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Global Study Looks at Consumers Appetite for Mobile Content, Usage Frequency and What They Want Next

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 12:00 CST

MIAMI, Florida, December 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today mobile phone personalization services represent an extraordinary global market phenomenon and an incredible opportunity to better understand what motives consumers to buy mobile content. For the second edition of Buongiorno Vitaminic's global research into the perception and attitudes toward mobile services, independent research surveyed in-depth more than 5,000 consumers in Europe, United States and South Africa regarding usage, attitudes and buying behaviours as it relates to using and paying for mobile services.

Extension of self: I want my mobile!

The results showed a consistent attitude worldwide that consumers, in general, are looking to obtain feelings of enrichment, personal gratification and exclusiveness. The sensations they want to obtain from mobile service offerings are comparable to how they feel when buying clothes or accessories.

In the priority list of activities for mobile phone buyers, personalizing and downloading ring tones is almost as important as entering contacts and telephone numbers. In fact, 68% of respondents said that downloading ringtones, wallpapers, sound effects and multimedia games, is their third favorite activity (tied with taking pictures)-and only surpassed by traditional uses such as voice calls (98%) and text messaging messages (98%). One unique finding is that younger users often sleep with their phones and use them as an alarm clock.

Digital services for mobiles: Recognizing the value

There is a considerable market difference between the initial research Buongiorno Vitaminic conducted in 2004 versus 2005. In 2004 mobile services were still a novelty while the past has demonstrated a market that is dynamic, broad and demand-filled.

It is no accident that resistance to subscription services has broken down in 2005. Today, mobile users are ready to trust operators if subscription terms are straightforward, reasonably priced and offer the opportunity to choose which and how many services one can download. In true American fashion, the all-you-can-eat model is proving to be the most popular way to obtain content.

Content: Who says you can't get Satisfaction?

The first item that emerges from the research is the general improvement in the satisfaction level of users. 1 mobile user out of 2 considers themselves satisfied with the services they bought, judging them to be more alluring, fashionable and closer to personal tastes than in years past. 70% of interviewees perceived the offering as more varied, interesting, of better quality and available through clearer acquisition modes.

This improved satisfaction is reflected in the increased frequency and quantity of services acquired, more than doubling in the last year. 30% of the sample declared that they download about one product every month, while 14% buy one product per week (up from 5% in 2004). In addition, the tendency to buy high-medium value services (from $7-20 U.S.) has increased since 2004.

Acquisition avenues: Web vs. WAP

The Web remains the favourite overall channel for buying added value services, followed by text messaging.

It is the way we choose to acquire digital content that differences between the U.S. and other countries emerge. Consumers in the U.S. often use WAP services to access content, finding the experience easy and convenient while in Europe most users turn to the Internet considering WAP to be an expensive and unrewarding experience.

Key Trends: The who, what and why

The trend towards higher value services is being driven by increased demand for ringtones across all age groups. Polyphonics account for 22% of preferences compared to 19% in 2004, and those based on high quality audio files (true tones), jumped from 2 to 10%.

Animated wallpapers have increased in popularity from 6% to 8%, while the rating for multimedia games remained almost the same, since it is a segment that counts on a stable demand from heavy users, with gaming skewed toward a male audience.

The segment of video-ringtones (+2%) is rapidly growing, proportional to the introduction of mobile handsets able to support this service.

Specific findings include:

- Not just for teens! U.S. market (16-34 year olds) are excited about mobile content offerings.

- Cell phones have become the new favourite way to connect via chat, texting or the impending video messaging.

- New categories of download content to emerge in 2005: video, video ringtones, tests via text messaging, chat, adult content.

- 2 out of 5 users downloaded their first piece of mobile content in the past two years.

- Budget allocated for purchasing mobile content has increased. - Frequency and quantity of purchase has almost doubled over 2004.

- Purchases are largely impulse driven with new content acquired when a change is wanted or when they see something they like.

http://www.buongiorno.com/

Buongiorno Vitaminic SpA

CONTACT: Additional information about Buongiorno Vitaminic SpA isavailable on the http://www.buongiorno.com/ website and http://www.blinko.com/ or bycontacting: Nicole Jordan, PR Manager (U.S.), Tel. +1-650-346-1103, Email:nicole.jordan@buongiorno.com

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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