Goldberg+Focus+Group+Report

Goldberg A.

TO: Mobile Team FROM: Aaron Goldberg SUBJECT: Mobile Focus Group Report DATE: March 30, 2010

Here is my focus group report I ran with five college students, one female and four males, on exactly how Gen-Y uses mobil devices and to what extent they can be reached via mobile ads and applications. I was able to fully cover all five questions my team had developed. Most participants mainly used their mobile devices to for texting and the internet/games. They were seen as devices for leisure activities and communication, but not physical transactions.


 * Focus Group Rationale

Mobile advertising has expanded because companies can easily target mobile device and gain brand identity by providing free applications. Our focus groups have determined exactly how Gen-Y uses mobile devices and to what extent they can be reached via mobile ads and applications. This information will allow us to advise Proximity clients on how to develop a mobile strategy to target Gen-Y.

Setting and Participants

The 45 minutes session was held in my apartment on Friday, March 19, 2010. The male and female participants were: **
 * Chris, 22, a Towson Univ. Senior Criminal Justice Major, Male, iPhone 3G
 * Jordan, 20, a Towson Univ. Junior Nursing Major, Female, iPhone 3G
 * Danny, 20, a Towson Univ. Junior Mass Marketing Major, Male, Blackberry Tour
 * Andy, 21, a Towson Univ. Junior Physical Education Major, Male, Blackberry Curve
 * Mitch, 21, a Towson Univ. Junior Political Science Major, Male, Blackberry Curve


 * Session Topics**

We covered the following topics during the session: __Main Uses of Mobile Devices__ All five participants claimed the main use of their phone was texting, while Mitch and Chris said e-mails were a "close second". Jordan, Danny and Andy said phone calls were "preferred for longer conversations", but texts were "quicker and to the point". It seemed that the iPhone users, Chris and Jordan, were more likely to use their phones for surfing the internet, though Mitch admitted to that as well.

__Use of Applications__ Chris cited many applications that he downloaded and uses often, such as Facebook, Slacker Radio, To-Do's, Fandango, and ESPN Scorecenter. Jordan also stated she uses many applications on her iPhone. All three Blackberry users, however, said they "almost never" use applications.

__Replacing Computers__ All five participants claimed that they have not had a decline on computer time since the purchase of their mobile devices. They all feel more comfortable making purchases and responding to ads over the computer rather than their smartphones.


 * Findings**

The session revealed that iPhone users:
 * use their mobile devices for leisure just as much, if not more than for business;
 * are more likely to download/use applications.

It was also revealed that Blackberry users:
 * do not download/use applications often;
 * use their phone for business-oriented purposes, such as e-mail.

These findings should be compared with the results from our other sessions with participants who own either iPhones or Blackberry's. It seems that iPhone users are more likely to use the internet and download/use applications. This means that our clients should consider targeting iPhone users specifically.