If you have ever received an advertisement on your mobile phone, then mobile marketing has already touched you. The potential for this new marketing channel is enormous — the rapid spread of the mobile phone in the last 10 years is proof of that. The market penetration of the mobile phone is particularly strong in Asia. As Asian consumers rapidly gain clout, starting the marketing conversation and keeping it going is priority one.

 

But what are the attitudes and usage patterns of Asia’s mobile users? In 2005, Synovate conducted research to find out what the mobile generation thinks about their lives, marketing, brands, and most importantly, their mobile phone. What they found should be enlightening for Asia’s brand managers and marketers 
in 2006.

NOT LEAVING HOME WITHOUT IT

 

American Express gained fame with the slogan, “don’t leave home without it”. While that may have been ringing true 20 years ago, the sentiment now applies more to mobile phones than to credit cards — or even wallets.

 

For a report titled Me, Myself and My Mobile, Synovate studied two very different markets — Korea and Australia — to gauge people’s perceptions of their mobile phones. Participants indicated that they were more likely to feel discomfort and inconvenience if they lost or forgot their mobile phone, than if they lost their wallet.

 

In both countries, mobile phone users regard their phones as extensions of their own body, and therefore subject to the rules of personal space that might govern face-to-face contact. Brand marketers are welcome for a conversation, but they had better pay close attention to the rules. “Marketers must recognise the role that mobile phones play in the lives of consumers and recognise the need for permission to engage consumers through this medium,” says Dean Harris, Managing Director of Synovate’s Sydney office.

 

According to the report, there are three key elements in how mobile consumers interact with the messages on their mobile phones. First, messages are seen as a personal form of contact and regarded as “just for me”. Second, the majority of participants felt the need to act on a message right away. Finally, mobile marketing allows consumers to interact with a marketing campaign instantly.

 

This combination of attitudes and factors means marketers are presented with a powerful tool, if the content is relevant to the consumer. This is the key element and so far it seems that marketers have failed to capitalise on this. “Marketers appear to be resorting to ‘old-world’ broadcast approaches to mobile marketing. It seems many marketers have yet to make the mental shift from mobile phones as a one-way channel to mobile phones as a device for dialogue that creates deeper, richer brand experiences,” Harris explains.

 

The Korean market is the most advanced in terms of content rich applications and 3G services. It is also the most advanced in terms of mobile marketing. However, Korean respondents indicated their irritation with unsolicited and unwanted messages — and dissatisfaction with companies that send them. This does not mean that consumers want to avoid all contact with brands and companies. In fact, Korean consumers welcome messages that are informative and useful.

 

Although less developed than the Korean telecom market, survey results from Australia indicate a similar set of attitudes. Australians do expect mobile marketing to pick up in the near future as mobile technology and services improve, but they only want to engage with brands of their choice.

BONDING WITH YOUR BRAND

 

Survey results indicate that consumers want mobile marketing to be a form of brand interaction. Discounts, coupons, information on products and savings, and downloads are all examples of mobile marketing that involve the consumer with a brand in ways that are interactive.

 

In another study conducted by Synovate with the Mobile Marketing Association, researchers found these guarded but receptive attitudes prevalent among 13 to 34 year olds in the United States. What that research also uncovered was the desire by consumers to engage in a more personal way with their favoured brands. Creating the effect of exclusivity tends to encourage opt-in behaviour by consumers and lessen the impression of spam. The US research also revealed that consumers are very receptive to mobile marketing if they can also define the frequency of the messages and the nature of the content via their mobile phones.

 

Establishing the two-way dialogue is critical. Harris points out that “mobile marketing has the potential to build better brand experiences than are available in other media. I also think it is safe to say that the more engaging experience consumers have with a brand, the greater the probability that consumers will remain loyal to the brand.”

 

If consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing are similar in Australia, Korea and the US, it’s a good bet that mobile marketing is set to become the avenue of choice for creative brand marketers across Asia.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH EVERYONE

 

Research indicates that Asia’s mobile phone users are turning to higher end features more readily than ever, indicating high acceptance of new mobile technology and potential opportunities for mobile marketing campaigns. Consider downloading.

 

Over 25% of mobile phone owners in China have downloaded items to their mobile. In Malaysia, 22% have downloaded items and in Thailand 32% have done so. Across Asia Pacific, the most popular types of downloads are ring tones, wallpaper/pictures, songs and games. Tying a marketing campaign into these areas could provide intrepid marketers with the means of getting consumers to invite a brand into his or her personal space.

 

And what are the demographics of mobile phone users that like to download? Synovate’s AsiaBus survey from July 2005 indicates a roughly 50-50 split between men and women with the exception of China, where 61 percent of downloaders are male. Not surprisingly, in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, mobile phone users that download items are young. In these countries, 40 to

 

50% are in the 20 to 29 age bracket. Another 25-30% are in the 30 to 39 bracket and between 15-20% are aged from 15 to 19. Only in Hong Kong will you find a significant number of mobile phone downloaders who are over 40.

 

The upward trend of mobile phone use is undeniable. Even more interesting is the expected prevalence of 3G technology, which “will enable far greater interactivity through mobile phones than what is available today,” according to Harris.

 

The marketing potential of the mobile phone will do more than simply provide a new medium for messages. In focus groups, Synovate found that many mobile phone users don’t even regard their phone as a medium, but as a communications tool, which yields interesting possibilities. “Media-rich viral marketing will be another opportunity,” Harris says, adding “Consumers expect to be able to receive and distribute entertaining multi-media content by mobile phone in much the same way as they do email today.”

 

The message for mobile marketers is loud and clear: don’t broadcast your message. You must engage consumers, brand to mobile.