You’re going to fondle your phone more this Super Bowl, says survey

A new survey from Velti provides some trends to expect for the upcoming Super Bowl and your mobile phone. Some interesting (and obvious) stats are shown and we can expect the usage of the “second screen” to increase quite a bit during this year’s Super Bowl compared to last.

While Super Bowl commercials are often funny and interesting to watch, Velti claims that twice as many users will check their mobile phones during the commercial breaks. The stat seems very obvious but given that companies spend millions on 30 second ads for the Super Bowl, the second screen “may be threatening the effectiveness of the campaign.” This may be true but what other time would you expect someone to tweet about that incomplete pass?

The stats continue, saying that 83% of people who intend to use their mobile phones during the Super Bowl expect to use it more often and mobile users over the age of 18 expect to check their phone’s up to ten times during the game. Moreover, mobile users under the age of 45 will likely be watching the Super Bowl with their phone in their hand.

“This survey is indicative of how integrated the mobile device has become during the biggest television event of the year in the U.S.,” said Krishna Subramanian, Chief Marketing Officer of Velti. “Viewers are sitting in front of the television with a mobile device in their hand and they’ll likely check that ‘second’ screen often. There’s no going back now from the fact that the Super Bowl is truly a two-screen experience. Mobile is the second screen that completes the full circle of user engagement – turning advertising into content.”

It’s true that are smartphones are penetrating more and more aspects of our daily lives, which can be both a good and a bad thing.

Be sure to read the rest of the press release below, as there are some very interesting statistics found within the survey.

The Mobile Super Bowl is here. How much do you plan on using your mobile phone during the Super Bowl this coming Sunday?

Velti Survey Shows Half of Mobile Users Who Watch the Super Bowl Will Check Device up to 10 Times During the Game; One-Third of Viewers Under 45 Will Watch With Device in Hand

 

Super Bowl Commercials Wasted as Twice as Many Viewers Check Device During Commercial Breaks Than During Game Play

                                                                                            

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 1, 2012 – Velti (NASDAQ: VELT), the leading global provider of mobile marketing and advertising technology, shared today a nationwide poll showing nearly 60 percent of mobile users plan to look at or use their mobile device during this year’s Super Bowl. The study was commissioned by Velti and conducted online by Harris Interactive® in January among 1,428 U.S. adults who have mobile devices and plan to watch this year’s Super Bowl.

 

83 percent of viewers who plan to use their mobile device expect to use it as much or more than they did during last year’s Super Bowl. 30 percent of viewers under the age of 45 will be watching the game with their device in hand, and about half (47%) of all viewers age 18 and older say they expect to check or use their device up to 10 times during the game.

 

Though many companies spend millions of dollars for commercial slots during the game, the second screen experience may be threatening the effectiveness of the campaign. According to the survey, only 13 percent of viewers who will use their mobile device say they are most likely to do so during game play. About twice as many, or 26 percent, say they are likely to look at or use their mobile device during commercial breaks. During the famous, and sometimes infamous, halftime show, men are twice as likely as women (26% vs. 13%) to turn their attention to their mobile devices.

 

“This survey is indicative of how integrated the mobile device has become during the biggest television event of the year in the U.S.,” said Krishna Subramanian, Chief Marketing Officer of Velti. “Viewers are sitting in front of the television with a mobile device in their hand and they’ll likely check that ‘second’ screen often. There’s no going back now from the fact that the Super Bowl is truly a two-screen experience. Mobile is the second screen that completes the full circle of user engagement – turning advertising into content.”

 

In the coveted 18-34 age range, 22 percent said they plan to use their mobile device more frequently in this year’s game. This age group will have the highest device usage, with those who’ll check at least once predicting they’ll be checking their device an average of 19 times during the game.

 

Mobile users certainly will not be lonely during this year’s Super Bowl, nor do they expect to be alone in using their mobile device. 97 percent of mobile users expect to be watching with at least one other person, and almost half (47%) of viewers who’ll be using their mobile device are almost certain or find it very likely someone watching the game with them will also be using their mobile device during the game. Even 31 percent of those age 55 and older who will be using their mobile device said they expect it to be almost certain or very likely someone they are watching the game with will be using a mobile device.

 

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Velti from January 25-27, 2012 among 2,099 adults ages 18 and older, among which 1,428 have a mobile device and will watch this year’s Super Bowl. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Lisa Gonzales; lisa@sutherlandgold.com or at (415) 848-3426.