The FINANCIAL — The most acceptable way to target consumers for mobile advertising is by interest, then by location, according to Mobile advertising: What do consumers want? A cross-country comparison, the latest publication in PwC’s consumer intelligence series.
The report, which explores insights on customer attitudes and behaviors in the changing media and technology landscape, summarizes findings from a multi-territory survey of 3,800 respondents in Brazil, China, United Kingdom and the United States regarding mobile advertising preferences.
Overall, data findings indicated consumer preferences were most aligned between the U.K. and the U.S. and between Brazil and China. Some preferences regarding mobile advertising, however, superseded cultural differences, including the best and least acceptable ways to target consumers. Targeting by keywords tracked by texts, emails or phone calls was the least accepted way of targeting and runs the highest risk of having a negative effect on brand attitudes, according to PwC.
“There are distinct cultural mobile advertising preferences that companies need to consider as they target individual consumers in difference countries. Those who heed the differences, leveraging big and small data to deliver the most relevant, useful mobile advertisements will be better poised to get results in those markets,” said Deborah Bothun, U.S. advisory entertainment, media and communications leader, PwC.
Brazil and China were found to have more fully integrated mobile activities into their daily lives, as compared to the U.S. and the U.K. Brazil’s consumers ranked as the most actively engaged in general mobile activity of any country surveyed, though China was found to be more likely to purchase merchandise from a website as well as download/stream TV shows compared to the other countries.
Respondents from Brazil and China were found to have been most willing to share personal information for free apps or fewer ads. Brazil and China were also more likely to click on ads if the content was personally relevant, suggesting active interest and receptivity to mobile advertising, according to PwC.
The U.K. and the U.S. were more aligned throughout the entire survey, with the relative order of concerns about mobile advertising reflecting identical lists. The biggest concerns in the two markets include: “Crosses the line into my personal space,” “Not able to turn [the ads] off,” “Too intrusive on my lifestyle,” “Too many [ads],” and “Not relevant [ads].”
Unlike Brazil and China, the U.K. and the U.S. were found to be less influenced by ‘freebies’ tied to mobile advertising, especially when personal information was required to receive them. Both U.K. and U.S. indicated there was no specific time of day consumers were receptive to receiving mobile ads, whereas Brazil respondents noted they were most receptive “when they wake up” and China respondents “when I am on my way to work.” The most significant difference between U.K./U.S. and Brazil/China was the importance of an ad being personalised/using the consumer’s name. Brazil/China demonstrated stronger preference for personalisation,
“Understanding the consumer and bringing them closer to the brand through a mobile experience is critical. It is not just repurposing existing advertising, but creating advertising that will appeal to consumers in the mobile space. Understanding the nuances of how consumers want to receive content and tailoring programs to address those preferences will advance the brands and the bottom lines of those who are doing it right.”
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