• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, September 10, 2014

As the press fills up with pictures and details that have already been leaked and the trashy mags harp on about the pointless things your phone choice says about you, there is actually one very interesting report that really does get to the bottom of the differences between owners of different mobile devices. Exponential looks for uplifts in activity in people that can make them a better target for digital marketing. So if for some reason cheese lovers also demonstrably show an uplift in booking riverboat holidays, a business offering Rhine cruises might well find putting budget into German cheese sites could be an unexpected rich source of customers, in addition to the travel sites it usually has in its media mix.

The company has found it is not just interests that differentiate us -- it is also the device we use to search for information.

With the iPhone expanding in screen size and on the verge of selling like proverbial hotcakes, digital marketers would do well to consider what impact this has on the media landscape. Who are going to be the winners now the iPhone is pumped up in size, making it far easier to type an order form out or enjoy a video on? Let's not forget, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will a one-touch pay mechanism too. Which brands stand to benefit from Apple Pay?

Well, after examining the online behaviours of 1.7m Britons, it turns out BMW should be pretty excited right now because one of the standout categories for iPhone owners is top-end cars. Hence, while the car marque's electric cars are more likely to be interesting to LG owners, searches for the top of the range 530d show a 32x lift among iPhone owners. On the other hand ,BMW-owned MINI Cooper shows a huge uplift among BlackBerry owners.

The iPhone lift can also be seen in hot tubs. Compared to other types of devices, iPhone owners are 19x more likely to be searching around, adding some warm bubbles to their lives. They are also 19 times more likely to be researching skiing trips and 5x more likely than the average person to be researching cruises. For European travel, holidaying in Turkey shows a large iPhone uplift. In sport, iPhone owners are far more likely to be interested in off-roading and extreme sports.

Presumably the list can go on and on. Suffice it to say, marketers could do well to look at the findings and determine which brands are well suited to a large iPhone experience, complete with Apple Pay. 

Even if their brand is not mentioned, the categories should give food for thought. News that BMW 5 Series researchers are considerably more likely to be on an iPhone should inform Lexus too that owners of the iPhone 6 might well be a more receptive audience than a LG phone owner, unless it's a hybrid we're talking about. If BMW wants a marketing partnership with a homes brand, clearly a hot tub maker should be high up on the consideration list for mutually beneficial campaigns.

Similarly, ski holiday companies should be pretty excited right now and, if they own a summer holiday company too, it just might be time to dust off a few Turkey holiday offers for those who have booked or reserved a skiing holiday on their iPhone. 

Interestingly, if brands are looking for celebrity endorsers, this data could be put to good use. Despite Apple's long-term links with U2, it turns out that Brad Pitt is the celebrity iPhone owners are most interested in. Interestingly the research shows that although the world-famous Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi, advertises Samsung phones, his biggest appeal, in terms of mobile search, is among Nokia owners.

So if the data shows one thing, the iPhone 6 advert that is bound to accompany's Friday's pre-order window opening should show Brad Pitt getting out of a hot tub to drive a BMW 5 Series off road to his ski chalet while using Siri to book a cruise to Turkey for the summer.