Kuala Lumpur, December 20, 2011 – InMobi, the world's largest independent mobile ad network, today revealed that 57 percent of mobile web users in Malaysia are primarily or exclusively accessing the web via their mobile devices. The research was conducted in partnership with market insights firm Decision Fuel, using their innovative mobile-focused research platform. The study covered 14 key markets across Asia, Africa, Europe, North and Latin America, surveying 16,000 consumers overall, including 1,091 mobile web users in Malaysia.
The InMobi "Mobile Impact on Media Consumption in Malaysia" report also revealed that mobile is the top media choice for Malaysians using mobile web. Commenting on the study, James Lamberti, VP Global Research & Marketing at InMobi said, "A new wave of mobile consumer behavior is creating dramatic changes in Malaysia’s mobile landscape. Increasing access to better features, apps and services has made it easy for consumers to stay connected and consume relevant content while on the go. While this consumer acceptance is great news for advertisers hoping to connect with consumers on this new screen, it is also essential for them to respect the personal nature of the medium and be mindful of how they use it. Mobile ads must be mobile-optimised, of good quality, and should add value to the consumer to maximize brand impact and ultimately increase the bottom-line." The survey revealed that for mobile web users in Malaysia, mobile is now on par with TV and laptops/desktops in terms of share of mind. On average, mobile web users in Malaysia consume 6.5 hours of media daily of which 27 percent/103 minutes is spent on mobile devices for activities other than calls or SMS including playing games or surfing the net, 26 percent/99 minutes is spent on watching television and 23 percent/89 minutes on going online via desktops or laptops. This time spent is not always exclusive time, as 28 percent reported watching television and using their mobiles at the same time. 26 percent of mobile web users reported that they went online via mobile only, 31 percent said they went online primarily via mobile and 34 percent evenly split their online hours between mobile devices and desktops/laptops. These numbers are even higher than technologically evolved Singapore, where 27 percent mobile web users only access the web via their mobile devices while 26 percent mostly access it via their mobile devices. Co-founder of Decision Fuel, Colin Marson, said, "We see the phenomenon of mobile web becoming truly mainstream in Malaysia. In fact, self-described late technology adopters in our study were more likely than the average respondent to go online exclusively via their mobile. Mobile is also becoming increasingly important outside of the major cities. For youth in small towns, mobile usage represents a significantly larger share of their media consumption than for their urban equivalents." The three big drivers of mobile services usage are ease of use, privacy, and ready access. 48 percent users value the ease of use of the device, while 36 percent appreciate the privacy it offers. Other key enablers include ready access (30 percent), cost effectiveness (16 percent) and boredom (14 percent). Mobile is becoming an important companion, particularly for the 'in between' times. 50 percent of mobile web users use their device while waiting for something, 47 percent use it while lying in bed, and 28 percent while watching TV. Other usage occasions include while spending time with family (18 percent), at a social event (13 percent), commuting (12 percent) and shopping (11 percent). The receptive, relaxed and "exploration-oriented" mindset associated with most of these activities suggests that mobile content can have a greater impact on consumers as opposed to the PC, "goal-oriented" mindset, where users tend to be focused on accomplishing a task. For Malaysian consumers, social media is the dominant activity on mobile while transactions and local information services are not yet as prevalent. On an average, mobile web users spend 20 percent of their time on their mobile devices on social media like Facebook and Twitter, 18 percent on music or videos, 17 percent on playing games,14 percent on search for general information (news, sports, finance, etc.), and 13 percent on email. Shopping and search for local information and deals lag behind, with average users spending 9 percent of their time on mobile on each activity. Mobile is catching up with television and magazines & newspapers, and is on par with online in terms of impact on purchase decisions. 53 percent of users are still most influenced by print when making purchasing decisions, followed by television (46 percent), mobile (32 percent), and online (29 percent).
Two thirds of mobile users are, however, as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with television or online advertising. Even in its current state of evolution, a large number of respondents have had their purchasing behavior influenced by mobile advertising. 38 percent have been introduced to something new via mobile advertising, 23 percent have gotten better options, 20 percent have found something relevant nearby while 11 percent reconsidered a product. 8 percent of users have been influenced by mobile advertising when making in-store purchases, and 10 percent have been influenced to buy via their mobiles. Comments Atul Satija, VP & Managing Director – Asia Pacific at InMobi: "In the coming months, we see further growth in mobile web usage in Malaysia, driven by social media, entertainment and email. In addition, mobile banking is expected to increase across all demographics. What is especially encouraging is that, on average, over 69 percent of mobile web users across key consumer segments are comfortable with receiving mobile ads and recognize their impact on purchase decisions. These trends present exciting opportunities for advertisers to communicate with and engage their audiences in a way that will influence their purchase decisions." For more information on the study, please reach out through the contact details below.
InMobi is the world's largest independent mobile advertising network. With offices on five continents InMobi provides advertisers, publishers and developers with a uniquely global solution for advertising. The network is growing and now delivers the unprecedented ability to reach 485 Million consumers, in over 165 countries, through more than 60.2 Billion mobile ad impressions monthly. The recent acquisition of Sprout, a leading HTML5 authoring platform for mobile rich media, helps expand InMobi’s offering to creative agencies and brands. InMobi was recently named “The Best Mobile Ad Network” at the 2011 MOBI Awards and was selected as a 2011 AlwaysOn Top 100 Mobile Company in Silicon Valley. InMobi is venture-backed by investors including: SoftBank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield& Byers and Sherpalo Ventures. The company has offices in Bangalore, Johannesburg, London, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. To learn more, please visit www.inmobi.com/research, follow us on Twitter @InMobi, or read our blog at www.inmobi.com/inmobiblog/.
Rice Communications for InMobi Tel: +65 6221 8047 Shruti Soni Email: shruti.soni@ricecomms.com John Tan Email: john.tan@ricecomms.com
