September 18, 2007

Does ur Granny text?
New Research from InsightExpress Finds Baby Boomers Are Embracing Mobile Technology

STAMFORD, CT - September 18, 2007 -- InsightExpress, a leading online marketing research firm, announced today the findings from a new study intended to shed light on mobile consumers. The results indicate that, while younger consumers remain at the forefront of mobile technology adoption, Baby Boomers are embracing mobile use as well. In fact, this generation's behavior is surprisingly on par with that of their more youthful counterparts.

Mobile for the Masses

Given the public's growing appetite for connective technology, it's not surprising that mobile phone penetration is on par with Internet access. Approximately 80 percent of respondents reported owning a mobile phone, while 78 percent of Americans have Internet access.

Mobile phone penetration is actually spread equally across the generations. Although Gen Y (18-24) leads the pack at 85 percent, it is followed closely by Gen X (25-44) at 82 percent, younger Baby Boomers (45-54) at 80 percent and older Baby Boomers (55-64) at 79 percent.

Among these mobile consumers, it's not just the Gen Y-ers who crave the latest and greatest mobile gadgets. While over half of Gen Y-ers and 37 percent for Gen X-ers would like to upgrade their device in the next year or so, the numbers remain strong for both younger and older Boomers. A healthy 30 percent of younger Boomers and almost a quarter (24 percent) of older Boomers plan to upgrade in the next year.

Although more Gen Y-ers and Gen X-ers have feature packed phones that allow the user to connect to people and information in a variety of ways, the Boomers are not too far behind. For example, 51 percent of Gen Y-ers say they have phones that can access the mobile Internet, followed by 47 percent of Gen X-ers, 39 percent of younger Boomers and 32 percent of older Boomers. Furthermore, 75 percent of younger Boomers have text messaging capabilities, 54 percent have ring tones, and 52 percent have camera phones.

Boomer Mobile Behavior

A look at today's daily mobile activities also reflects Boomer participation in tomorrow's usage trends. Gen Y sends the most text messages (43 percent text on a daily basis), but Boomers are taking up this relatively new mode of communication as well. A little over one sixth (16 percent) of younger Boomers and one tenth (10 percent) of older Boomers text daily.

The Boomers are also not that far behind Gen Y when it comes to daily mobile Internet access. The research finds that 8 percent of Gen Y accesses the mobile Internet daily, while 4 percent of younger Boomers and 3 percent of older Boomers do so.

The survey also reveals that individuals of all ages find it hard to tear themselves away from their mobile device while driving. Although Gen Y is more apt to send and receive text messages from behind the wheel, significant numbers from all generations talk without a hands-free device. Despite laws against this behavior in many states, an astounding 47 percent of Gen Y-ers, 42 percent of Gen X-ers, 37 percent of younger Boomers and 28 percent of older Boomers admit to engaging in this practice.

Finally, mobile offers good news for advertisers targeting consumers of all ages. The study's findings indicate that two in five Gen Y-ers (40 percent) using the mobile Internet recall seeing some type of advertisement on their phone, and one in four (25 percent) older mobile users recall seeing ads on their phone.

Summary

In an effort to determine who mobile consumers are, how they behave, and what they think, the InsightExpress study findings reveal that age is not a barrier to mobile use and acceptance. According to Joy Liuzzo, Director of Mobile Research at InsightExpress, "Mobile technology is pervasive, impacting the lives of consumers across generations. It's fascinating to see how all age groups are adopting new mobile technologies and fueling usage trends. This widespread acceptance and appeal is precisely what makes the mobile market attractive to both B2B and B2C businesses."

About the Research

InsightExpress fielded a survey to 2015 mobile respondents in July 2007. The survey data has a margin of error of 3 to 5 percent, assuming a 95 percent confidence interval.

About InsightExpress

InsightExpress is an acknowledged pioneer of rapid turnaround, high-quality, online marketing research services. With its patented technology, market research expertise, and access to more than 100 million online individuals, InsightExpress enables its clients to easily harness market research to make the right business decision in real-time. The company is headquartered in Stamford, CT, and maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. InsightExpress is affiliated with General Atlantic LLC. Visit us on the Web at www.insightexpress.com or call 203-406-3233.