SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 17, 2011) - JiWire, the leading location-based mobile media company reaching the on-the-go audience, today announced its latest Mobile Audience Insights Report, which examines location-based and proximity marketing trends, mobile shopping behaviors, connected device adoption and public Wi-Fi trends. In the latest report, 53 percent of the on-the-go U.S. audience revealed they are willing to share their location to receive more relevant content. Mobile consumers under the age of 34 are more eager to share, with 60 percent offering their location for better information. The U.K. trends even higher, with 69 percent willing to share location information.
As people become increasingly mobile, they are looking for more relevant content and deals at their fingertips. In fact, 52 percent expect to use their mobile device more for holiday shopping this season, compared to last year. Below are some of the key findings in this report:
- 31 percent said the ability to compare prices is the most valuable aspect of mobile for shopping.
- When it comes to proximity, 29 percent want sales and promotions within one mile of a store, while 24 percent want promotions within 10 miles of the store.
- 38 percent prefer to receive local deals over email; 78 percent spend less than $50 on local deals.
- The average mobile consumer now owns 2.4 connected devices.
Proximity Marketing Trends
Sales and promotions are the most popular types of information that mobile consumers are looking for when engaging with location-based services. The study examined how consumers rated various services when one mile and 10 miles from a location. Sales and promotions took the top position at both distances in the U.S. However, product availability and directions are of more interest at the 10 mile range, indicating consumer preferences for certain information begin to change with distance. Customer reviews were the location-based information most sought after in the U.K., regardless of distance. The data shows that proximity becomes a key factor for brands to consider when leveraging location-based advertising.
Holidays Will Drive Mobile Shopping
Looking ahead to the U.S. shopping season, the report shows that 52 percent of the on-the-go audience is planning to use their mobile device more this holiday season. While mobile users are increasingly comfortable using their mobile devices for shopping transactions, more than half plan to compare prices and research or read reviews on products before purchasing.
"The mobile revolution continues to evolve and we are seeing much higher adoption of mobile devices, services and offerings than ever before," said David Staas, senior vice president of marketing at JiWire. "Location is clearly a key driver of mobile commerce, whether it's for finding local deals or engaging with major brands through location media. The early data suggest that this will be a major trend this coming holiday season."
Local Deals Gain Momentum
Local deals are increasingly an integral part of the mobile shopping experience, with 92 percent purchasing at least one deal per month. The growth in local deals is also being driven by sharing. Seventy five percent of the on-the-go audience is sharing deals regularly, up 21 percent from last quarter. The most popular way to share is through email, word of mouth and Facebook. On average consumers are spending less than $50 on local deals, though overall men are more willing to spend more than women.
Mobile Device Trends and Adoption
Tablets continue to gain momentum with 32 percent already owning a tablet device in the U.S. This is even higher in the U.K. with 75 percent of respondents either already owning or planning to purchase a tablet. More than half of the on-the-go audience in the U.K prefers the iOS platform.
Compared with other devices, the iPad saw the most growth this quarter to gain 20.9 percent of the mobile device landscape and overtake the iPod touch. While there was a dip in iOS marketshare, Windows has surged ahead with its Windows Mobile 7, taking the fourth spot in the top 10 devices and gaining 3.7 percent marketshare. In the U.K., iOS continues to decline for the second consecutive quarter while Android and Windows gain 1.5 and 2.2 percent respectively.
About JiWire's Mobile Audience Insights Report
JiWire's Mobile Audience Insights Report is based on data from approximately 450,000 public Wi-Fi locations, as well as surveying more than 2,800 U.S customers and more than 2,000 U.K. customers randomly selected across JiWire's Wi-Fi Media Channel from April 2011 to June 2011. JiWire serves advertisements to over 30,000 public Wi-Fi locations in North America and we record data from every ad request. This report is based on the ad request data we collected from April to June 2011. Quarterly public Wi-Fi location rankings and business model distributions are based on the final day of the quarter.
About JiWire
JiWire is the leader in connecting advertisers to today's on-the-go audience, using the world's largest location-based interactive media channel. JiWire's platform enables advertisers to identify and deliver ads to audience segments based on a person's physical location while taking the venue type and brand into account. JiWire also allows device manufacturers and wireless broadband network hosts to leverage advertising as a currency for wireless Internet access. With a goal of engaging users however they connect to the Internet while on the go, JiWire provides a cross-channel solution that extends location-based targeting to multiple devices, from laptops to smartphones, across content channels from Wi-Fi to the Internet to mobile. In the U.K., JiWire has partnered with British Telecom to extend its media channel to more than 4,000 locations. For more information, please visit www.JiWire.com or call (415) 877-4711.
