With the U.S. Presidential Election Looming, New Study Shows How Consumers Use Their Mobile Devices to Access Political News and Content

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Nov 1, 2012) -  A new survey of likely voters showed that the vast majority of them have accessed and shared political information on their mobile devices. The survey conducted by researchers at Quinnipiac University in partnership with AdTheorent, the creator and operator of the world's first Intelligent Real Time Bidding (RTB)-enabled mobile ad network, revealed:

• While 8 out of ten people get some of their political information from their mobile devices, respondents who identify with the major political parties demonstrate disparate levels of mobile engagement. Among 923 likely voters, the study found that Democrats are three-times more likely (51%) than Republicans to use their mobile devices to obtain political news and information.
  
  
• Furthermore, respondents who reported to be Independents were twice as likely (30%) than Republicans to obtain political information from mobile devices. The remaining respondents did not identify a political affiliation.
  
  
• Political ads to mobile devices drove an unprecedented click-through rate (22%) compared to the click-through rate for general advertising to mobile devices (1%).
  
  
• The study also revealed that 46% of those surveyed actually recalled viewing a political advertisement compared to a 21% recall rate for general advertising on mobile devices, suggesting a heightened level of user engagement with the content.
  
  
• Forty-five percent of respondents prefer to receive mobile political advertisements tailored towards their interests, as opposed to generic political advertisements. By contrast, 38% of those surveyed disapproved of targeted political communications.
  
  

"Mobile computing, smartphones and tablet devices are having a profound impact on how people access news and information that affects their lives -- weather, local news, political news, entertainment, etc.," said Dr. Anthony Asare, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Advertising, Quinnipiac University. "With 81% of respondents using their mobile device to access political news, we now have data that backs up what we suspected -- people are increasingly using mobile devices to access political news and content."

"The Quinnipiac-AdTheorent political study may be a useful data point for brand marketers: make mobile ads relevant and timely to your audience. The mobile medium allows brands to communicate with consumers on a very personal level, and when they do that, consumers will engage," said Mark Severini, CMO, AdTheorent.

The full study is available online at http://www.adtheorent.com/mobile-politics-survey-2012.php

About ADTHEORENT
ADTHEORENT is the world's first truly intelligent Real Time Bidding (RTB) enabled mobile ad network, powered by a platform built from the ground up to address the specific needs of the mobile advertising ecosystem. ADTHEORENT's mobile platform analyzes extensive publisher and consumer data to deliver the most effective mobile impressions for marketers and advertisers. For more information visit: www.adtheorent.com