In order to help brands and marketers identify key market trends, mobile subscriber usage patterns, and success metrics for mobile marketing in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) today announced the results of its third-annual APAC Mobile Attitude and Usage Study.

The study provides actionable insights into the APAC region's consumer mobile usage by demographic group, awareness and usage of mobile phone features and services, and interest in and concerns about specific applications. The study's key findings include:

• The use of multiple mobile phone features bodes well for acceptance of mobile marketing. Across the APAC region, feature usage is high. Smartphones usage also is high throughout the region, particularly in China and India, giving mobile marketers additional options for developing and executing campaigns.
• Roughly half of APAC mobile users express at least moderate interest in mobile marketing, and 13% indicate high interest. The immediacy of the information and convenience of the service are perceived as its greatest benefits.
• Of the countries surveyed, the greatest potential is in India and China, followed by Hong Kong. Furthermore, more users in these countries already have participated in such programs.
• Text messaging usage is high: more than 60% of the region's uses. This usage translates into a large addressable audience for SMS-based marketing campaigns.
• Regardless of country or age, users are more likely to have experience with sweepstakes/voting and receiving information about new products than with other mobile marketing applications. Applications of interest to the greatest number of potential users are mobile coupons, status alerts about accounts or purchases, alerts on special sales and sweepstakes.
• Greatest barriers to acceptance include lack of need, fear of intrusiveness and cost concerns, a trend consistent with other markets of the world.

The 2007 Mobile Attitude and Usage Study was conducted by Synovate, a global market research firm, on behalf of the MMA. Synovate conducted 1,901 online interviews in October 2007 which looked at mobile usage in China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Japan and Australia. The MMA has also conducted similar studies in the U.S. and Western Europe.

"This study confirms the attractiveness of the Asia Pacific region for mobile marketing activities. The size of the market is large and mobile phone users are receptive to this application of the technology," said Brendan Shair, Executive Director in Synovate's Hong Kong office. "As seen in the U.S., the Youth Market (18 - 34) is particularly attractive for mobile marketers, given this segment's high dependency on their mobile phones."

"The APAC region is world-renowned for its high wireless penetration and usage of mobile technologies and the 2007 APAC Mobile Attitude and Usage Study provides some new insights into mobile marketing receptiveness," said Laura Marriott, president of the MMA. "The study will be available, free of charge, to all MMA members early next week."

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish mobile media guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth, and evangelize the mobile channel for use by brands and content providers. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com