• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 27, 2007

According to a new study by Harris Interactive, presented by Joe Porus and Judy Ricker at the Mobile Advertising and Marketing USA Conference in New York City, 35 percent of adult cell phone users are willing to accept incentive-based advertisements. Of these adults:

• 78% say the best incentive would be cash
• 63% say by free minutes (63%),
• 40% want free entertainment (ring tones, games)
• 40% prefer discount coupons

Judith Ricker, President of the Marketing Communications Research Practice at Harris Interactive, says that cell phone users are most interested in advertisements that have a clear value proposition, are relevant, and allow recipients to control how they are profiled.

The survey further reveals that:

• 56% of those respondents who are at least somewhat interested in receiving ads on their cell phone say they would prefer to receive them via text message
• 40% would like to receive them as a picture message
• 24% of adults would choose to receive them as videos
• 23% would have them transferred automatically to email as a voice message or something else

In addition, 70% of respondents who are at least somewhat interested in receiving mobile advertising are also willing to provide information about themselves to their cell phone provider in exchange for an ability to customize the service to their needs. Among them, 30 percent are willing to receive the ads for the right incentive, while 20 percent would receive them if they have control to turn them on or off and 20 percent are willing to receive the ads if they can choose who the information is sent to.

Adult mobile phone users who are at least somewhat interested in mobile advertising feel that the following considerations could make the ads more palatable:

• The ability to opt out (66%)
• Choosing the type of ads to be received (56%)
• Choosing the number of ads to be received in a given period of time (48%)
• Providing a profile of desired areas of interest so only specific ads are sent (43%)
• Different/discounted plan if ads included (42%)
• Choosing specific times when ads would be received (40%)

To view the complete slide presentation, please view this Harrisinteractive PDF file. Or, the news release here.