MANILA, September 13, 2013 – Only 41% of Filipino smartphone users receive ads, but 74% of those who do click on them, a Nielsen report revealed.
The report, Decoding the Asian Mobile Consumer, studied the trends in smartphone ownership among consumers in the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, and Singapore.
According to the report, In-App advertising is the most prevalent form of mobile advertising in the region.
"Mobile advertising is still very much in a nascent phase, and many agencies and advertisers are still trialing and experimenting with advertising formats to see what works and what doesn’t," said Sagar Phadke, director of Nielsen’s Telecom and Technology practice in southeast Asia, north Asia, and Pacific.
Phadke recommended advertising that does not interrupt the user’s activities.
"What we are seeing is advertising which provides access to free content and does not disrupt the experience is the most widely-accepted. Advertisers looking to leverage mobile to deliver advertising messages need to focus on delivering an engaging experience whilst remaining non-intrusive on smartphone users’ time and mobile activities," he recommended
According to the report, the Philippines has the lowest smartphone penetration rate of the nine countries included in the study, with only 15%. The highest penetration rates are in Hong Kong and Singapore, at 87%.
It was also revealed that Filipino users tend to own only one mobile phone, with only 10% of respondents owning multiple devices.
However, the study revealed that tablet ownership in the Philippines–as in the rest of the region–is on the rise. Last year, only 3% of the market owned tablets, while this year, the number climbed to 5%.
In selecting their devices, Filipino consumers prioritize battery life, brand, and wi-fi capabilities, while most other users from the region also consider the operating system and price of the device.
The top two influencers of Filipino consumers’ purchases are in-store displays, and reviews and recommendations from friends, relatives, and colleagues.
Filipino smartphone owners also spend relatively less time on their mobile phones as compared to the rest of the region, with a total active time of 171 minutes.
