Mobile device adoption is driving online video consumption, multi-tasking and digital purchases, according to a new global survey by IDC Global Solutions (IGS).
The study found a dramatic increase in mobile video consumption: 75% of consumers use a smartphone to watch online videos today, compared with 61% in 2012. Additionally, 87% have indicated that they use tablets to watch online video.
Mobile devices are replacing traditional media too. Specifically, 50% of respondents using a tablet to read newspapers, while 40% have replaced either their desktop or laptop with a tablet device.
Users are more reliant on mobile devices than ever, and literally access them round-the-clock. Indeed, 80% of all respondents admit to researching products or services for business on a tablet in the evening.
With the above statistics in mind, it is hardly surprising that the lack of mobile enabled websites and security concerns remain the biggest barriers to the growth of purchases on smartphone.
“The ‘mobile evolution’ is having a profound effect on consumers and businesses. It has kick-started the ‘always-on’ culture, presenting brands with unprecedented opportunities to develop closer relationships with their customers,” said Christina Carstensen, IDG Global Solutions.
“We have moved beyond media convergence to a convergence of technology and humans, and brands more than ever need to show their human side to communicate in a relevant, engaging and intuitive way,” she said.