MarketingProfs

MediaBuyerPlanner: Europeans’ use of cell phones is more advanced than in the U.S., and they are more interested in watching TV on their phones – good news to marketers wishing to reach that audience via cell phone ads – but according to a new survey, those same respondents are not willing to watch ads on their phones, writes Media Life. Britain’s Portio Research conducted the study in early ‘06 and found that more than 50 percent were willing to pay about $13/month for mobile TV (though only 2 percent currently receive any type of mobile TV).
However, 65 percent of those surveyed said they had “zero tolerance” for any and all forms of mobile phone advertising. Among younger users, the anti-advertising feeling is slightly less pervasive, with 50 percent having a zero tolerance attitude.
John White, business development director at Portio, believes that this mentality is based in part on the belief that ads would be similar to ads on regular TV, with several minutes of commercials at a time. That format, of course, is not suited to mobile TV, he pointed out.
Other findings: some 80 percent of teens and youths were interested in mobile TV; that percentage goes down as the age of the respondent went up; only 30 percent of those aged 50 and above were interested.