UK adults becoming more devoted to mobile than any other medium

The survey reveals that mobile owners are increasingly loyal to the medium and, across every age group, would give up the internet before they gave up their mobile phones. Respondents were asked which medium they would give up last if they had to choose between TV, newspapers, mobile phone, the internet, radio and magazines.

Overall TV proved most popular with 31% choosing to give it up last. Mobile (19%) was ahead of radio (16%), the internet (13%), newspapers (10%) and magazines (5%) in terms of popularity.

18-24 years olds, however, were more loyal to their mobile devices, with 30% choosing to give up their mobile last, versus 28% for television and 15 % for the internet. This increased loyalty correlates closely with consumers in this same age group being more likely to own a mobile with advanced features. 

Whereas over 50% of the population can access the internet using their mobile phones, 81% of 18-24 year olds can do this; and while around half of mobile owners now own MMS capable handsets, 79% of 18-24s can send and receive MMS picture messages.

The Mobile Media Monitor also revealed how mobile is growing as a marketing medium; 49% of the UK population and 71% of the loyal 18-24 year old age group had received marketing over their mobiles.

"The survey indicates how important the mobile medium is becoming for marketing communications, provided these are user-initiated and personally relevant. As more advanced handset features such as picture messaging, video, broadcast and real track music take hold, the mobile is becoming the electronic device that consumers least want to live without," said Peter Larsen, CEO, Enpocket.

Phase 7 of the Mobile Media Monitor analysis was based on 1,000 telephone interviews undertaken by ICM for Enpocket Insight in June 2005, and relates to the period April-June 2005. The base was representative of UK mobile phone usage. www.enpocket.com