Here are the cold, hard facts for marketers looking to reach male consumers.
A new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has revealed that men are much more likely than women to do their shopping with their smartphones. It’s some anecdotal knowledge that has just become factual and actionable information.
The new info from the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence and Precision Market Insights from Verizon suggests that men go beyond browsing and research on their mobile device to make an actual purchase via a smartphone (56 percent vs. 45 percent).
“According to the study, entitled “Holiday Shopping in a Cross-Screen World,” the gender difference is especially notable within the younger demographic, with three-quarters (76 percent) of male smartphone users ages 18 – 34 doing so in a typical month, compared to 59 percent of the females in that age category,” the report summary reads.
It’s a prized slice of the market. The 18-34 demographic is a big spender on mobile, with 39 percent of its smartphone owners revealing they spend at least $51 or more via smartphone in an average month (compared to 27 percent of overall survey participants). In addition, smartphone-using parents who have children 18 or younger have similar mobile spending habits.
“The study also shows that smartphones are second only to computers among devices used for shopping, with 40 percent of smartphone owners stating that they use their device to research products they are interested in,” the report notes.
Why do smartphone users go mobile for shopping?
The survey respondents said they wanted to get the best price or save money (51 percent), while other motivators included saving time (36 percent) and making research easier (35 percent).
Mobile marketers should take note that almost two-thirds of U.S. smartphone aficionados plan on researching, shopping for, or purchasing products via their smartphones for holiday 2014. Popular items they seek include clothing (36 percent), dining out (31 percent), music, videos, and/or books (29 percent), toys and games (29 percent), and consumer electronics (29 percent).
“We see this research as reflecting the growing importance of smartphones among the multiplicity of screens, media, and devices at consumers’ disposal, signaling an opportunity for marketers to reach consumers at the time and place where they are already holiday shopping – on their phones,” said Anna Bager, Senior Vice President of Mobile and Video at IAB. “In addition, with smartphones, tablets, and other devices gaining traction as shopping channels year-round, it is important that we understand exactly how consumers interact with these screens to research, shop for, and purchase products, so advertisers can accurately target them in a timely fashion, as they are doing on other media platforms.”
And smartphone users will still be searching and researching after the holiday is officially past. About 20 percent of survey respondents said “they plan to spend part of the week between Christmas and New Year’s, often called ‘New Device Week,’ learning about and purchasing accessories for new devices received over the holidays.”
That provides a promising opportunity for marketers reaching out to mobile customers.
“Conventional wisdom has held that consumers may not be as receptive to advertising messages during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, but with nearly one in five American smartphone users planning to spend ‘New Device Week’ learning about and accessorizing newly received devices, advertisers have a unique opportunity to connect with an audience that is engaged and primed to make a purchase,” said Colson Hillier, Vice President, Precision Market Insights.
More data and a corresponding infographic are available here.