More Than Half of U.S. Consumers Plan to Use Their Mobile Phone for Holiday Shopping

NEW YORK, LONDON, SINGAPORE and SAO PAULO, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) and its official research partner, Luth Research (www.luthresearch.com), today released the October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing, MMA's monthly survey of U.S. adult mobile phone users (mobile consumers) about their mobile marketing behaviors and opinions. Available exclusively to MMA members, the new survey found that 59 percent of mobile consumers plan to use their mobile phone for holiday shopping and planning holiday celebrations, not including making phone calls. Nearly 25 percent of all mobile consumers said they were using their mobile phone more for holiday shopping and celebrating this holiday season, compared with the 2009 season.

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Based on Luth Research's online panel, SurveySavvy™, each MMA U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing collects answers from a demographically representative sample of more than 1,000 U.S. adult consumers. Conducted October 15-21, the survey asked mobile phone users the following questions about their usage of their mobile phone regarding their upcoming holiday shopping and planning of holiday celebrations, including:

• How much they expect to use their mobile phone for holiday shopping and organizing
• How they anticipate using their mobile phone for holiday shopping or for planning celebrations
• The types of holiday gifts that they believe their mobile phone would be helpful shopping for
• Where they find ideas and information for holiday gifts
• How much they expect to spend this holiday season compared to 2009

The new survey identifies ways that brands and marketers should respond to trends among the 59% of mobile consumers intending to use their mobile phones for holiday shopping and celebration planning, aka "mobile holiday shoppers". This holiday season, for example, 64 percent of mobile holiday shoppers expect to use their mobile phone before going to a store, and 12 percent anticipate using their device to respond to a TV, billboard or newspaper ad.

The survey's other key findings include:

• Asians, Hispanics and adults ages 25-34 are the demographic groups most likely to use their phone to a great extent for holiday shopping and celebration planning.
• Thirteen percent of mobile holiday shoppers expect to use their phone to purchase or pay for gifts (13%).
• Searching for locations where a gift is sold, and comparing prices, are the two most common holiday-related tasks that mobile holiday shoppers anticipate using their mobile phone for.
• Movies, music, consumer electronics and books are the top gift types that mobile holiday shoppers thought would be helpful to shop for using a mobile phone.
• Among mobile holiday shoppers, Hispanics and Asians were more likely to think that toys or games would be helpful to shop for with a mobile phone.

"U.S. consumers increasingly view their mobile phone as their go-to device for shopping and managing their lives, and this survey shows how that trend will play out this holiday season," said Peter A. Johnson, vice president of market intelligence, MMA, and author of the study. "Marketers, brands and merchants that ignore or underestimate this trend risk missing out on a powerful new opportunity for reaching and serving virtually every demographic group. The good news is that the October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing provides a wealth of insights that they can apply when developing and executing their 2010 holiday strategies."

"Holiday shoppers are always in a time crunch, and in this economy, they're in a budget crunch, too," said Jacqueline Rosales, EVP, Business Development & Client Service, Luth Research. "Both of these factors have them relying on their mobile phone more than ever as a tool for finding bargains, the right gift and the quickest way to get to a particular merchant. This dependence makes the mobile channel a highly effective way for brands, marketers and merchants to reach consumers this holiday shopping season, including by mobile-enabling campaigns that involve traditional media."

Available exclusively to MMA members, each MMA Consumer Briefing includes a 2- to 3-page executive summary, all survey questions and up to 50 tables of detailed results. Survey responses are provided both in aggregate and in cross-tabulation by standard audience demographics, such as age, gender and income, as well as wireless carrier and handset manufacturer.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance.  The MMA's primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix.   The MMA works to promote, educate measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide.  The MMA's global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

SOURCE Mobile Marketing Association