ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

59pc of users as comfortable with mobile advertising as with TV, online ads: study

Mobile is increasingly the core platform through which consumers access the Internet and engage with brands, with more mobile users becoming as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV or online ads, according to a new report from InMobi.

The results point to how mobile devices are changing the media landscape, with 50 percent of global mobile Web users now using their smartphones as either their primary or exclusive means of going online. InMobi?s Mobile Media Consumption survey also found that at least 1 out of 2 mobile Web users engage in dual screen activity between TV and mobile across markets.

?The study shows that consumers are spending more time on mobile than ever before and are even still engaged with their mobile devices while doing other activities or absorbing other media,? said Shrikant Latkar, vice president of marketing at InMobi.

?Mobile is becoming one of the foremost mediums for consumers to discover and interact with new brands, and they?re increasingly as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV and Web ads,? he said.

?For marketers, this presents a huge opportunity to engage attract and engage new customers."

Increased competition
As the appetite for mobile media continues to rise, mobile is becoming a fundamental part of consumers? communication needs. Unlike traditionally print or TV advertising, the always-on aspect of mobile creates an opportunity for brands and marketers to engage with consumers throughout the day.

The InMobi study reveals that 48 percent of mobile users surf the mobile Web while spending time with family, 45 percent surf the mobile Web when at a social event, 60 percent do so while commuting and 43 percent turn to their handsets when they shop.

Another key finding is that 27 percent of respondents stated they have actively used 6-10 apps in the last 30 days, averaging to 6.5 apps used over 30 days. This points to the opportunities provided by apps to engage with consumers.

The report also found that 54 percent of respondents have noticed ads while engaged in an app. Eighty percent were influenced by a mobile ad to download an app and 67 percent went on to visit a brand?s Web site immediately afterwards.

Globally, 54 percent of users discover mobile ads via apps, 40 percent on a search engine, 27 percent on a retailer Web site and 23 percent on a video Web site.

?That there are great opportunities with mobile advertising is not new, but, with consumers now more receptive to mobile advertising than ever, marketers should expect increased competition in engaging mobile users,? Mr. Latkar said.

?Marketers need to deliver mobile ads that transform the ad experience and deliver rich, relevant and timely content to users,? he said.  

Shopping tools
With many consumers now using mobile as their primary means of going online, this has resulted in mobile devices becoming important shopping tools. Consumers are using their devices throughout the research and decision-making process of a purchase.

Mobile advertising is proving to be effective across the entire purchase funnel, with 75 percent of respondents saying they have been introduced to something new via their mobile device, 67 percent feeling that mobile has provided them with better options, 46 percent having made purchases using their mobile device and 45 percent saying mobile has influenced their in-store purchases.

With 66 percent of consumers surveyed having spent money on an activity via a mobile device, mobile commerce is expected to continue to grow and evolve. InMobi found that 80 percent of consumers plan to conduct mobile commerce in the next 12 months, a 21 percent increase from today.

InMobi surveyed 15,000 mobile Web users across 14 markets for the report.

?While the trend towards increased mobile use is not necessarily surprising, we find that is very interesting that 75 percent of the respondents in the study have been introduced to something new via their mobile devices?not only are we using our mobiles for communication, we are now relying on these devices for discovery of new things and products,? Mr. Latkar said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York