Keeping Up With Mobile

Our phones are getting smarter. Our devices, more mobile. But as human beings, are we ready for all this potent and portable technology? And what does it mean for marketers ?

If you take a look through the tech blogs or pay any attention to media, you'll find a lot of talk about Smartphones, Tablets and e-Readers, Androids, Torches, iPads and Kobos. To the uninitiated, these names might sound like the characters from some sort of futuristic movie, but they are in fact all brand names of some of the hottest mobile devices - a sector that seemingly changes with every second. While we are hearing a lot of buzz in the tech world, how are Canadians actually using these devices?

Getting Mobile Together

In April, Ipsos Reid invited a group of guests and panellists to discuss the implications of the mobile device on the Canadian marketing landscape.

Mary Beth Barbour, Senior Vice President, unveiled select high level findings from our recently completed Mobil-ology study, an in-depth look at Smartphone, Tablet & e-Reader usage across Canada.

And Survey Says

What does the mobile device market in Canada look like? Ipsos Reid's Mary Beth Barbour explains.

The study shows that overall market adoption is lower than might be expected, particularly given the volume of media attention. You may think everyone owns a Smartphone, but the fact is only 23% of online Canadians ages 18 and over currently own such a device. When looking at the Tablet and e-Reader side of the equation, the numbers are even smaller. Only 3% own a Tablet and only 4% have an e-Reader. No doubt these numbers will grow, but things are very new and at this stage in the game, we have yet to reach the steep part of the growth curve.

There's an App for That

You can't talk about Smartphones and related mobile devices to an audience of marketers without the inevitable discussion about Apps. What we found is that only half of mobile users (47% of Smartphone users and 57% of Tablet users) are familiar with Apps.

Approximately three-quarters of Smartphone and Tablet users (71% and 80% respectively) have downloaded an App. To put this into perspective, this equates to 16% of online adult Canadians who both own a Smartphone and have downloaded an App and 2% who own a Tablet and have also downloaded an App. In absolute terms, the numbers are relatively small.

Use and Usability

For those Canadians that have adopted the mobile device, there are different reasons and uses for the technology they have selected. In fact, Canadians are currently engaging with their Smartphones and Tablets very differently. Smartphones principally serve a utility function and the features used most often are telephony related - calling, texting, emailing (Figure 1). In contrast, Tablets are used for a broader set of purposes, most of which revolve around entertainment such as gaming, reading, watching videos or listening to music for example (Figure 2). The larger the screen, the richer the experience - the Tablet is not simply just a larger Smartphone.

Figure 1.

Portrait of Smartphone Usage

Figure 2.

Portrait of a Tablet Usage

Steve Levy, President, lead a panel discussion with representatives from four key players in the mobile Canadian market: Derek Colfer from Visa, Deb Hall from Web2Mobile, Stacey Grant-Thompson of Rogers and Phil Barrett from RIM. Each brought further perspective to the rapidly-changing sector.

L to R) - Stacey Grant-Thompson of Rogers, Deb Hall from Web2Mobile, Derek Colfer from Visa, and Phil Barrett from RIM

The discussion was wide-ranging and the panellists shared their occasionally consistent, occasionally differing opinions as they related to:

• The drivers of App growth - it is Games
• The expected penetration and growth of Android - it is inevitable
• The timetable for widespread usage of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology - expected by 2012
• QR code adoption - slow, but not dead yet!
• Customized advertising for mobile devices - brands must optimize their presence by customizing the online experience to a mobile device
• Mobile marketing - panel consensus was that smart marketers will be redistributing their media campaigns to ensure they cross all media vehicles

More to Come

Stay tuned for more information on Ipsos' next Keeping Up with Breakfast Series event. Watch for your invitation in the Fall!

A one-hour on-site presentation of select, high level study results from the Mobil-ology study is available at a cost of $7,000. A full subscription to the study (two waves) and all related reports, data tables and data files is available for $26,000. For more information, please contact Corrie Rabey (416.324.2006 or [email protected]) or Mary Beth Barbour (416.572.4409 or [email protected]).

Research findings are based on two Ipsos Reid polls conducted between Mid December 2010 and mid January 2011, and in February of 2011. This online survey of 2,000 adult residents of Canada was conducted via the Ipsos Opinions Online Panel, one of Ipsos Reid's national online panels. The results are based on a sample where weighting was employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual online Canadian population according to Census data. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of the overall sample size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of online adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.