In the early years of the mobile internet, it was difficult to find premium mobile content without paying for it. As the mobile web technology has matured, however, branding advertisers have shown an increasing interest to the medium. And, according to a new TNS Media and Entertainment study, also users are now more willing to load advertisements in turn for free content.
Involving over 6,000 interviews in the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Germany, the Going Mobile study found that 76% of all consumers in the U.S. and Western Europe have access to the Web on their mobile device, and one-third (32%) use it. One-third (34%) of mobile Web users internationally say they will watch advertisements in exchange for free mobile content. The appreciation of ads runs highest in Europe, with 37% willing to watch ads.
Going Mobile also found that PC Internet brands are the leading source for mobile Web users internationally. Across all content categories, more than 50% of mobile Web consumers use the same brands they use on their PC. Leading the way are consumers who read technology news on the mobile Web: 73% rely on PC Internet brands. Mobile Web users that access stock quotes (69%), business news (66%) and health news (65%) also rely heavily on PC Internet brands.
The mobile Web is particularly important to consumers of popular content verticals: 53% of all online weather consumers leverage their mobile access to get weather information, followed by 49% of online sports information consumers, 36% of online local/national news consumers, and 35% of online stock quote consumers.
More than one-in-ten mobile Internet users have paid for content across categories. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of Americans have paid for tech news, followed by lifestyles content (21%) and product information (20%). Additionally, mobile Web users are actively registering and personalizing content across categories. For instance, of those mobile Web users who access stock quotes, 66% register and 61% personalize the content, according to the Going Mobile study.
|