Last Thursday, Harris Interactive released an important study of the prospects for mobile marketing. According to their press release, they, "examined current levels of consumer interest in mobile phone advertisements, preferred advertising formats and the willingness of consumers to be profiled."

They heralded an interesting, though far from surprising finding:

"Historically, U.S. mobile phone users have been resistant to receiving mobile phone advertisements, but, according to our research, cell phone users are more willing than ever to receive advertising," said Judith Ricker, President of the Marketing Communications Research Practice at Harris Interactive. "To make their mobile campaigns more effective, advertisers should take note of how cell phone users are most interested in being contacted. Advertisements need to have a clear value proposition, be relevant and allow recipients to control how they are profiled."

Harris studied three different aspects of mobile marketing, and there are interesting findings all around:

 

Incentive-based advertisements

 

According to the study, a surprising 35 percent of adult cell phone users are willing to accept incentive-based advertisements. Of these adults, 78 percent say the best incentive would be cold hard cash, followed by free minutes (63%), free entertainment downloads (e.g. ring tones, games; 40%) and discount coupons (40%).

 

Preferred method of delivery

The survey further reveals that over half (56%) of those who are at least somewhat interested in receiving ads on their cell phone say they would prefer to receive them via text message, while 40 percent would like to receive them as a picture message.

 

 

Privacy and control matter

Just under three-quarters (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.

 

Harris found that 66% of consumers considered the ability to Opt Out essential to their acceptance of mobile advertisements. More than half of all consumers receptive to mobile advertising wanted to see those ads arrive as text messages. It would seem that Club Texting's simple, handset based opt-in / opt-out SMS marketing program is most consumers' ideal kind of mobile advertisment.

Source: Harris Interactive press release