by @davesniadak
I've always advocated that simply having a smartphone doesn't necessarily make you smarter. However, according to the latest numbers from Nielsen more people are at least investing in the idea.
January Smartphone Penetration numbers were released earlier this week, and there appears to be a direct connection between age and income when it comes to smartphone consumption. According to Nielsen's findings, which polled 20,000 mobile products users, overall smartphone penetration is up to 48% of mobile consumers. That's up from a comScore poll that had smartphone saturation at around 40% in September of 2011.
When we dive deeper into the demographic findings, the marketing world's idyllic bracket - the Ages 25-34 category - 2 out of every 3 mobile user has a smartphone. Compare that with income, and 25-34'ers that earn over $100,000 a year, 8 out of 10 users who acquired a new mobile device in the past three months had chosen smartphones. However, Nielsen's data also shows that 50% of consumers that fall in the 18-24 age bracket and make less than $15,000 per year have smart phones as well. One reason for the recent spike in usage could be Apple's record 37-million new iPhones that hit the market in Q4 of 2011.
So, why does this kind of information matter? It's vitally important for marketers to consider when exploring ways to reach out to consumers. The customers with money tend to have the tools that keep them connected, but yet, the younger millennial generation on the rise are spending their hard earned cash to stay connected as well. Mobile outreach needs to be a major part of any public relations, marketing, or publicity campaign.
