised experience.
Interestingly, nearly half of those polled (42.4 per cent) would opt-in to receive information from mobile network operators (MNOs), while
Designed to help brands successfully engage consumers through the mobile channel, the research findings highlight the need for brands to innovate in order to satisfy the current consumer appetite for receiving marketing information via mobile in the form of mobile messaging, email, social media and apps.
Barry Houlihan, GM, Velti said: “The research we’ve carried out challenges perceived mobile marketing thinking and puts consumer demand for marketing ahead of supply. In fact, UK consumers are far more open to branded communications than many companies believe – provided their delivery preferences and opt-in choices are respected and the brand earns the all-important trust of the consumer. Mobile is increasingly central to any branded communications strategy given its real-time results and relevance across multiple delivery formats – It is clear that the time is now for brands to innovate and explore the business benefit it brings.”
With immediate opportunities for MNO’s, retailers, financial services and travel businesses in particular, the research highlights a number of key mobile marketing considerations including the importance of building consumer trust, communication with the right frequency and the need to ensure maximum reach across different types of device types.
The research was conducted by mobileSQUARED on behalf of Velti and polled 3,000 UK consumers about their attitude to mobile marketing formats.
A white paper titled ‘The UK Opportunity for ‘Total Mobile’ Multi-Channel Marketing’ details the research findings and the Mobile White Book, which has been created to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about mobile marketing will be available to download.
