New Nokia research shows consumers ready for m-marketing via mobile handsets - Market Intelligence - Brief Article

Wireless Internet, Feb, 2002

A new study undertaken by the HPI Research Group on behalf of Nokia has highlighted the potential for marketing to consumers via their mobile phone handsets - so-called "m-marketing." The study demonstrated that the core mobile phone market (aged 16-45) is not only receptive to m-marketing but, in certain situations, would actively welcome this means of learning about goods and services.

HPI interviewed over 3300 people across eleven key global markets during June 2001. The markets were Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the USA.

All respondents were asked about experiencing m-marketing in the form of a received SMS sales message. When asked about receiving an electronic coupon to be reimbursed at a nearby shop, 88 percent stated that they would be receptive to this sort of marketing. Nearly one-third (31 percent) expressed more enthusiasm by stating they would actually welcome such marketing.

The study identified four key factors as being important to consumers' acceptance:

- Choice: being able to decide whether or not to receive messages.

- Control: being able to bypass sale messages easily.

- Customization: being able to filter the types of messages received.

- Mutual Benefit: getting something back in return. A reduction in the cost of services, for example, would qualify.

A section in the study dealt with consumers who had expressed interest in mobile visual entertainment. Of these, over three-fourths (76 percent) would find it acceptable if the programs they viewed were punctuated with very short ads. In fact, just over one-half (51 percent) of these respondents said that they would not see advertising as an intrusion if it were presented to them in the same way as on television.

Beyond this, respondents were asked if receiving "some advertising" via their mobiles would be acceptable if it helped keep the cost of mobile services down. Nearly nine out of ten (86 percent) agreed with this, suggesting that in-marketing would be even more widely embraced if seen as beneficial to the end user.