We know the majority of Americans use mobile devices, but there has been little research conducted on the different ways we use them. Experian attempts to shine some light on this situation with their recent report, The Always-On Consumer. They examined the attitudes and behaviors of smartphone owners, and discovered 7 distinct types of mobile consumers:
In which segment do you fall? Are you a texting Personal? A web-surfing Browser? A trend-setting Prodigy? Most individuals fall within one of these categories. Aside from deeper insights on how each segment uses mobile (which are available in the full report), the study revealed additional attitudinal information.
The chart above reveals how different mobile consumer segments have drastically different attitudes towards mobile shopping. For example, only 3% of Talkers use smartphones to find local deals, while 63% of Prodigies use their smartphones in this manner. This information can be critical when deciding whether or not it is worthwhile to launch a local/mobile campaign.
The study also revealed the top indexing media properties for each segment. From TV networks to print publications to websites, each of the consumer segments has distinct media interests. The research from Experian can suggest which channels may be most effective based on mobile habits. For example, The mobile professional Pragmatist is more likely than others to listen to internet radio, while the casual user Occasional can be more easily reached via the Weather Channel app. These insights can help advertisers place their brands on smartphones where their consumers are most likely to be found.