Global media services firm Zenith is recommending that brands adopt a “mobile-first” digital communication strategy in the wake of a new study underscoring the channel’s growing importance.
The company’s first-ever Mobile Advertising Forecast says mobile devices will account for three-quarters of all global internet use by 2017, and advises that all forms of digital communication – from websites to video ads – be optimized for that particular channel.
The company says advertisers also need to consider consumer mobility in addition to mobile devices, noting that consumers tend to shift their attention from tablet to desktop to smartphone, sometimes while watching TV, meaning advertisers need to create “brand experiences” that are coherent across screens and devices.
The Publicis Groupe agency is also recommending advertisers consider what it calls the “full mobile ecosystem” – a group that includes smart watches, activity trackers and other “smart” devices – when planning their communication strategy.
The company says consumers tend to use specialist devices on very specific occasions, giving advertisers the ability to target these life moments with precision.
Zenith is predicting mobile advertising will overtake desktop in 2017, accounting for 52% of global internet advertising – a number expected to rise to 60% by 2018. Zenith is calling for mobile advertising expenditure to total US$134 billion this year, more than newspaper, magazine, cinema and out-of-home advertising combined.
The company says the mobile proportion of internet use has “increased rapidly” in recent years, from 40% in 2012 to 68% in 2016. The report, which covers 60 key countries, predicts it will reach 79% by 2018.
Mobile internet use is most prevalent in Spain, where it is expected to account for 85% of all internet use this year. It is followed by Hong Kong, where 79% of all internet use is mobile, then China (76%) and the U.S. (74%), with Italy and India tied for fifth at 73% apiece.
The report predicts Hong Kong will have the highest mobile internet use – 89% – by 2018, ahead of China (87%), Spain (86%) and the U.S. and Italy at 83% apiece.
Mobile use is being driven by smartphone penetration, which rose from 23% of people in the 60 markets tracked by Zenith in 2012, to 56% in 2016. Zenith predicts penetration to rise further, to 63% by 2018. It also notes tablets are more of a luxury item, owned by just 15% of people in the 60 markets, rising to 17% by 2018.
Smartphone penetration is highest in Western Europe and Asia, with Ireland leading the way at 92%, followed by Singapore (91%), Spain (88%), Norway (86%) and South Korea (84%). Zenith is calling for Ireland to remain first overall through 2018 with 94% penetration, followed by Switzerland and Singapore at 92% apiece and Norway and Taiwan at 91%.
Tablet penetration varies “widely” across markets, with penetration levels above 50% in 10 of 60 markets and below 10% in another 10 markets. Just 3% of the Chinese population owns tablets, which “substantially” drags down the average since it accounts for 27% of the population in those markets. Tablet penetration is highest in Singapore at 65%.
