Worldwide Study Indicates Strong Consumer Demand for a Better Mobile Web

Among other findings, more than half of consumer participants want their next mobile phone to provide a good mobile Internet experience

NEW YORK, June 11 -- Mobile Marketing Forum -- dotMobi, the company behind the .mobi Internet address designed specifically for mobile phones, and AKQA Mobile, the mobile division of the global independent creative agency, announced the results of an extensive consumer study of mobile Internet usage and attitudes. Conducted by the AKQA's Research & Insights department in conjunction with dotMobi, the survey reveals key insights into the importance of a better mobile Web for consumers in the U.S. and U.K.

The survey findings indicated a strong consumer desire for practical mobile content on phones. Rather than basic entertainment and ringtones, consumers stated that their most-wanted mobile activities included phone-optimized banking and travel planning.

Further illustrating the desire for utility-focused mobile Web sites, nearly 90 percent of consumer respondents stated that they would be more likely to choose an airline with mobile check-in facilities over one that did not offer them.

Additionally, trust in the mobile Web was inherent throughout the results of the study. In demanding access to mobile banking and mobile commerce abilities for basic utilities such as groceries, plane tickets and books, Consumers said they trust the mobile Web to keep their personal information secure, as opposed to the PC-based Internet, where security remains of utmost importance.

  Other results from the mobile Internet usage and attitudes study include:

  -- Approximately 90 percent of the 2,000 respondents in the online panel
     provided by Research Now are interested in learning about the mobile
     Web, demonstrating a need for brands to make their mobile properties
     findable via mobile search, marketing and advertising campaigns. Fifty
     percent of respondents were unaware that there are mobile sites
     optimized for use on mobile phones and the vast majority - 86 percent
     of participants - said they were interested in knowing which sites are
     easily accessible on a mobile phone.
  -- Nearly 50 percent of respondents said that a poor experience on their
     initial use of the mobile Web made them "reluctant to access" either
     the site - or the Internet in general - on their mobile phones again.
  -- Only 2 percent of participants in the survey who have purchased a phone
     in the past six months chose an iPhone. This indicates that brands that
     don't optimize their mobile services for a variety of mobile phones
     will provide a substandard mobile Internet experiences for a vast
     majority of consumers.
  -- Poor site display and layout remain top reasons for mobile Web
     dissatisfaction among consumers.
  -- Almost two-thirds of participants stated that they would consider
     purchasing theater tickets, take-out food and travel tickets via a
     mobile phone.
  -- Finally, 63 percent of survey respondents said they would be more
     likely to give up their money than their mobile "smart phone" if they
     were mugged.

Daniel Rosen, managing director of AKQA Mobile, said, "The enormous popularity of mobile devices has had a profound effect on the lifestyle of the consumer, unleashing new levels of connectivity and personal mobility. When planning campaigns, global brands need to ensure they take into account the role the mobile device can play in helping them engage with customers, and that they create campaigns that have been developed specifically for mobile applications. The survey's findings show how easily consumers were turned off by earlier, ill-conceived mobile campaigns. With mobile devices more ubiquitous, powerful and sophisticated than ever, there is a real opportunity for brands to deliver ground-breaking mobile campaigns that captivate, engage and entertain their customers."

"The results from this research signify the need for a better mobile experience, something that dotMobi is committed to making available to consumers globally," said Amy Mischler, vice president of Identity and Brand Services at dotMobi. "The free services that dotMobi offers - like DeviceAtlas, ready.mobi and the dotMobi Developer Forum - ensure that developers and marketers can give consumers a mobile Web experience that is useful, and complementary to the mobile lifestyle."

"The .mobi domain quickly lets consumers know that a site will work on a mobile phone. It's also the most widely used naming convention among the Nielsen top 10 Web sites, so consumers are learning to 'guess .mobi' when trying to find a site on a mobile phone. They're seeing that they'll have a more positive Internet experience on their mobile phone anytime and anywhere," Mischler said. "And now that more than 1 million .mobi names have been registered, the availability of rich, diverse content for mobile consumers is growing daily."

About AKQA

AKQA is an independent, ideas-led agency that works in partnership with brand leaders to deliver innovation. The company has offices in London, Amsterdam, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and Shanghai. One of the world's most awarded creative agencies, AKQA has been named Revolution magazine's Agency of the Decade; AdAge Digital Agency of the Year; AdWeek Digital Agency of the Year and Fast Company Top 50 World's Most Innovative Companies.

  For more about AKQA, visit akqa.com.

  About dotMobi

dotMobi (the informal name of mTLD Top Level Domain Ltd.), a consortium headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is leading the growth of internet use from mobile phones with the .mobi domain name. Unique among domain name providers, dotMobi ensures that services and sites developed around .mobi are optimized for use by mobile devices. On-the-go consumers can have confidence that a Web site will work on their mobile phones when using a .mobi address.

dotMobi is backed by leading mobile operators, network & device manufacturers, and internet content providers, including Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison 3, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, T-Mobile, Telefonica Moviles, TIM, Visa and Vodafone.

For more information on dotMobi domains and registration information, visit http://dotmobi.mobi/. Visit the dotMobi blog at http://blog.mobi/.

  For more information
  Vance Hedderel
  dotMobi
  +1-703-485-5563
  vhedderel at dotmobi.mobi

  Maya Hart
  AKQA
  +44-20-7780-4797
  maya.hart at akqa.com

  Michael Diamond
  Edelman for dotMobi (U.S.)
  +1-650-762-2800
  michael.diamond at edelman.com

  Gareth Davies
  Edelman for dotMobi (Europe)
  +44-20-7344-1216
  gareth.davies at edelman.com