NEW YORK ? A People magazine executive at the 2012 MMA Forum said that as the mobile audience evolves, publishers and content providers must adapt to new consumer needs.

During the ?People Mobile: Programming for Found Time? session, the executive discussed how the publication adapted to program for the moment and for the device. The session was sponsored by Adobe.

?We can?t confuse context with intent, but we can leverage these new opportunities,? said Tony Brancato, senior product director at People, New York.

?In the last few years, mobile devices have become powerful and opened up all these windows of time to connect with consumers,? he said.

Mobile approach
People?s original mobile approach was to take its desktop site, optimize and streamline it for tablet devices and then even more so for mobile.

The publication, which can be accessed via an array of mobile devices including iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, paired down the navigation to what it thought was the most essential for its readers.

Currently, People?s sees 4 million unique visitors per month on its mobile site and 2.5 million mobile unique visitors on its tablet site.

According to Mr. Brancato, the average consumer has their smartphone device in their hand 40 times a day and 65 percent of users sleep with their handsets.

Additionally, 38 percent of People?s audience is spending less than a minute on its mobile offerings, 40 percent are spending 1-5 minutes and 22 percent are spending more than 5 minutes.

Currently, the magazine is looking to redesign its mobile and tablet-optimized site this summer to create a more streamlined experience for both its readers and advertisers.

?It?s about giving consumers the ability to get content without overwhelming them? Mr. Brancato said.

Bigger picture
According to Mr. Brancato, it is all about the bigger picture.

People sees that its readers are constantly accessing the magazine?s content on their mobile device. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that the content is seamless.

The same goes for advertisers.

Advertisers have a big opportunity to reach consumers via mobile.

Whether the consumer has a few minutes to spare or not, marketers should make sure that their mobile ads are relevant, personalized and engaging.

For example, advertisers can use mobile video or offer a coupon via the mobile ad to drive engagement.

?It?s important to know when and how long your users are connecting with your content,? Mr. Brancato said. ?Adapt for the device they are using.

?Create and experience that consumers will seek out at every found moment of that day,? she said. 

Final Take