U.S. College Students Turning On To Mobile Advertising, New Study Says
Not much on the methodology – so take this as you will. A survey of college students conducted by Ball State University (actually by Michael Hanley, a Ball State advertising professor and mobile marketing researcher) reports that over half (56.3 percent) of students polled said they would accept ads via text messages on their mobile phones if they were rewarded with free content. (More detail in this article.)
Among the findings:
• 37.4 percent said they would accept ads in return for a free ringtone (that’s all it would take – a good deal better than having to offer free video clips etc…)
• 21.4 percent would take the ads – but want to be rewarded with a discount or coupon to a restaurant, movie or grocery store
• 20 percent would put up with ads – but only in return for free minutes, upgrades, access to the internet or music
This data points to significant shift in user behavior – a change that Hanley says plays in favour of mobile advertising moving forward. As he puts it: “Just a couple of years ago few college students accepted ads on their mobile devices because they felt it was an invasion of their privacy. Now all you have to do is offer free ring tones, cash or access to the Internet because this age group has grown up with cell phones and other mobile devices. It is the way they communicate with each other as well as with the outside world.”
