Mobile Marketing Insights

Consumer Trends Report: Consumers are Using SMS and Push and They Demand Personalization

New report also finds younger consumers prefer SMS from brands over email, and show significant enthusiasm for using Mobile Wallet

Mobile Consumer Trends Report
Table of Contents

Mobile messaging cuts through the clutter of the many other channels competing for a consumer’s attention. How could it not when it’s front and center on their most personal device they use for 5-6 hours a day simply managing their life?

In partnership with Industry Dive studioID we sought to validate this exact sentiment. We surveyed a broad range of over 1,000 mobile-centric consumers with the intention of understanding what the relationship with their mobile phones looks like today, how they interact with brands on their phones, and how often.

We've made the full report available for you to download here.

And now for some highlights.

Consumers are willing to share their personal data with brands.

That's right: among the core findings were that more than 40% of consumers say they are willing to share personal data with brands in exchange for better personalization.

Mobile Consumer Trends Report
Source: Mobile Consumer Trends Report, 2023

Consumers say that as long as the message is relevant, the more messages the better.

More than a third of consumers who are already engaging with brands through text messages and push notifications (and nearly 70% of consumers surveyed say they already are) would be happy to hear from those brands often as long as the content is relevant - even when sending as many as one message a day.

Mobile Consumer Trends Report
Source: Mobile Consumer Trends Report, 2023

Younger consumers in particular not only love a health dose of relevant messages, but it's also what drives their brand loyalty. In fact, consumers under the age of 40 actually cited a frequency of too few messages as a reason to stop receiving SMS and push communication from a brand.

SMS and Push can best deliver on the growing consumer demand for personalized communication.

Using consumer data is the best way to create tailored content that will catch their attention to engage.

SMS and Push are both channels that can curate consumer data without facing any privacy repercussions. How? By only collecting and using the following two types of data:

  • Zero-party data: information that consumers voluntarily offer up to you as a means of receiving more relevant content, such as survey responses, preference centers and 2-way text message interactions
  • First-party data: information that’s collected around how consumers engage with your brand, from the text messages they     open to the post-click browsing they do on your website.

These mobile messaging channels’ abilities to collect both demographic and behavior-based data and use it to engage 1:1 with consumers is practically baked into its DNA, which is one of the most powerful benefits.

Consumers are engaging with Mobile Wallet - especially those under the age of 55.

The survey also found that Mobile Wallet, i.e. a digital wallet found on all smartphones that can house digital coupons, loyalty membership cards, gift cards and other items in one place, is taking off in popularity, particularly among younger consumers aged 25-54.

More than half (54%) of this group say they're either already using or are interested in using Mobile Wallet to store items such as offers and loyalty cards – a terrific opportunity for brands looking to bridge the engagement gap between high-reach, low-engagement channels like email and low-reach, high-engagement channels like a brand’s own mobile app.

More than 70% of smartphone users even said they are likely to save and redeem personalized mobile wallet offers or coupons that are enhanced with their name, and that are tailored to their personal shopping preferences.

Proven adoption of Mobile Wallet Engagement for Vibes' customers.

KFC franchisee KBP Brands, one of the largest and fastest-growing quick-service franchises in the country, is the latest Vibes customer who is reaping the benefits Mobile Wallet is having on their business, expanding from a pilot to a rollout of both SMS and Mobile Wallet channels in all 847 KBP-owned KFC restaurants across 28 states.

Download our full report today for all the latest mobile consumer insights and what they mean for your brand's success.

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