Opportunity vibrates

23 percent of US mobile subscribers (58 million people) say they have seen mobile advertising in the previous 30 days.

Half of mobile data users (51 percent, or 28 million people) who recall seeing a mobile ad say they responded to the ad in some way, according to a Nielsen study, MarketingCharts reports.

However, just 10 percent of US mobile data (e.g., text-messaging) users say they think advertising on their mobile devices is acceptable - but an increasing number appear to understand the value proposition of ad-supported mobile content, Nielsen said.

Some 32 percent of mobile data users say they are open to mobile advertising if it lowers their overall bill, according to the survey.

"Increasing levels of consumer recall, interaction and receptivity to mobile advertising reinforce the validity of the mobile marketing medium," said Jeff Herrmann, VP of Mobile Media at Nielsen Mobile.

The findings are from the bi-annual Mobile Advertising Report from Nielsen Mobile and are based on a survey of more than 22,000 active mobile data users who used at least one non-voice mobile service in the fourth quarter.

Among other findings of the study:

• The number of data users who recalled seeing mobile advertising between the second and fourth quarters of 2007 increased 38 percent (from 42 million to 58 million).
• Teen data users (age 13-17) were the most likely age segment to recall seeing mobile advertising (46 percent recalled seeing some type of mobile advertisement, compared with 29 percent of all data users).
• Asian-Americans and African-Americans are more likely to recall mobile advertising (42 percent and 40 percent, respectively, compared with 29 percent of all data users).
• 26 percent of those who saw an ad responded at least once by sending an SMS text message, the most popular ad response.
• 9 percent say they have used click-to-call to respond to a mobile ad (i.e., users follow a link on their phone to call a specific number).
• 13 percent (18 percent of males) said they are open to mobile advertising if it improves the media and content currently available.
• 14 percent said they are already open to mobile advertising so long as it is relevant to their interests.
• 23 percent expect to see more mobile advertising in the future (up from just 15 percent in Q1 2007).

About the study: Nielsen's Mobile Advertising Report examines consumer recall, responses and attitudes toward banner ads on mobile web pages, SMS text-message advertising, sponsored applications, video advertising and other types of advertising that reach consumers while using data applications on their mobile phones.