Category: Mobile Marketing

One in four mobile consumers has at least one mobile app specific to restaurants on their smartphone.

This statistic was discovered by a recent study published by RetailMeNot, Inc., which commissioned Google Consumer Surveys to poll more than 1,000 American consumers on their dining and food habits, including smartphone usage for searches and activities related to restaurants. What the study found was that there were several interesting consumer smartphone trends related to food and dining, such as among the participants surveyed who said that they dine out eight to ten times per week, over two-thirds of these respondents use a restaurant-specific mobile app.

Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 engage in the most restaurant research on their mobile devices.

The main reasons why restaurant goers use their smartphones is to locate restaurants (53%), browse a menu (49%) and research new restaurants (37%). According to the study, smartphone users in the 25 to 34 age range (millennials) were the most likely to research new restaurants on their mobile phone compared to any other age group (60%).

Mobile marketing is an important part of restaurant-related consumer smartphone trends.

It was discovered that nine out of ten diners who participated in the survey said that they have searched for a restaurant deal at least once. Furthermore, those who earn the most money also tend to be the ones who use online or mobile restaurant deals the most. That being said, eight out of ten consumers who participated admitted that they would likely try a new restaurant if a deal was being offered.

Chief marketing officer in North America for RetailMeNot, Inc., Marissa Tarleton, explained that with the increasing number of consumers turning to their smartphones to assist them with their dining choices, it is becoming more important for restaurants to make the most of mobile advertising.

“Mobile marketing technology is a powerful medium when it comes to serving up the right dining content, in the right location, at the right time,” Tarleton said. “When done well, mobile has the ability to drive more diners through their doors and keep them coming back for more.”

The bottom line is that while researching restaurant locations and new venues is among the bigger smartphone trends for American restaurant patrons, it seems that the majority of consumers actively use their mobile devices to take advantage of restaurant deals.

The retail sector is expected to dominate digital advertising spending from now to 2020.

According to the most recent forecast from New York-based market research company eMarketer, retailers – who already invest the most in online and mobile ad spending – are going to spend the most on digital advertising in the United States through 2020; spending an estimated $23.04 billion in paid digital media ads. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 12 percent over a period of five years.

Digital ad spending is forecasted to surpass TV ad spending in 2017.

This year, alone, the market research company predicts that retail marketers will pay $15.09 billion in digital ads, which is a 15 percent jump from last year and accounts for 22% of online ad spending in the US.

Aside from retailers, eMarketer’s estimates show that the automotive industry will remain the second largest digital ad spender through 2020, with car marketers potentially spending $8.7 billion on digital ads in the US in 2016 and up to $14.14 billion by 2020.

Following the automotive industry is financial services, which is forecasted to invest $8.37 billion in 2016 and $12.4 billion by 2020. Taking the fourth and fifth largest digital ad spender spots is Telecom and consumer packaged goods, respectively.

With the digital ad spending growth expected to continue, eMarketer predicts that next year, companies will spend more money on digital ads than TV advertisements.

An estimated two-thirds of retailers’ digital ad budgets have shifted to mobile ad spending.

This year, approximately $10.09 billion of retailers’ digital ad budgets have shifted to mobile. In order to keep up with online shoppers, eMarketer forecasts that retailers will boost their mobile ad spending by 52 percent in 2016, which is up from their 2015 budgets.

This jump in mobile advertising investment for this year does not come as much of a surprise as more and more consumers are engaging in mobile shopping. According to Forrester Research, by 2018, mobile commerce will account for over 50 percent of all e-commerce transactions.

That being said, currently, not all US mobile users are entirely comfortable with the full shopping and buying experience over their mobile devices, with many finding the experience frustrating. Still, buying aside, mobile has completely altered how consumers conduct their pre-purchase research.

Mobile commerce is projected to grow both in the US and globally, which is motivating retailers and other industries to not only focus on shelling out for digital ad spending but mobile ad spending, too.