solomon,+sherry+focus+group+report

Solomon S

TO: Mobile Team FROM: sherry Solomon SUBJECT: Mobile Focus Group Report DATE: MARCH, 31, 2010

Here is my report on a focus group that I conducted with five college students on their cell phone device usage. I was able to cover three of the five questions developed by our team. Most participants reported they were more driven to using their phones for text messaging more than making voice calls.
 * Focus Group Rationale**

Today, mobile advertising has taken great measures on targeting mobile users by brand identity and free mobile applications. Our focus group will determine how Gen- Y users prefer to network on their phones as well as reasoning behind their phone purchase. This information will allow us to advise proximity practitioners on how to develop and target mobile phones to the Gen-Y era.


 * Setting and Participants**

The 45 minute session was held in the union on Wednesday, March 23, 2010. The female and male participants were:
 * Dylan, 20, a Towson Univ. junior business major;
 * Jamie, 21, a Towson Univ. junior education major;
 * Lauren, 21, a Towson Univ. junior health care management major;
 * Pat, 20, a Towson Univ. junior psychology major;
 * Andrew, 22, a Towson Univ. junior pre-med.


 * Session Topics**

We covered the following three topics during the session:

__ Internet Access __ All participants reported using their cell phones to access the internet daily. Even the students with the most basic cellular device used their mobile phone for tasks such as updating their facebook and checking their emails. Those with the more advanced mobile phones reported spending more time browsing the web and doing things they would normally do on their desktop computer. Dylan, a blackberry user, reported using his phone for reading the New York Times and monitoring his online banking.

__ Mobile Phone Communication __

When questioned about how they preferred to network, almost all participants stated they found communicating through text messaging to be quick and easier. Andrew, who has verison’s LG EnV preferred communicating through voice dialing. Dylan said he liked communicating through Blackberry Messenger, a copy cat of instant messaging for blackberry users.

__ Computer Use __

The participants reported that using their mobile devices made processing information quicker then using a computer when on the go. Although all participants still use computers everyday, Jamie and Lauren noted that their mobile devices made checking their emails or facebook much easier when a computer is not accessible. As long as the procedure is fairly simple, students find mobile device convenient to access information then sitting down at a desk top computer. With the Gen- Y era continuing to grow in a technology advanced world, mobile devices will continue to come out with different applications to keep up with the speed.


 * Findings**

The session revealed that mobile users:


 * Use the internet daily on their cell phones
 * Prefer text messaging over voice dialing
 * Enjoy using their mobile devices when on the go to check email and text
 * Found mobile devices convenient to access information then sitting down at a desk top computer.

As mobile phones are becoming more technology advanced, it is not unusual to see young individuals start to use their mobile devices in other ways then just making phone calls. As mobile apps and advances continue to come out, mobile users will be experiencing more access to information then they ever could before.