RNS Number:6747N
Buongiorno S.p.A
11 February 2008
Buongiorno at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress 2008: innovative, qualitative
research provided
CELL SURFING 2008:
Buongiorno unveils the results of recently completed in-depth ethnographic
research into mobile internet behaviour
The main results of a qualitative study commissioned by Buongiorno are:
• Embracers versus Pragmatists: in the mobile internet scenario, two key
attitudes towards mobile phones and browsing were revealed
• Mobile browsing depends mainly on four reasons: socialising; searching
for information or entertainment; continuing actions started on the PC/internet;
content downloading (music, video, games)
• Virtuous, or Vicious? Confidence with technology determines the
relationship with the medium and the use of related services
• The impact of convergence: there is still a long way to go!
MWC Barcelona, February 11-14, 2008 - Buongiorno S.p.A (MTAX STAR: BNG), the
world's leading company in mobile entertainment, will unveil the results of its
recently completed in-depth research into understanding mobile internet
behaviour, in order to:
• understand the habits of consumers better
• offer consumers a better service.
The study will be presented at the Mobile World Congress, the most highly
regarded event in the mobile industry, in Barcelona during 11-14 February 2008.
Lucia Predolin, IR and Marketing Communication Director, Buongiorno, commented:
"The mobile entertainment market is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers'
needs. As we are the leading company in this market globally, we are confident
and well positioned to fulfil the role of "market maker" company.
"We have commissioned research every year, to identify our customers' needs in a
market where trend switches are one of the main characteristics.
"A brand is a promise to consumers; with this research from Acacia, we are
highlighting our efforts to provide high quality services that generate consumer
loyalty worldwide."
In Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK), one in three users
connects to the mobile internet.
In the US, there are 33.7 million users (1 out of 5 mobile owners) accessing the
internet using a mobile device (1); there are more than 572 million 3G
connections worldwide; in the next five years, mobile Internet connection will
be five times broader than that of the PC(2).
Commissioned in November 2007, the London-based market research firm Acacia
Avenue provided Buongiorno with research entitled "Cell Surfing 2008"
(www.cellsurfing2008.com).
The research aims to understand the mobile browsing behaviour of 18-34 year olds
in the UK: what role it plays in their lives, key themes shaping their behaviour
and what is in store for the future.
A 'deep-dive' approach was taken, including a series of in-home interviews,
going out and about with people, diary keeping and a 'torture test' whereby PC
browsing was banned for five days in order to assess the true potential of the
mobile phone(3).
Embracers versus Pragmatists
In the mobile internet industry, our research demonstrates that age and gender
are not determining factors in the use of the mobile phone to connect to the
internet.
On the contrary, "Cell Surfing 2008" identifies two clusters towards browsing;
• Embracers: see their phones as real beings - pets, friends,
collaborators. They love to experiment with browsing and the battery is their
only limit when it comes to being online. They browse with friends, alone, on
the bus, out shopping. They browse to stay connected, to alleviate boredom, for
efficiency, for entertainment or for information.
• Pragmatists: see their phones as tools to make their lives easier. For
them, browsing is about being informed. They usually spend short bursts of time
online - just enough to get the job done. Browsing is a personal activity, not
one to be shared with friends. It's about keeping up, being productive, and
staying on top of day-to-day issues and events.
Frequency of use: a relevant aspect
Besides Embracers and Pragmatists, the research shows that it is possible to
operate a distinction based on frequency of use: the study identifies Heavy
users who connect to the mobile internet more than three times a day and for
whom Browsing is a necessity; and Light users who connect to mobile internet
less than five times a week, for them browsing is a 'nice thing to have', it is
useful to be always informed but not indispensable.
Four good reasons for mobile browsing:
"Cell Surfing 2008" research also investigated what people do when browsing.
Socialising is the primary activity: users immediately check who is connected on
the most recognised social networks - such as MySpace, Facebook, MSN, Tagged.
The other reasons for mobile browsing are: Searching for information and
entertainment, together with the need to Continue actions started on the PC/
internet, (e.g. searches, comparisons, email) and finally Download content
(music, video, games, etc).
Typically, Embracers connect for entertainment, and to socialise. Pragmatists
browse in order to continue actions started on the PC/ internet, and to download
content.
Virtuous, or Vicious?
Another relevant finding by "Cell Surfing 2008" is the importance of users'
confidence in technology.
Those who are confident - the so-called Virtuous - accept and experiment. On the
other side, the Vicious are characterised by a negative approach.
Convergence:
Interviewees confirmed the strong potential of mobile phone-PC convergence and
its efficacy - but there still is a long way to go. In order to exploit emerging
trends fully, it will be necessary for mobile users to be able to: permanently
access info; enjoy a transparent pricing structure; enjoy a clear menu of
communication opportunities; enjoy multi-task browsing.
Buongiorno at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress 2008:
Buongiorno, thanks to its competitive positioning and global approach, is a
reference point in the mobile entertainment market. The market is expected to
reach US$50 billion by 2010(4) with about 840 million users who use cell phones
as media players(5).
Buongiorno will be present for the duration of the congress, for attendees to
visit at our hospitality suite 60 - 56 (Hall 4.7), February 11-14 2008.
The complete research is available at www.cellsurfing2008.com
About Buongiorno Group:
Buongiorno (Milan, Italy: MTAX STAR: BNG) is a multinational leader in digital
entertainment.
With the acquisition of iTouch, a market player in the distribution of mobile
entertainment products and services, Buongiorno became the world's leading
provider of mobile entertainment, information, messaging and marketing services.
The group is market leader in Europe and in the United States, and has recently
opened operations in emerging markets - such as Latin America, the Middle East,
and Africa. Buongiorno operates in Russia and Pacific Asia through its joint
venture with Japanese group Mitsui & Co.
Buongiorno operates with two business lines: value-added services for wireless
and wired consumers (Consumer Services) - distributed through the brand
BLINKO as well as through partnerships with leading telecom companies and the
most important media groups and digital marketing services (Marketing Services).
Buongiorno is a partner of NCL (National Consumer League), the oldest American
association for the consumer's protection, on developing an educational campaign
for mobile entertainment users.
For further information, please contact:
ICIS BUONGIORNO
UK Financial Press and Financial Analysts Eleonora Villanova
Tom Moriarty Global PR & IR Executive
Tel: +44 207 651 8688 Tel. +39 02 582131
Email: tom@icisnet.com Email: eleonora.villanova@buongiorno.com
--------------------------
(1) Nielsen, Nov 2007
2 Rutberg&Co. 2007
3 Adapted ethnography is born out of social anthropology - it involves going
into people's lives and experiencing what they experience in their own contexts,
in real time.
4 Source: Gartner, Strategy Analytics, Company Estimates
5 Source: Company data: mobile users in the world by 2010: 3,5 billion, of which
30% will use the mobile phone as a media player
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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