The acquisition can be read as a starting gun for a new race in a new space, and smart companies are already jockeying for position, building the capabilities to take advantage of massive opportunity at the intersection of our social chatter and the entertainment we watch and want to share.

The timing could be better to recount the news and views from SocialTVConf, a conference cleverly dedicated to this hot topic that made its debut in London. Hosting keynotes and discussions on topics ranging from the success of celebrity social media management to the what is driving multi-screen audience engagement, the inaugural conference drew a large and diverse audience — as broad as this new business ecosystem itself.

Here’s my pick of three presentations/discussions that provided the deepest insights and best direction:

Social@Ogilvy stresses analytics

This presentation, hosted by James Whatley, Senior Associate Director at Social@Ogilvy, outlined some of the mistakes the industry makes — and can avoid. Addressing the three key players (broadcasters, agencies, brands) James provided valuable advice and boldly begged the question: Is social TV any good?

• Social TV could be better. Broadcasters need to learn that TV is a one- way medium, and that they have to include, not exclude other channels that enhance the experience. Isolation doesn’t work — neither do twitter walls or attempts to somehow separate our tweets (and conversation) from context. As he put it: the consumer is there to watch content, so why would they care?
• Agencies need to “think things through.” Sure, it’s about stimulating conversations around brands and campaigns, but it’s also about measuring real results. James gave the example of #DriveTime (which he also details on his blog here). He showed that, in the case of #drivetime, a Twitter conversation does indeed gather momentum, but it also creates more than buzz. It creates a lot of data that can be hugely useful – if companies analyze it for patterns and even hidden opportunities.
• Brands need to wake up: It’s all about their objectives. If they want to sell something using social TV, then be social. This doesn’t mean stick up a Twitter wall; it means thinking outside of the box. As James put it: Since people aren’t really looking at advertising (perhaps because they are too busy looking at their phones) brands have to get in front of us on our terms. That interaction will take place through social media. If you want to achieve your objectives, then get social!

Peggy adds: James’ presentation (below) is packed with insights and straight-talk you would expect from an industry veteran and social media marketing authority. Great stuff, James!

SOURCE: http://www.slideshare.net/whatleydude/social-tv-confwhatley130122

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Tiffany St James: Move from schedule-based to behavior-based content

The advance of multi-screen experiences (mobile, tablet, console) and the flexibility offered by providers such as Netflix, Hulu and YouView allow people to watch programs when and how they want. Against this backdrop  Tiffany warns broadcasters that the time is NOW for broadcasters to integrate social media campaigns as part of their overall strategy rather than rely on pot luck. She urges broadcasters to decide their strategy( partner directly with social networks or build their own platforms for more control and ad revenue — or a mix of both) and start creating valuable content that extends the story outside of the show.

Tiffany connects the dots in studies from sources such as Ericsson to provide a picture of this new segment.

• 62 percent use social media such as Twitter while watching TV, an increase of 18 percent since 2011
• 12 percent of new U.K. TV shows have Facebook pages, compared with more than double (30 percent) in the U.S. Nonetheless, there are signs that U.K. gets the importance to start being social even before the show starts. UK show The Voice had an impressive 24,885 Twitter followers before broadcast
• For 18–25 year olds Facebook is the desired medium with 25 percent using the social networking site to express opinions etc about TV content, compared to 10 percent using Twitter.

SOURCE: http://fr.slideshare.net/SocialTVConference/socialtvconf-presentations-22113-tiffany-st-james-director-of-stimulation

***

@SecondSync: Real-time engagement is really valuable

Social media has completely changed the rules, turning static information into fluid content that we control (and influence). But what is the real — and quantifiable — impact of all on business and brands? For Ted Littledale, Product Director at SecondSync, a company offering social media analytics, tweets are DE FACTO CURRENCY for SocialTV. Thus, the success of a social TV campaign can be quickly determined by the number of tweets it generates. His presentation takes us on a tour of top U.K. shows and their value measured by the conversations they sparked on Twitter.

• Currently there are 6 million Twitter users who discuss TV. That’s 60 percent of total Twitter users in the U.K. Not an audience, or an opportunity, you would want to miss.
• A single onscreen hashtag can generate 10,000s of tweets, and 750 program per day, it seems ridiculous not to integrate social into TV programming or brand advertising.
• Ted predicts that 2013 will see social become a kind of secondary currency in TV media planning — and this will make it critical for broadcasters to integrate social, encourage interaction and measure the results.

SOURCE: http://www.slideshare.net/SocialTVConference/socialtvconf-presentations-22113-ted-littledale-product-director-at-secondsync

Editor’s note:

This regular feature, which highlights the key takeaways from mobile reports and insights important to running your business, is curated by Sophie Young , a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her new Galaxy Note. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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• Online sales on Thanksgiving grew by 17.4 percent followed by Black Friday where sales increased 20.7 percent over last year.
• Consumers shopped in store, online and on mobile devices simultaneously to get the best bargains. Overall 58 percent of consumers used smartphones compared to 41 percent who used tablets to surf for bargains on Black Friday.

SOURCE: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/marketing-solutions/benchmark-reports/benchmark-2012-black-friday.pdf

Local digital ad revenues on the rise

Revenue from local digital advertising continues to rise, driven by social advertising and local search. BIA/Kelsey, an independent market researcher, forecasts local online/interactive/digital advertising revenues will grow 13.1 percent in 2012. According to the report, several local media segments, such as mobile search and online video, are on target to exceed this overall growth rate.

• Digital/Interactive ad revenues on mobile have grown 44.9 percent throughout 2012. Jed Williams, program director for social local media at BIA/Kelsey, commented: “If you look at the overall growth of mobile social advertising, it has the most explosive or volatile growth of all of the various components of social advertising.”
• Williams also offers this advice to traditional media companies who are looking to embrace social media ads: “With traditional media getting more than three-quarters of the total local media ad budget, coordination between traditional and online media is the best way to explore how to effectively optimize new media, such as social networks and online video, to increase the chance of achieving business goals.”

SOURCE: http://www.biakelsey.com/Research-and-Forecasts/LocalMediaForecastFull.asp

RTB unlocking real returns

Real-Time Bidding (RTB) is gaining traction as a smarter, more efficient way of buying and selling mobile inventory. No wonder since it goes a long way toward giving publishers greater control over their inventory, enabling them to generate the best return as many bidders compete for every ad request. The Global AdMetrics Q3 2012 report released by mobile advertising buying platform Adfonic,  suggests RTB could indeed be the key to unlocking digital advertising, especially in the mobile space. The new report reveals a 36 percent growth in ad requests processed through RTB, compared with 26 percent growth the previous quarter.

• In Q3, Real-time Bidding (RTB) inventory achieved higher CTRs across all publication channels. In particular, RTB generated CTRs of 127 percent above average for the Social Networking channel. RTB-enabled inventory also achieved higher eCPMs across all publication channels, with the Social Networking channel exhibiting eCPMs of 663 percent above average.

• North America saw a sharp increase from Q2 in ad requests from Social Networking publications, and from News, Sport & Information publications. Europe also saw a rise in ad requests from News, Sport & Information, but a fall in requests from Entertainment publications.

SOURCE: http://blog.adfonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Q3_admetrics_final.pdf

(Editor’s note: This 38-page report is chock full of data, and Sophie will have more from Adfonic — including an exclusive look at Black Friday stats — next week.)

Editor’s note:

This regular feature, which highlights the key takeaways from mobile reports and insights important to running your business, is curated by Sophie Young , a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her new Galaxy Note. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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• The Everything Guide To Mobile Apps For Developers, Businesses & Brands

• Television doesn’t command the world of multi-screen viewing. The majority (77 percent) of viewers watch live images or VoD on another device — 49 percent on a laptop/desktop and 39 percent on a smartphone.

• Multi-screen viewing is classed into two categories: sequential screening, which is when we move from one device to another to complete a single goal; and simultaneous screening, which is when we use multiple devices at the same time.

•SOURCE: http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/multiscreenworld_final.pdf

Brands need to get engagement right

It’s not surprising that many brands reach out to engage with college and university students. But it’s frightening how some companies can get it so wrong. As we enter into the multiscreen era, more and more companies are crafting approaches to get mileage out of marketing to mobile, tablets and laptops. But brands need to ask themselves: which platforms really work. Barnes & Noble College Marketing (BNCM), a division of Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, has some answers in its 2012 College Marketing Report. The report, which delves into students’ media habits, social and digital behavior, and marketing preference, found that college students still consider TV ads the most effective form of advertising. Moreover, they prefer to receive emails over texts from marketers; their engagement with brands on Facebook tops all other social networks; and most are very open to direct brand engagement.

•  Since this demographic lives on their mobile phone, you would expect that communications should be text based. Surprisingly, 61 percent said a text message campaign is a NOT good way for a brand to connect with them. In other words, this method of marketing wasn’t good for engagement and it didn’t make them want to buy the product.

• On the other hand, 58 percent of students said that they viewed the majority of their emails on their laptop/desktops and engaged more with this marketing that on mobile devices.

• SOURCE: www.bncollegemarketing.com

Find your gateway

This is the summer of the multiscreen. The Olympic Games in London drove home the point that users tweet and watch the TV at the same time. This new multiscreen communications behavior is even becoming the norm for viewers, according to AdWeek. It draws from data to tell us that:

• Multiscreening is about how we like to combine our devices. 81 percent of viewers said that they prefer to use their TV and their smartphone, while 66 percent said they go with smartphone-computer or TV-computer pairings.

• Even though TVs may be little more than background noise, they can still spur spontaneous action. When users conducted a search on their computers, 10 percent said it was prompted by seeing something on TV. That number rose to 22 percent for searches conducted on smartphones.

• SOURCE: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/tv-smartphone-combo-dominates-multiscreen-consumption-143173

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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Yes – it is! A survey looking at our mobile communications and social networking behavior —conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Tyntec, a global mobile interaction specialist  — shows that the vast majority of young adults would happily live without basic necessities than give up their texting habits.

• 71 percent said they would be willing to give up alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, exercise or even a toothbrush for a week

• Millennials have not only made texting part of their daily routine. They also leading the pack in interest to adopt new cloud-based models for texting to their social networks. Specifically, all age groups responded that they were “interested” or “maybe interested” in being able to receive text messages if they were integrated with their social networks. Overall, 40 percent reported having little or no knowledge of group messaging services like WhatsApp and Pinger.

• SOURCE: http://www.tyntec.com/news/press-releases/press-release/article/survey-finds-millennials-driving-demand-for-emerging-cloud-based-mobile-services-329//archive/2012/june/07.html

Canada warms to mobile loyalty programs

Mobile marketing is sharpening its focus on activities and interactions further down the purchase funnel, with mobile loyalty topping the list. This is what Aimia, a loyalty management company, found when it conducted research into precisely how customers engage with marketing.

• Over three-quarters (78 percent) of Canadian Millennials surveyed said they were more likely to choose a brand that offered a loyalty or rewards program than one that didn’t.

• Millennials also sought out their social networks for opinions and ideas (34 percent) and used their mobile phones to research a product (52 percent) before purchasing — results that tell companies they need to monitor their branding (and the conversations) online to be successful.

• SOURCE:  http://www.aimia.com/English/Media-Center/News-Releases/News-Release-Details/2012/Canadian-Millennial-Generation-Redefining-Customer-Loyalty—Millennials-willing-to-engage-with-marketers-but-want-to-know-wh/default.aspx

Bots follow brands on Twitter

Reuters brings us the details of a new study focused primarily on Italy and Italian brands revealing that many brand followers brands are bots, not people. The study, undertaken by Marc Camisani Calzolari, a communication and digital language professor based in Milan, analyzed the Twitter feeds of big brands like, Vodafone, Coca Cola, Dell and IKEA and found that they have fake followers. It’s a conclusion that leads Calzolari to urge companies to think over how they conduct and measure social media activities. “The number of followers is no longer a valid indicator of the popularity of a Twitter user, and can no longer by analysed separately from qualitative information,” Calzolari said in an interview.

• 39 percent of @VodafoneIT followers are probably bots

• Calzolari believes that companies and brands can’t be blamed for their “fake followers” because they result when companies delegate their PR and Social Media campaigns to third parties.

• SOURCE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/08/twitter-companies-idUSL5E8H86VM20120608

Internet of Things

Everything that can be connected will be. And out of this interconnectedness will flow solutions for global problems such as energy, transport and healthcare. It is a wonderful vision made possible by Smart Systems and The Internet of Things.

Interestingly, a new and detailed report by Harbor Research provides us insights into what will have to be done to there from here.

• Open IP-Based Connectivity needs to be implemented. Instead of having multiple standards and the underlying model of the Web needs to be more flexible, especially when dealing with real-time and event driven data.

• Phones need to rely on automated development of software or risk constraining the growth of the market.

• SOURCE: http://harborresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HRI-2012-Forecast-Report_Brochure_v.8K.pdf?utm_source=wysija&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ForecastAnnouncement_5.12

Yahoo mobile search stats

We are doing more with our mobile devices, a rise in activity that naturally plays in favor of mobile search. Yahoo has also released some stats that confirm a significant rise in mobile search activity (even thought the search engine itself is seeing some decline in market share).

• Yahoo estimates 20 percent of its search traffic will come from mobile devices before the end of 2012. The rate of growth will continue to outpace the same on the desktop

• The announcement coincides with the company’s launch of its new smartphone and tablet browser, Axis, which also has a desktop plug-in.

• SOURCE: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/175907/yahoo-gains-in-mobile-works-through-challenges.html

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

• The launch of Windows 8 and Blackberry 10 will see Microsoft and RIM seeking to take advantage of the shift, by enabling developers to easily create products across tablet and smartphone devices.

• However, developers that primarily support tablets have increased to 36 percent to 13 percent from last year, indicating that developers now feel this market offers more of an upside than smartphone development.

• SOURCE: http://www.mobilebusinessbriefing.com/articles/survey-tablets-the-future-for-developers/24131

Ever find yourself lost and desperately needing a coffee? According to Street Fight, local search and discovery is quickly becoming one of the most routine and ubiquitous activities for the local consumer.  The Consumer Insights Report shows that consumers are turning to their mobile devices to help them source venues such as restaurants, coffee shops, live concert performances and much more.

• 30 percent of those surveyed said they used their mobile devices on a daily basis to source local amenities.

• The study also found that consumers identify “local venues” differently. For example, 55 percent of recipients would only travel ten minutes to a grocery store, but 60 percent would travel 20 minutes for a live performance. In light of this, Street Fight believes that the notion of a trade catchment area will soon be forgotten by consumers.

• SOURCE: http://streetfightmag.com/2012/06/05/street-fight-study-33-search-daily-for-local-businesses-via-mobile/

Companies of all sizes seem to be expanding their allocated budgets for mobile marketing, but not all are developing the comprehensive mobile strategies they need to wring the most value out of the money they invest in mobile. This is the key finding of a survey conducted StrongMail, a provider of digital solutions. The survey showed that this practice is holding businesses back from embracing and making the most of mobile marketing.

• Mobile websites (70 percent), mobile applications (55 percent) and QR codes (49 percent) are the most popular forms of mobile marketing, but are only being used by half of marketers.

• Companies also cited that a lack of resources (22 percent of those surveyed) was another main constraint when launching their mobile programs.

• SOURCE: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/mobile-marketing-budgets-grow-but-not-their-strategies-23225/

As we’re slowly becoming a cashless society, consumers are turning to alternative providers to make financial transactions.  Interestingly, four out of five people would prefer to use PayPal than big organisations like Apple and Google for money wallet transactions, according to the Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group.

• The online survey of 605 consumers found that 48 percent of respondents are interested in a mobile wallet. These consumers were described as young and affluent and fell into two categories; payment optimisers or techno shoppers.

• Currently 76 percent of the consumers are currently using or intend to use mobile banking and within five years will integrate their financial transactions using mobile wallets.

• SOURCE: http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2012/06/05/consumers-prefer-paypal-over-google-apple-for-mobile-wallet

Following the successful adoption of customer-focused mobile applications, companies are increasingly deploying mobile apps to connect to partners and employees.  However, Research2Guidance find that only 14 percent of the 200,000 enterprise mobile application available addresses core enterprise needs.

• The “off-the-shelf” enterprise mobile apps can be primarily found within Business, Communications/Social Networking, Finance, News & Magazines, Productivity and Tools/Utilities categories.

• Companies looking to source enterprise-relevant apps from public app stores will find the task of identifying high value apps extremely time consuming due to broad the range of functionality.

• SOURCE: http://www.research2guidance.com/enterprise-mobile-apps-200.000-in-stores-but-only-14-address-core-enterprise-needs/

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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• By the end of 2012, smartphones will account for 33 percent of all active mobile devices throughout the Asia10 countries.
• This is also a boost to brands because it allows them to develop and deliver rich media campaigns, a shift the report says will drive mobile advertising spend from US$3.12 billion across the Asia10 region to US$3.94 billion in 2013 and also improve the click-through rate on mobile display campaigns.
• SOURCE: http://www.adsmobi.com/whitepaper

Apps are a global phenomenon. But how does usage differ from country to country? An infographic by Inneractive gives us insights and highlights the top app categories (across the top 3 countries based on ad requests across the Inneractive mobile advertising exchange).

• When it comes to News the U.S. (10.72 percent), Russia (8.70 percent) and Germany (5.48 percent) are the top three countries in the world reaching to mobile apps to keep up-to-date.
• Brain and Puzzle games are a hit with users in the U.K., where 12.02 percent preferring this type of casual gaming app.
• SOURCE: http://inner-active.com/infographic/May.html

Mobile security is a key factor in effective natural disaster planning according to a new report from AT&T. AT&T has conducted the study for more than 10 years, surveying IT executives from companies in the U.S. with at least $25 million in annual revenue to measure the national pulse on business continuity planning. The findings confirm that mobile technology and cloud computing have helped businesses augment their disaster recovery plans.

• Interestingly, 60 percent of organizations invest in mobile security services. The majority of respondents identify potential security breaches as their most pressing concern.
• Businesses are also preparing for the possibility of a virtual event such as a potential security breach, with 67 percent of respondents indicating their business continuity plans include such a scenario.
• SOURCE: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Mobile-Security-Services-Cloud-Key-to-Disaster-Planning-ATandT-441198/#user_comments

Tablets are not only transforming mobile advertising. They are also driving the uptake of  mobile video consumption. A new study from mobile ad agency Rhythm NewMedia shows consumers are tuning into their tablets to watch mobile videos. Rhythm releases metrics every quarter based on ads served across iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and other devices in the U.S. market. The data points cover ad campaigns from over 140 top brands in Q1 2012.

• 50 to 175 percent more videos were viewed on tablet apps vs. smartphone apps on a per user basis.
• Mobile in-stream videos, which run as either a commercial break or before a video plays, generate an 89 percent completion rate. Additionally, combining video with a full page ad raised engagement by 15 percent; combining video with a tablet banner ad lifts engagement by 41 percent.
• SOURCE: http://rhythmnewmedia.com/mobile-reports/

Research firm eMarketer does the math to provide us a deeper view into the Mexican mobile market.

• According to data from Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL), there were 94.6 million mobile connections in Mexico in Q4 2011. eMarketer estimates that mobile connections in Mexico will reach 98 million in 2012, making it the second-largest market in Latin America.
• Wi-Fi hotspot usage in urban areas is driving smartphone uptake and mobile internet traffic in the country, but not necessarily mobile broadband adoption.
• SOURCE: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009075&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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• 58 percent of secondary actions post-search click led to calls, ahead of maps and directions (36 percent).
• Overall, the secondary action rate stood at a healthy 36 percent, with the click-through rate on search campaigns reaching just over 8 percent.
• SOURCE: http://www.xad.com/about/news/xad-report-reveals-significant-increases-in-performance-across-its-network-in-q1-2012

Nielson has release a report that details how U.S. smartphone owners using their devices while shopping in-store, revealing that barcode scanning activities differ significantly depending on the type of store.

• 57 percent have scanned a QR code for product details while in an electronics store, compared to 36 percent who have done so in a department store.
• At the other end of the spectrum, 5 percent of consumers have scanned QR codes in a furniture store, and only 2 percent in a dollar store.
• SOURCE: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/for-u-s-consumers-different-stores-mean-different-smartphone-shopping-behavior/

A new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau underlines the strong use of mobile by consumers while they are inside a retail store.

• Ironically, it is also the mobile phone that might be hindering mobile commerce. The report reveals just over half (53 percent) of users have stopped an in-store purchase due to precisely this reason.
• Joe Lazlo, senior director of the Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence at the IAB, New York commented: “Since we all love to make the best use of our time and money, these kinds of behaviors are likely to spread and become mainstream really quickly. Fighting this trend is certainly going to be a losing strategy, so I predict that savvy marketers will learn to live with, and even court, these newly empowered consumers, who can and do leave a store if they discover a better deal somewhere else.”
• SOURCE: http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2012/05/17/53pc-of-mobile-users-stop-an-in-store-purchase-because-of-their-phone

Mobile data volume continues to grow from strength to strength, according to a recent report from Chetan Sharma summarizing developments in the U.S. wireless market 1Q2012. In fact, smartphone data consumption at some operators in the U.S. is averaging close to 800 MB/mo.

• Data now accounts for over 85 percent of the total mobile traffic in the U.S. As new devices and new network technology roll-outs continue in 2012, the data traffic is forecast to grow at its present pace.
• However, signaling traffic is growing at even a faster rate — 3x as much in some cases.
• SOURCE http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/chetansharma/us-wireless-marketq12012updatemay2012chetansharmaconsulting/32

Twice a year Mogreet brings us its view of rich media trends and the uptake of mobile video. The new edition of the company’s Mobile Marketing Analytics Report shows particularly strong growth in mobile video views by Samsung users.

• Apple iPhone continues to lead mobile video messaging usage, increasing from 7.4 percent to 23.6 percent since August 2011.
• Samsung devices is quickly gaining ground, increasing from 2.9 percent to 21.9 percent over the same period.
• SOURCE: http://blog.mogreet.com/

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

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• By 2013, there will be more than 1 billion HTML5-capable browsers in use throughout the world, and applications for these browsers will be created by 2 million HTML Web developers.
• Over 80 percent of all mobile apps will be wholly or in part based upon HTML5 by 2015.

• SOURCE: http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23480612

Mobile Moms are new force

The excitement may be about catering to Millennials, but the real opportunity may be in serving Mobile Moms.Meredith Mediaroom has released a study showing just how connected moms really are, and suggests that businesses cater to this customer segment on mobile first.

• 21 percent of mums born between 1977 and 1994 use their smartphones in the bathroom and 12 percent use them during sex
• Shopping ranks as the number one way most moms (81 percent) use their smartphones.
• SOURCE: http://meredith.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=2311&item=128215

More tune into mobile TV

According to a new study from Juniper Research, consumers are swapping out their television sets for mobile devices, with streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix becoming more popular compared to live, on-air content that is broadcast to mobile devices.

• Almost ten percent of mobile TV revenue will come from tablets by 2016.
• Additionally, subscription-based models will make up the lion’s share of mobile TV revenue.
• SOURCE: http://www.juniperresearch.com/reports/mobile_tv

Chinese app use

A new survey of mobile users in China conducted by Guohe  reveals who is buying mobile apps, user preferences for iOS or Android, and user tolerance for ads appearing in their apps. Among the results:

• 54 percent of users interviewed had Android phones, and 39 percent had jailbroken iPhones.
• Users were most accepting of ads within news apps and were least tolerant of them in apps such as photography, graphics, or even location and map apps.  iPhone users also had more apps than Android users.
• SOURCE: http://www.intomobile.com/2012/05/11/smartphone-users-china-iphone-vs-android-infographic/

Tablet traffic

A report by Adobe highlights deep dives into the differences between how we use smartphones and tablets.

• From 2010 through to 2011 there were 5.3 times more smartphones shipped across North America and Western Europe compared to tablets.
• By the end of Q1 2012 smartphones accounted for 6.1 percent of site visits compared to 4.3 percent on tablets. However, smartphones only maintain a greater share of website visits due to the lower penetration rate of tablets.
• SOURCE: http://success.adobe.com/en/na/programs/digital-index/1205_13926_di_report_rise_of_tablets.html

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

Related articles

• Juniper Research: Mobile TV viewing on tablets to reach 3 hours per month by 2014 (intomobile.com)
• Tips for making money on mobile apps in China (gigaom.com)
• Infographic: iOS and Android smartphone use in China (mobile-ent.biz)

• Total global mobile revenues are forecast to hit $1.5 trillion in 2012, which is equal to over 2 percent of global GDP.
• The report also found that 2012 will be the first year that non-messaging data revenues make up the majority of the overall global data revenue (53 percent). SOURCE: http://www.chetansharma.com/GlobalMobileMarketUpdate2012.htm

Chetan Sharma also does the math to show penetration of mobile phones is greater than any other technology, and more accessible than safe drinking water and electricity.

• In fact, mobile devices are now “exceeding traditional computers in unit sales and revenue.” In the U.S., for example, 70 percent of device sales are now smartphones. Overall, Samsung and Apple now account for half of the smartphone unit share and 90 percent of the profit share.
• Upgrades and new devices are most likely to trigger consumers to start shopping. Almost half (48 percent) of consumers purchased their phone because they were eligible for an upgrade while 31 percent purchased because they wanted the latest and greatest device.
• SOURCE: http://www.chetansharma.com/GlobalMobileMarketUpdate2012.htm

Android has a serious monetization problem according to a new report from Flurry.

• The eye-opener: For every dollar of iOS revenue, developers only get 24 cents from Android.
• Flurry hints lack of a seamless payment system is to blame. Google Wallet, a new mobile payments system, was supposed to help solve this problem — but doesn’t. Peter Farago, VP of Marketing at Flurry explains: ”Google Wallet has limited penetration; there is commerce friction. Compare this to other platforms. With iOS, you can link your phone to your iTunes account and download an app with one click.”
• SOURCE: http://blog.flurry.com/bid/79061/App-Developers-Bet-on-iOS-over-Android-this-Holiday-Season

Where is the real opportunity? App analytics company Flurry reports that video and photo apps are setting new growth records.

• In fact, photo and video was the biggest growing app category outside games between October 2011 and March this year.
• In terms of minutes spent per active user, the category increased by 89 percent, followed by music at 72 percent.
• SOURCE: http://blog.flurry.com/bid/84831/Mobile-App-Growth-Led-by-Video-Sharing-YouTube-in-the-Crosshairs

And finally — another survey report that confirms mobile marketing goes a long way toward increasing revenue in the retailing sector.  According to ABI Research’s Technology Barometer:

• 45 percent of smartphone users with a retailer-branded app visit the retailer’s store more often.
• But only 25 percent of the respondents had downloaded a retailer-branded app.
• SOURCE: http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1011962

Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).

Related articles

• M-Pulse: Chetan Sharma Talks Mobile Commerce, Payments & 2012 Mobile Predictions Survey Results(mobilegroove.com)

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• Mobile data is growing, but voice & sms slowing (gigaom.com)

• The straw poll of 100 attendees at the show conducted by affilinet found that 65 percent of respondents felt mobile, online and offline would play a major role in their marketing outreach.
• However, many respondents have not yet taken the critical first step. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they have yet to optimize their website for mobile browsing.
• SOURCE: http://www.gomonews.com/internet-world-attendees-survey-show-ambiguous-attitude-towards-mobile/

Research firm eMarketer estimates nearly 116 million Americans will use a smartphone at least monthly by the end of this year, up from 93.1 million in 2011

• By 2013, this new smartphone class will represent over half of all mobile phone users, and by 2016, nearly three in five consumers will have a Smartphone. The smartphone class is not defined by age, gender, income or race. Instead it is defined by its members’ shared behaviors. Understanding the common behavioral traits that unite the class makes members easy to recognize and underscores the influence this class of consumers is having on how Americans communicate, consume media and shop.

• The full report, “The Smartphone Class: Connected Consumers Transform US Commerce and Culture,” also answers these key questions:
• Who is part of the smartphone class?
• What insights do their behaviors provide? — and
• What marketing opportunities exist around this class of consumers?
• SOURCE: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009014&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4

Motorola Solutions has recently produced a survey identifying the future trends for the retail sector.

• 66 percent of retail respondents are interested in mobile Point-Of-Sale (POS), while 42 percent are currently piloting or starting trails within the next 36 months.
• Many retailers such as Bass Pro, Sephora and Eastern Mountain Sports have already turned to mobile POS, with a view to improving the quality of customer service and increase consumer loyalty.
• SOURCE:  http://asterisk.tmcnet.com/news/2012/04/30/6282548.htm

Independent mobile advertising network InMobi  has released its Quarterly Mobile Insights Report: UK Edition, which covers the period from January to March 2012. Among the findings:

• Mobile impressions on its U.K. network increased to 9.5 billion per quarter in 90 days.
• The top three handsets in Q1 2012 were Apple devices, which made up almost half (46 percent) of total handset impressions.
• SOURCE: www.inmobi.com/research

BuzzCity has also issued its latest quarterly report on the current trends it sees across its ad network. Specifically, it documents the global growth and adoption of smartphones.

• Countries where mobile smartphone adoption is on an upward curve include the U.K., South Africa and Nigeria.
• In total smartphones now account for more than 32 percent of all the phones models that that ads are served to across the BuzzCity mobile ad network
• SOURCE: http://www.buzzcity.com/l/reports/The-BuzzCity-Report-Vol-2-Issue-2.pdf

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Editor’s note:

MobileGroove has partnered with éclat Marketing — a company that has consistently delivered breakthrough PR campaigns based on a deep understanding of developments impacting mobile, technology, and our society at all levels — to bring you Mobile Data Points. This regular feature, which will highlight the mobile reports and insights you need to know to plan and run your business, is curated by Sophie Young, a member of the éclat team who has a passion for mobile trends, apps and her BlackBerry. If you have a report or survey you think should be included in this regular roundup, then reach out to Sophie directly via email sophie@eclat.co.uk or Twitter (@PheeYoung).