• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, January 15, 2013

Virtually all marketers currently use or are planning to incorporate mobile into their marketing mix, with 85% planning to increase their mobile budgets in the near future, according to a new study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and MediaVest.

The finding was based on an online survey conducted during the fourth quarter among a sample of 68 client-side marketers (and ANA members) who are using or plan to use mobile media initiatives to reach consumers.

While the survey indicated a widespread embrace of mobile marketing, it also showed continued frustration with the lack of ROI measurement and accountability in mobile. Only 21% reported having solid success in mobile—a slight decrease from 2010.

“Brands are clearly excited about the possibilities, but at the same time, perceived success rates have not increased significantly,” said Bob Liodice, ANA President and CEO. The industry as a whole must move quickly to standardize measurement practices and address privacy issues.”

Some 42% of marketers expressed concerns with having proper mobile metrics in place, and another 42% cited the inability to prove ROI as a barrier to further mobile development.

Conversely, the study indicated the top three draws of mobile for marketers are capturing reach with unique audiences (85%), ability to deliver content on the go (80%), and location awareness (78%).

Among other insights, the study showed the following on mobile strategies and funding:

-The most often used tactics include mobile websites (84%), search (78%), apps (76%) and display (75%).

-More marketers plan to start using location-based services (28%) in the future than any other mobile tactic.

-Most funding for mobile is reallocated from other marketing budgets, such as traditional (37%) and digital (26%) marketing.