big mobile june 2012

7/31/2019 Big Mobile June 2012

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AOL Big Mobile Study

June 27 2012


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On-going innovation in the development

and marketing of AOL mobile products

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3 Thought leadership in an emerging space

Effective marketing/advertising placements

and monetization opportunities

Generate a deep understanding of the currentcross-platform consumer that leads to:

Proprietary Research: Big Mobile

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Methodology

Two qualitative approaches combine for one end goal.

In-Home Ethnographic Interviews

among Moms, Techies, and

Entertainment Seekers:

n=18, 2hr in-home interviews

3 Markets: New York, Seattle, Austin (6/mkt)

Dates: March 15 thru 23, 2012

Online Digital Diaries:

n=100 online diary surveys

Participants from across the USA

Week-long participation period

Daily survey questions and writing prompts

General Qualifications: Ages 18 to 54

Must own a computer

Must own an iPhone or Android phone

2/3 of sample must also own a tablet

Must have at least 100 friends on Facebook

Quotas for Twitter users

Must agree strongly with at least two of the following

statements

I take pride in being able to find cool and interesting

content online

I share more links and online content than other

people I know

Im a trendsetter rather than a trend follower

I tend to have strong opinions

Being stylish and fashionable is very important to me

I interact with brands and products via social mediaNote: our sample may be more deal conscious than the

general population, given their inclination to participate

and be compensated for partaking in research activities.

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1 Consumers have distinct roles and need states for their three devices: phone, tablet, PC.

2 Word of Mouth and App Store/Market are the primary sources of app discovery.

3 Apps should be simple and fill a single need.

4 People have a core group of apps that they use regularly, and the rest are just flavors of the week.

5 Tablets have a longer engagement and consumption period than mobile phones.

6 Whether in lean back mode or snacking mode, consumers generally have a systematic way of consumingcontent.

7 Many people are co-browsing and using their device as a second screen while interacting with othersand watching TV or movies.

8 Content should be the same everywhere and in the format desired at that moment in time. Mobilewebsites are typically frowned upon because they are seen as offering less.

9 Users tend to go to the same sources on the smartphones as they do on their tablets.

10 Consumers want a seamless experience across devices, without feature limitations or content restrictions.

Validated Hypotheses

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Hypothesis Finding1 Bad apps force people to mobile websites

Participants are more likely to be going to mobile websites for

brands they do not frequent often enough to warrant downloading

the app. Users are looking to replicate their desktop experiences.

2 Users are more likely to share content on phone It is not any more predominant than other devices; each platformlends itself to certain types of sharing.

3Consumers are strongly averse to paying for apps

People generally fall into two camps: those who only use free apps

and those that have no problem spending money on apps and do so

regularly.

4 Ads feel unnatural on the mobile phone Our participants recognize ads are necessary for free apps.

5 Moms arent comfortable with mobilecommerce or mobile shopping in-store Just like everyone else, Moms are looking for a deal.

6 Users are starting to get annoyed by bouncingfrom app to app for contentEach app is a tool with a specific need state. Facebook is the content

aggregator and provides more than enough entertainment.

7 Digital magazines are an unfamiliar format People like the idea and the integrated multimedia content;however the feel of paper is a benefit to some.

8 Sharing doesnt happen in digital magazinesbecause there arent opportunitiesUsers acknowledge theres opportunity to engage, but they typically

prefer not to.

Refuted Hypotheses

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Device Intimacy


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47%

33% 30%

11%

A sense of self. Phones are more than a tool; theyre a companion, trusted advisor,

and an extension of identity

Organization, wallpapers, and ringtones are all used to personify the phones owner

The activities on a phone go unchecked by others; theres no clearing search history here

A sense of dependence.

Phones are with me

everywhere I go, every

waking and sleeping

moment

A sense of security.

Phones are a discreet

and private path to the

Internet people will

use their phones to

access blocked websites

like Facebook from workDesktop Laptop Tablet Phone

Device sharing with others:

Hands off my phone!

Users' mobile interactions are situational:Phones are a private device meant for use in public


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Users import their previous digital habits, sources and activities to their

new mobile devices.

New devices present opportunity for new app discovery, but the window is

small

External brand equity and awareness carries into the App Store

When I find things I

really like on the

computer, I try to find

apps for them so I cancarry them with me.

- Kate

I put all of the apps

on my phone onto myiPad when I got it.

Jaclyn

Users Change Devices, not Behaviors

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61%

39%

If the MacBook is too far away

Ill just use my phone.

- Taylor

Use all depends on which device

Im closest to.

Jarod

Ive gotten really lazy.

- Marla

Wont come

back to a

bad app

Will give it

another

chance

Its all about

first impressions

Users Are Lazy Physically Lazy: The device in-hand is the right tool for the job users will

try anything on the device they are using in order to avoid

having to track down another device

If its out of arms reach its too far

If its not charged, go to the device that is

Digitally Lazy: Users will exert very little effort trying to learn an app

Once they find something that works it takes a vastlysuperior offering to supplant an incumbentdontunderestimate inertia

Users are hesitant to commit to new services that requirethem to forgo their past investments (i.e., switching fromFacebook to Google+)

Implications: Apps need to work well across devices, providing a

seamless user experience

Not much of a window to convince

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Multi-Device Impact


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Mobile

Phone

Tablet

Computer

Mobile

Phone

Computer

Computer

Primary Internet Device

Equal time between lean back & lean forward

Lean forward activities

Web serendipity &

explorationVideos, movies, PC games

App central

Social hub

The Internet on-demandCasual games

Lean forward

Keyboard &

mouse activitiesWork machine

High cognitive

load tasks

Social hub

Instant upload

photos & videos Active navigation

The Internet on-

demand

Primary browser

Watching videos

Apps & browser Fun & new

Comfortable

computing

Tablet Owners: 44% of our respondents said they started using their smartphone less

and 75% said they started using their computer less once they bought a tablet.

Changes in Behavior by Introducing Devices

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are talkingvia IM/chat

are on their

social networks

While watching TV.

are sendingtexts

are browsingthe web

The Proliferation of Co-Browsing

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Mobile Web vs. Apps


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Users are unlikely to simply browse the web mostengagement occurs through target destination engagement.

Users typically follow well-worn paths through the web.

Site

1

Site

2

Site

3

Site

4

Destination Driven Usage Discovery Driven Usage

vs.

Mobile Web:More about the Destination than Discovery

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Users expect the same content andfunctionality on a mobile site as the fullbrowser version of the site

Users are acutely aware of when they arenot given the whole web experience

Frustration quickly sets in if users cannotaccomplish their desired task simplybecause of mobile restrictions

Many users will opt out of the mobile siteif given the chance in order to navigate to

the page they desire

Mobile sites are pretty infantile andbasic, but they are easier to load and

less likely to crash.

Marco

It cuts down on everything.

It pisses me off! Anitra

If I have the option, Ill try to find a

way to go to the full site.

Chris

Most mobile sites are just basic

information, so trying to access

anything beyond that is a struggle.

Jaclyn

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Mobile Sites Dont Offer the Full Picture


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56%

22%

22%

Apps are a quick utility the phone is a

Swiss army knife and each app is a tool.

I pretty much just live off of myapps. Ihave almost 100 after all.

Jaclyn

My e-vite app is better put

together than the website, and

way more convenient.

Jose

Mobile sites are less functional

than apps.

Doug

Prefer Mobile Sites

No Preference

Prefer Apps

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Apps vs. Mobile Web


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Discovery, Installing,

& Upgrading Apps


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Big Brands Have It Easy for Apps

Users are importing their analogue anddesktop preference to their mobile devices

Big brands are assumed to have apps

Users have a preexisting opinion that will colorthe apps trial and adoption

I looked for the Weather Channel app

because I like the Weather Channel.

Christian

Ive never looked for it, but I

bet Home Depot has an app.

Anitra

Like most

things, the big

name app isnt

the coolest.

Christian

However, opting for the familiar leads

many users to miss out on best in classfeatures offered by unknown

developers and start-up apps

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Criteria for Download

4+ Stars

I really like the

screenshots. Kate

Ill download it if I really

want it and it has good

reviews. Bryce

Appealing

screenshots

User reviewssound generally

positive

App is compatiblewith phone andcurrent OS version

(Android)

Free apps receive asignificantly lessthorough inspection

than paid apps

$

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27%

30%

42%

43%

45%

49%

51%

59%

67%

69%

75%

Discovery Beyond the App Store

Browse app store

"Top 100" lists on the app store

Friend/family member

Search for an app

See others using the app

Overhear people talking about the app

Social media

A friend/family member sends me

something via the app

Read about it in an article

The mobile site leads to a download of

the app

See an advertisement in another app

Most of my apps are a

result of Googling

apps that save you

money.

Jaclyn

I tell people about my

apps and show them in

person.

Doug

I show someone

something on an app

on my phone almost

every day.

Christian

Viral:

App

Seeks

User

App Discovery Sources

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Monetization


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Ill click an ad if its on the

side, but its annoying if itsright in my face.

Jaclyn

There are very few things

Id click on, mostly because

they arent for me I have

no use for Huggies Diapers.

Randy

Ill click on something if

they do a good job with the

design of the ad and its

aesthetically pleasing.Marco

Mobile web visitors tendto be first time andcasual brand users.

Thus ads on mobile sites

can be more general

since visitors are less

engaged and less likely to

balk at poorly targeted

advertising.

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Core brand users

use apps andexpect that brandsknow them.

Ad placementswithin apps shouldbe targeted,

contextual andrelevant.

Mobile Ad Placement


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Summary


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Top 10 ThemesThe phone is an extension of the user, its an integral aspect of identity formation and the users

personal brand.

New forms ofdigital intimacy are translating to greater importance of the inner circle (side-by-side sharing, content sharing as a velvet rope, encouragement of device parity, etc.).

Users are lazy. They need content to be spoon fed to them, are extremely habitual, and physical

proximity often dictates device use.

Mobile web doesnt cut it in its current state, primarily due to perceived limited functionality.

Accordingly, apps are preferred, a quick and easy utility or route to entertainment.

Discovering apps is hard, random, and often need based.

Brands used elsewhere are most often applications used now.

Games, maps, and music are where the money is for apps.

Searchis a task to be completed efficiently, rather than an opportunity to discover, explore, and

have fun.

We can learn from games. Freemium works. People dont really upgrade to avoid ads.

Opportunity to create brand evangelists. The expiration date (beating the game) creates some

urgency in playing.

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big mobile june 2012

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