Content consumption on the up via mobile

According to Millennial Media's October SMART Report:

• 29% of mobile campaigns directed mobiles to download apps, a 33% increase month-to-month
• 23% of mobile campaigns offered 'Store Locator' options
• 42% of mobile ads in the entertainment vertical dealt with movie releases
• Entertainment brands identified product launch/release as a top goal for the month
• Half of mobile ads from entertainment campaigns offered video content
• 23% offered mCommerce

As for what mobile consumers are doing with their devices, data from ReturnPath indicates email viewing via iPad has increased 73% with mobile email opens increasing 34%. Mobile email views spike over the weekends, when most people are home or running errands rather than sitting at a desk.

"Email is more relevant today than ever before as consumption continues to grow on more platforms," said Matt Blumberg, CEO and Chairman, Return Path. "Email is everywhere you want your message to be. And while benchmark studies provide marketers with a view into shifting trends, they are no substitute for having real time, specific data on subscribers. Marketers need to gather campaign data specific to their audience, figure out where their subscribers are viewing email and design a relevant and timely sending strategy."

Mobile shopping is also increasing, according to comScore. Their data shows about 40% of US smartphone users shopped via mobile in September; these shoppers purchases apparel, digital content (Music, eBooks, movies, etc) and also shopped for daily deals.

"Mobile is becoming a central part in the shopping funnel for many consumers," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president for mobile. "In September we saw two-thirds of all smartphone owners perform shopping activities on their phones, including comparing products and prices, searching for coupons, taking product pictures or locating a retail store. Considering there are currently 90 million smartphone owners in the U.S., retailers without a well-developed mobile strategy are not only missing a tremendous opportunity with these customers but also risk becoming obsolete in the minds of these digital omnivores."

Texting remains the biggest mobile activity with nearly 72% of mobiles using this option; meanwhile over 40% are using mobile browsers or downloaded apps and 32% are accessing social networks.

Tags: comScore, Millennial Media, mobile content consumption, mobile marketing, mobile trends, ReturnPath