The old saying that knowledge is power holds true for many facets in life. And as we are now learning, it is particularly important for consumers and advertisers in the world of mobile marketing.
According to a recent national survey, almost half of all US cell phone users are oblivious to whether their wireless carrier offers mobile TV and video services.
QuickPlay Media, an industry leader in mobile TV and video solutions, revealed the surprising results of their survey which had been intended to gauge consumer interest in mobile video content among US mobile phone customers between the demographic of 18 to 34.
According to the report, although the overwhelming majority of mobile carriers now provide or offer a mobile TV and video service, QuickPlay Media learned that nearly half of all consumers do not know if their particular carrier offers this service – a critical component to successful mobile marketing.
One can only speculate, of course, that, despite the growing prevalence of “all you can eat data plans,” the reason so many mobile customers lack knowledge about the entertainment capabilities of their phones is because scores of cell phone users still suspect (and sometimes, rightfully so) that hidden costs will be associated with watching mobile video content.
“What we see with this survey is consistent with the experiences of our customers,” said Wayne Purboo, president and CEO of QuickPlay Media. “There is a real interest in watching mobile TV and video content as long as content is available in bite size pieces. It is also evident that while the all-you-can-eat-model is becoming more common, some consumers would prefer an ad-supported model that does not add to the bottom line of their monthly statement. As a result, we expect to see carriers offering a wider variety of billing models to meet market demands and drive service adoption.”
Needless to say, once more mobile carriers create and promote mobile video packages that don’t burdensomely “add to the bottom line,” a new wave of potential audience members will emerge for mobile marketers to target in the very near future.
