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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
people you are worth it9
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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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