• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, February 4, 2013

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, in partnership with Viggle, consumers are turning to smartphones and tablets to place online orders for pick-up or delivery, with 69% of those polled saying they have placed food orders via mobile devices.

50% of media savvy mobile users are so committed to their favorite destination for fast eats, that they have downloaded at least one restaurant-specific app. In addition, 55% of those polled have at least one “multi-restaurant” app, with Yelp the most popular at 37%, followed by Urbanspoon (24%) and Zagat (9%).

26% planned to order take-out or delivery to complement their Super Bowl viewing. While the survey didn’t ask about specific Super Bowl mobile dining plans, respondents were clear in their mobile internet ordering preferences, with pizza taking the top spot at 72%, followed by a tie between sandwiches/burgers and Chinese food at 31%. Wings (24%) and Mexican food (15%) rounded out the list.

Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB, says “... the mobile internet is increasingly becoming a vital tool to help consumers navigate their everyday lives... when it comes to simple tasks such as ordering a pizza... Restaurant and fast-food chain marketers should... make (mobile offers) it a key part of their ad-buying strategy...”

Consumers surveyed also use their mobile devices to research restaurants for delivery or take-out:

• 44% of those surveyed use smartphones or tablets regularly to find restaurant phone numbers
• 39% do so to see the menu
• 38% use their mobile devices to find a restaurant location

The research showed that financial or other rewards are the most likely path to driving short-term adoption of mobile online ordering. 78% of respondents said discounts would make them more likely to order, and 64% said loyalty points would have this impact.

Greg Consiglio, President and COO, Viggle, concludes that “... mobile users are clearly looking for benefits to motivate them into transitioning their food ordering... onto their smartphone or tablet. Dining establishments and fast-food giants... (should) their customers with the easiest possible way to place an order... ”

For additional information, as well as charts and graphs from IAB, and access to the complete PDF report file, please visit here.