The first ever Mobile Internet Consumer – India 2013 report was released at the recent MMA Forum India 2013. The report addresses the audience insights of the growing mobile internet user base in India.
The report is designed for media planners and brand advertisers, focuses on profiling the mobile web and app users, their purchasing power, lifestyle, and consumption pattern. It is based on a survey of over 2000 mobile web and app users in July 2013. The survey was conducted amongst both smartphone and feature phone users.
According the report, Indian mobile Internet consumers are young and affluent. The demographics are a different picture compared to other countries. 60% of the mobile Internet users in India are below 24 years; this is visibly higher than the Southeast Asia user base which stands at 47%. Over 90% of the user-base is aged below 35 years.
Almost half of mobile Internet users in India are highly educated, equipped with graduate or postgraduate degrees. Incidentally, only 1 out of 10 mobile internet users in India is a female, a big contrast from most western countries.
Surprisingly, consumer behaviour of mobile Internet users in India provide brands and advertisers in India a unique opportunity to drive higher engagement and brand recall through a well-defined mobile strategy. Indian mobile Internet users are content and information hungry and, and appreciate content and deals through mobile ads.
Indian consumers love mobile ads that provide downloadable content (59%), followed by those that help them learn about a brand (41%). Mobile games and apps are the most popular download with 69 percent of mobile users doing it at least once in a month. Watching videos on mobile is another popular activity with 57 percent doing it at least once in a month.
While not absolutely dismissing it, this consumption behaviour surely dents the common perception that mobile advertising has traditionally a lower RoI. In India, the aberration in consumer behaviour should be an encouraging insight for brand managers planning their mobile strategy.
You can download the Mobile Internet Consumer Report for Southeast Asia, as well as for India here.