Unlike the computer gaming market which is weighted heavily towards males, there appears to be a pretty even spread between men and women in terms of who’s willing to spend money on mobile content, a new survey from Nokia has found. Age, however, does matter and younger consumers in particular are prepared to spend an extra €10 per month on mobile content.
According to the global market study, mobile content services hold promising revenue potential, with respondents prepared to spend 28pc more than they pay for their current services today.
The survey also found that enhanced content services when fully available could even lead to consumers reducing their usage of newspapers, TV and the internet.
Younger consumers are willing to pay an extra €10 a month on mobile content, an amount that decreases significantly with the age of the respondents.
The survey found that men and women are equally interested in mobile content – except sport content, where 52pc of men are interested compared to 29pc of women. Again, younger respondents were significantly keener than older groups.
The survey found that the preferred delivery method seems to be browsing rather than downloading or streaming. Downloading is of valu for gaming and music while streaming and browsing are seen as best suited where information is being updated frequently.
Current mobile usage is dominated by downloading ringtones, followed by icons and screensavers. However, current mobile content services are perceived as too expensive. 48pc of the respondents to the Nokia survey who have never used any content services, rank cheaper services as the prime factor that would entice them to use content services.
The study also noted different attitudes to adopting mobile technology. Older mobile users need greater education and hand-holding, whereas younger users with greater experience of devices and the internet are more at ease with mobile technology.
The head of end user research at Nokia, Janne Laiho, commented: “Age being a determining factor isn’t surprising for a new service, but this survey does reveal quite a sharp divide between the young and the not so young.
“This could be an issue for operators in mature markets where the population is aging and is more affluent than younger segments. Significantly our research shows that quite straightforward changes will overcome current barriers, and that mobile content is set to offer a serious challenge to other media even among older age groups.”
By John Kennedy
