88% of UK smartphone users ignore ads
UK smartphone users are largely ignoring ads they receive on their handsets according to research by Deloitte, with consumers deeming them intrusive.
88% of UK consumers ignore ads on their mobiles and 36% automatically delete them, while just 9% take any further action after viewing a mobile ad.
The Deloitte research says that some users feel mobile marketing is an invasion of privacy, reporting: “Citizens in some countries may regard advertising sent to what they would regard as a personal device as intrusive and default to ignoring any advertising. If this is the case, location-based mobile advertising to this type of audience may well be counter-productive.”
The research reveals that the most popular ways to encourage smartphone users to respond is through ads offering bargains or free apps or games.
The multimarket study, which surveyed 30,454 mobile users in 15 countries, found that the majority of individuals in the UK possessed more than one smartphone device, and 10% have three.
The research also showed that, despite the rise of mobile social networking, text messaging is still the most common type of non-voice wireless communication among UK smartphone users, with 84% sending SMS every day, compared with 50% accessing email via their handsets and 40% using a social network.
Deloitte said: “It may not be mobile advertising’s year in 2011 but the case for mobile advertising is likely to grow ever stronger with every year that passes.”