When marketers plan mobile campaigns, they likely think they are appealing to a young, tech-savvy demographic, but they might have better luck reaching parents. A new study from Harris Interactive suggests consumers with young children are the ones most interested in receiving on-the-go updates and coupons from brands.
The Harris poll, entitled The Alert Shopper III: Kids Change Everything, shows that having children increases the likelihood of activity on cell phones. More than 80 percent of parents said text messaging was key to their everyday lives, more than 60 percent said they regularly access the internet via mobile devices and more than half use phones to search for retail locations.
People with kids not only sought out brands through their devices, but they also looked for businesses to send them alerts via phone. One-third of parents were interested in texts about new products, sales or promotions from brands, and this increased to 35 percent for parents with children under the age of 6. Notably, the presence of children more closely correlated to desire for branded offers than occupation or income.
Parents are also the consumers most likely to be converted into customers, according to the study. Forty percent of parents said it was important for them to be able to make purchases via their cell phones. Sales are even more likely with parents of kids under the age of 6, with 44 percent of these consumers saying they appreciate being able to buy goods or services via their devices.
With this in mind, marketers may want to consider targeting moms and dads with their mobile campaigns. Additionally, it may benefit them to start marketing to these consumers' kids via phones. Students represented another demographic of highly active mobile users in the Harris study, and a Packaged Facts report indicates teens' spending will exceed $208 billion in 2011.
