Brands "hold the key" to mobile success

A new report into the potential value of mobile media has concluded that brands can play a key role in ensuring the commercial success of the medium.

Thursday, 21 January 2010

The UK-wide study into mobile habits carried out by Essential Research showed that consumers were keen to engage with brands through mobile social platforms.

"There is a genuine interest from consumers to engage with brands that they already connect with and use their mobiles as an extension to their everyday lives," said Alex Charlton, partner at Essential Research.

The report showed that consumers deemed well known brands the most appropriate to provide services for mobile internet spheres with 30% saying that they would like their favourite supermarket to offer grocery related services and 29% claiming that they are interested in their banks or building societies providing financial related services.

Social media was seen to be a key driver of growith with almost as many daily mobile internet users (70%) using social media services including social networks, instant messenger, blogs and forums on their phones as they do on their computer (79%). In some cases mobile applications for services like Facebook and Twitter are replacing computer access.

Despite these positive findings, the report also focused on the key factors holding back internet adoption and concluded that there is still a lot of work to be done to educate consumers about the medium.

“There is a role for all of us to play in making the mobile internet a more attractive proposition to the mass market and the opportunity is massive," said Charlton. "Our research highlights the task at hand to commercialise and monetise the mass mobile market...Brands hold the key.”

Related stories:

• Mobile to be fastest growing medium

• The IAB's guide to mobile applications