Mobile Has Overtaken the WorldThere is nearly a 100% chance that you, the reader, own a mobile phone. Never in the history of the world has there been a device that has moved as quickly to universal adoption as mobile — not even the Internet. Mobile phone ownership has now reached an epidemic level.
| With Mobile Phones | Without Mobile Phones | ||
| Americans | 85% | 15% |
Universal ConnectivityRight now, the smart phone landscape is engaged in a competitive battlefield for device dominance. Android vs. iOS, Apps that work on one type, but not the other, multiple cell phone carriers, all with different usage plans and coverage areas. But this will all change. There will be universal connectivity sooner than we expect. Remember the beginnings of television, and the internet, then think about where we are today with both. The evolution of technology happens.
| Feature Phones | Smart Phones | ||
| Adults with Phones | 54% | 46% |
Center of Their UniverseFor many mobile users, the device is the center of their personal universe. This is certainly a fact in emerging cultures, where people may not have running water or plumbing; much less a computer or a telephone land line, but they have a smart phone. But it is true as well for the developed world, where mobile users have replaced television watching and landline use with activities on mobile devices.
Necessity, Not ConvenienceWe are rapidly approaching a world where using a mobile device is more than just a helpful tool. Airlines, banks, some retail, and soon all retail, will have evolved their systems to the point where it is not only an option to use a mobile device, but actually the most practical and efficient option, and potentially the only cost-free option for engaging in transactions. It will be a seismic shift away from location-based computers and the use of cash.
| With Mobile Phones | Without Mobile Phones | ||
| Households | 90% | 10% |
Respondent SkillsThe skills needed for participating in marketing research using mobile devices has already been mastered by the public. There is no need for a big teaching moment. The smart phone revolution has taught people how to work with Apps, shop, read online, take photos and videos, switch between programs, do immediate search, use speaker phones, multi-task in hands-free mode, and in general master the devices in their hands. Thank you, mobile industry, for providing the training program needed for respondents to have the skills to participate in research studies using mobile devices.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Mobile Phone Ownership | 738.14 | 960.96 | 1,156.96 | 1,415.19 | 1,761.57 |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| 2,206.82 | 2,746.51 | 3,369.09 | 4,033.87 | 4,648.09 | 5,382.96 |
Recall — Rest in PeaceThe internet killed distance. Mobile devices have killed the need for recall. With mobile, feedback is immediate, and in the moment. Everything is time stamped. There's no potential for a respondent to play catch up on a study, and present the input as collected in the moment. The immediacy of input in real time is not confined just to respondents – researchers can toss out questions, or ask for feedback right back to respondents.
A Step AheadMarketing research is embracing the evolution to mobile. It's one of the first industries that's been poking through the technological evolution and developing creative ways to climb into the minds of mobile phone users. Use of mobile research tools is likely to more than double in the current calendar year. A creative researcher has a wealth of options to choose from in study design.
| Global | Developed nations | Developing nations | Africa | ||
| Mobile cellular subscriptions (millions) | 5,981 | 1,461 | 4,520 | 433 | |
| Arab States | Asia & Pacific | CIS | Europe | The Americas | |
| 349 | 2,897 | 399 | 741 | 969 |
Sleek and StraightforwardMobile qualitative research brings about results from truly richer data derived from unadulterated insights in the moment. But it's not just the immediacy of feedback... it's the ability to reach more people, more often, more quickly and more efficiently. It replaces complicated and cumbersome with sleek and straightforward.
Optimized to Handle ResearchCivicom believes in creating practical innovative technology solutions to make it possible for marketing researchers to reach a broader respondent base, as well as the opportunity to reach every person with a phone.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Mobile Phone Ownership (United States) | 109,478,031.00 | 128,500,000.00 | 141,800,000.00 | 160,637,000.00 | 184,819,000.00 |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| 203,700,000.00 | 229,600,000.00 | 249,300,000.00 | 261,300,000.00 | 274,300,000.00 | 278,900,000.00 |
