Enpocket, the global mobile media company, and Harris Interactive(r), global market research and consulting company, have unveiled the findings from the latest Enpocket Mobile Media Monitor UK. The analysis helps marketers and the mobile industry understand the changing patterns of mobile phone and content usage.
The latest findings for Q4 2005 show that 36% of mobile owners now use their phones to send and receive picture messages, up from 21% at the same point last year. Over the past year MMS usage levels have increased dramatically in 18-34 age groups, and doubled in all age groups above 34 years old.
33% of males use their phones for this purpose but females are bigger users of MMS, with 40% using the medium to send and share pictures.
Conversely information hungry males are bigger users of the mobile internet (WAP). 38% use WAP compared to 26% of females. Overall a third of all mobile owners use the channel. In the younger age groups WAP is now mainstream with 61% of 18-24 year olds and 50% of 25-34 year olds having recently browsed the mobile internet.
“Mobile as a communications medium is getting richer and a lot more exciting. Consequently we’re seeing brands committing to long term mobile marketing strategies that encompass MMS and the mobile internet. The Enpocket Mobile Media Monitor gives clients a deep insight into the best way to touch different segments of the UK market,” said Mike Baker, President and CEO, Enpocket.
With WAP page impressions approaching 2 billion per month, according to the Mobile Data Association, the Mobile Media Monitor also unveils the most popular types of site on the mobile internet. Ringtone sites are the most popular with 48% of WAP surfers visiting one or more in the last three months. 41% visited news sites, 36% games sites, 33% sports sites, 31% entertainment sites, 28% weather sites and 6% adult sites.
About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (www.harrisinteractive.com/europe
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(r) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.
To become a member of the Harris Poll OnlineSM and be invited to participate in future online surveys, go to www.harrispollonline.com.
Methodology
The Mobile Media Monitor UK was conducted by Harris Interactive between 12 and 16 October 2005, among 1117 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain. Data were weighted to be representative of the mobile phone market with respect to age, sex, income, education, geographic location and propensity to be online.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage point. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. This includes refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. These online samples were not probability samples.
