Tablet users are showing high levels of engagement with advertising, with 47% of owners admitting they engage with ads more than once a week, and once engaged over 87% are ‘extremely likely’ to take action.
That is the top-level finding of an IAB study in the US, which also found one in four smartphone users interact with ads at the same frequency.
In addition, nearly one-third of mobile device owners (30% smartphone users, 32% tablet users) admitted they were likely to respond to ads that related to their current location (referring to home, rather than on the go), said the study.
It follows a report by Gartner, which found the main activity moving from PCs to media tablets was checking email, with 81% of respondents admitting to this change in behaviour.
Anna Bager from IAB said: “Both tablet and smartphone users show an impressive interest in mobile advertising. The key for marketers is looking at how consumers use these devices in different ways, and tailoring brand messages and strategies accordingly.”
When it comes to smartphones, users consider that device to be mission-critical for their day-to-day lives, with 70% saying that they “never leave home without it”. In comparison, 70% said their tablets served as entertainment and media hubs.
Those that have both devices echo this sentiment, with 60% preferring a smartphone to “look up info on-the-go,” in contrast to 22% who would choose a tablet for that activity. However, when asked how they preferred to consume traditional media like print and video on mobile devices, consumers overwhelming choose tablets (69% print, 68% video) over a smartphone (9% print, 8% video).
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