The BBC recently released the results of a first-of-its-kind study examining how consumers around the world use their mobile devices. Conducted by research firm Millward Brown, the study surveyed 6,000 smartphone owners in several countries including Germany, India and the United States.

The analysis provided strong evidence of the importance of advertisers using targeted internet marketing solutions to reach customers of varying income brackets. The BBC compared the mobile device usage habits of affluent consumers (defined as the highest 20 percent of income earners) against those of the general population and found the following: 

  • Affluent consumers are twice as likely to access the internet at least once an hour than middle-income users
  • Mobile devices are the preferred medium for reading news-related content for higher-earning consumers
  • Over half of top income earners use their smartphone for business purposes, compared to 40 percent of the general population.

Another notable finding that was similar for both groups was their opinion about the importance of companies having a presence in the mobile sphere. They agreed that if a brand wants to seem contemporary and relevant, it needs to reach its audience through mobile. 

So what can marketers and small business owners take away from this study? They should spend some time thinking of the characteristics of the audience most likely to use their products or services. If they are heavy mobile device users, it may be wise to incorporate mobile elements into their marketing strategy. 

To take advantage of the most current mobile advertising solutions, small business owners should consider partnering with KeyMedia Solutions.