Poll: Parents some of most engaged mobiles

"Any parent can confirm how having a child changes your behavior with technology and shopping," said Kathryn Koegel, Chief of Insights for Primary Impact Consulting, which worked with Placecast and Harris Interactive to develop the poll. "Parents in playgrounds are shopping for a variety of goods- and most significant for retailers, they are using their phones for retail activities in stores. They are the most likely demographic sector to have purchased an item on their phone in a store. This is an amazing opportunity and challenge for retailers to drive loyalty rather than send people to a competitor."

Some interesting takeaways from the report:

• Parents with children under age 6 are most interested in text alerts from retailers
• 27% have made a mobile purchase in the last year
• 17% of non-parents have done the same
• Parents were found three times as likely to make a mobile purchase because of a text message than non-parents

"As brand marketers grow more aware of 'Parent Power' on mobile, they can tailor programs to meet their interests and needs," said Placecast CEO Alistair Goodman. "In terms of m-commerce, parents are showing that they are early adopters. Brands that know how to connect with tech-savvy parents are going to see greater ROI in this back-to-school season."

More than half of parents surveyed reported they owned a smartphone compared to about one-third of non-parents. While 'out' parents are using mobile GPS to find retailers, receiving text alerts about products or sales from retailers and redeeming daily deals/coupons from retailers.

Tags: Harris Interactive, m:commerce, mobile alerts, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, Placecast