• by Tanya Gazdik , January 25, 2008

A Starcom USA research study dispels common myths surrounding mobile advertising media and consumer response to mobile ad messages.

The study shows how mobile is being used and how it works in tandem with other media. Also examined are potential barriers to increased usage and the attitudes toward ads on mobile media.

"Mobile's capabilities are changing consumer expectations and therefore will have broader implications on how marketers approach all forms of communication moving forward," said Angela Steele, Chicago-based Starcom's vice president/activation director and leader of the study, in a statement. "These insights blow the doors wide open for new meaningful content, formats and opportunities for ad placement in campaigns."

Both light and heavy users of mobile data in Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco were surveyed.

Respondents said that while they are not averse to advertising on mobile devices, they do object to the lack of relevant ads. Because mobile devices are perceived as more personal, consumers expect personalized content in mobile ads and are willing to give up personal information about themselves in exchange for relevance.

User expectations are changing, the study showed. While past studies have revealed that consumers prefer not to shop via mobile because of privacy concerns, Starcom's respondents indicate that when they are shown a user-friendly mobile retail site, they get frustrated when they can't buy immediately using their phone.

The study also shows that mobile is often the preferred form of nonverbal communication. In fact, 90% of study respondents were pleased with their mobile service and a majority described their phone as "indispensable." And consumers in the study ranked mobile Internet as the number-one mobile feature they would miss (18%), above voice communication (17%), text (16%) and email (13%).