Windows Mobile
Research Brief: Mobile Coupons
According to a new study from IHL Group, reported by Marketing Charts, eight in 10 US mobile phone users currently uses or will use mobile text coupons within 24 months. The other two retail-related consumer mobile activities currently used by more than 20% of mobile phone subscribers are regular barcode and 2D barcode. Coupons on mobile screen only have 16% current engagement, but 38% planned engagement within the next 12 months, second only to text coupons in this category.
| Consumer Mobile Engagement Methods (% of Respondents) | |||
| Use and Plan to Use | |||
| Engagement Method | Already Use | Next 12 Months | 12-24 Months |
| Coupons | 16% | 38% | 16% |
| Text coupons | 25 | 47 | 9 |
| Regular bar code | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| 2D bar code | 21 | 23 | 17 |
| RFID for payment | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| Consumer self checkout | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Competitive pricing | 7 | 18 | 7 |
| Source: IHL Group, November 2010 | |||
The study data indicates 85% of US retailers support consumer use of the iPhone/iPod platform, and 88% plan to do so in the future. This current support rate dwarfs the 55% support of the next-most-popular consumer mobile platform among retailers, the iPad platform. However, 72% of retailers plan to support consumer iPad use in the future.
While only 50% of retailers currently support consumer use of the Android platform, 79% plan to support it in the future. Windows Mobile has 43% current support and 53% planned support, while Blackberry has slightly lower current support (40%) but slightly higher future support (58%).
| Consumer Mobile Platform Support (% of Respondents) | ||
| Platform | Current Use | Future Use |
| iPhone/iPod | 85% | 88% |
| iPad | 55 | 72 |
| Android | 50 | 79 |
| Blackberry | 40 | 58 |
| Windows mobile | 43 | 53 |
| Windows CE/7 | 23 | 36 |
| Source: IHL Group, November 2010 | ||
Retailers display different preferences for supporting mobile platform use by their employees, and at much lower percentages. The iPhone/iPod and Windows Mobile platforms are tied for second place with 42% current support. However, 67% of retailers plan future iPhone/iPod support, while only 41% plan future Windows Mobile support, implying a small number of retailers currently supporting employee use of Windows Mobile devices plan to end it. Android only has 26% current support, but comparatively high 41% planned future support.
Perhaps explaining the popularity of text coupons, 94% of mobile phone owners have text included in their phone plan. This makes texting by far the most popular feature of US consumer mobile phone plans. Other popular features include email (80%) and mobile web (78%).
The data for this study were obtained by performing a web-based survey during the August-September 2010 timeframe. A total of 570 responses were used, of which 66 were retailers.
For the study from the IHL group, please access the PDF file here.
70 percent of PC “query chains” (essentially search tasks) are completed in about one week
Microsoft has stated that over half (53%) of mobile searches on Bing have a local intent — an impressive statistic considering that back in March, Google came out saying that local intent was behind one-third of of its mobile searches as well.
While it’s surprising, it really shouldn’t be. When most people pull out their phones to conduct a search on the go, many times it’s to find the nearest coffee shop, or to check the hours of a nearby restaurant, or to check movie times at the nearest theater, for example. This behavior is why all the major search providers are working on the concept of getting consumers from “search to store,” in hopes of converting the massive amounts of local search traffic.
Microsoft also put forward the following very compelling statistic about the differences between PC search and mobile search user behavior: 70 percent of PC “query chains” (essentially search tasks) are completed in about one week while 70 percent of mobile users do so in one hour. Mobile users are often expressing immediate interests or needs as opposed to people searching on PCs who may be doing research for later.
Smartphone users in particular (now 28 percent of the US mobile population according to Nielsen) are very focused and using their devices to navigate, literally and figuratively, through the physical world. Mobile gives people an opportunity to be online and in the world at the same time, and this is a powerful thing for retailers and brands alike. People on mobile devices are often looking for information and assistance to help them make buying decisions as they literally move toward the point of sale.
comScore: Android Closing In, Samsung Remains Top OEM, SMS Top Mobile Content
ComScore today released new data on key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry as seen during Q3 2010. The report ranked the leading mobile OEMs and smartphone OS platforms in the U.S. according to their share of current mobile subscribers ages 13 and older, and reviewed the most popular mobile content usage across all demographics.
As of September, comScore indicates there are roughly 234 million Americans ages 13 and older using mobile phones. Surprisingly, Samsung holds on to the top spot in terms of OEM device manufacturers in the US with a 23.5 percent share. LG ranked second with 21.1 percent share, followed by Motorola (18.4 percent share), RIM (9.3 percent share, up 0.5 percentage points) and Nokia (7.4 percent share).
In regards to the all-important share for smartphone platforms in the U.S., RIM still holds the number one spot with a 37.3 percent share of smartphone subscribers, followed by Apple with a 24.3 percent share. Google continues to gain ground in the market, rising 6.5 percentage points to capture 21.4 percent of smartphone subscribers. Microsoft accounted for 10 percent of smartphone subscribers, while Palm rounded out the top five with 4.2 percent. Despite losing share to Android, most smartphone platforms continue to gain subscribers as the smartphone market overall continues to grow. In total, 58.7 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in September, up 15 percent from the preceding three month period.
Most interesting was mobile content usage, with comScore indicating that SMS is still by far the most popular activity. In September, 67 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 1.4 percentage points versus the prior three month period, while browsers were used by 35.1 percent of mobile subscribers (up 2.2 percentage points). Those using mobile apps comprised 33.1 percent of the mobile audience, representing an increase of 2.5 percentage points.
Though it shouldn’t, it always surprises me how SMS remains the most popular mobile content with subscribers in all demographics. Even with mobile apps and the mobile Web that bring the world to users’ fingertips, SMS continues to reign supreme.
Text Coupons Most Popular Retail-related Consumer Mobile Activity
Eight in 10 US mobile phone users currently uses or will use mobile text coupons within 24 months, according to [pdf] a new study from IHL Group and RetailConnections. Looking at a variety of retail-related consumer mobile activities, text coupons lead both in terms of current engagement (25%) and planned engagement in the next 12 months (47%). Probably due to the high percentage of consumers who will already be using mobile text coupons within 12 months, planned engagement within 12 to 24 months is only 9%, tied for second-lowest with consumer self-checkout.
The other two retail-related consumer mobile activities currently used by more than 20% of mobile phone subscribers are regular barcode (22%) and 2D barcode (21%). Coupons on mobile screen only have 16% current engagement, but 38% planned engagement within the next 12 months, second only to text coupons in this category.
iPhone/iPod Most Supported Consumer Mobile Platform by Wide Margin
Study data indicates 85% of US retailers support consumer use of the iPhone/iPod platform, and 88% plan to do so in the future. This current support rate dwarfs the 55% support of the next-most-popular consumer mobile platform among retailers, the iPad platform. However, 72% of retailers plan to support consumer iPad use in the future.
While only 50% of retailers currently support consumer use of the Android platform, 79% plan to support it in the future. Windows Mobile has 43% current support and 53% planned support, while Blackberry has slightly lower current support (40%) but slightly higher future support (58%).
4 in 10 Retailers Support Store Associate Blackberry Platform
Retailers display different preferences for supporting mobile platform use by their employees, and at much lower percentages. Part of the reason for this lower level of support may be the higher cost involved in supplying store associates with mobile devices, as opposed to letting consumers use their own devices in the store.
The iPhone/iPod and Windows Mobile platforms are tied for second place with 42% current support. However, 67% of retailers plan future iPhone/iPod support, while only 41% plan future Windows Mobile support, implying a small number of retailers currently supporting employee use of Windows Mobile devices plan to end it.
Android only has 26% current support, but comparatively high 41% planned future support. Windows CE/7 also has 26% current support, but similar to Windows Mobile planned future support for this platform dips to 22%.
Texting Most Popular Mobile Plan Feature
Perhaps explaining the popularity of text coupons, more than nine in 10 mobile phone owners (94%) have text included in their phone plan, according to other study results. This makes texting by far the most popular feature of US consumer mobile phone plans. Other popular features include email (80%) and mobile web (78%).
About the Data: The data for this study were obtained by performing a web-based survey during the August-September 2010 timeframe. A total of 570 responses were used, of which 66 were retailers.
