E marketer mobile_content_activities_roundup

April 2015
The audiences for mobile content are huge—from video and games to social
networking, apps and retail, more than 100 million US consumers are doing
it on mobile phones.The smartphone hasn’t replaced the PC, but as more
people consume more mobile content, they all expect an excellent mobile
experience. eMarketer has curated a roundup of key stats, insights and
interviews to help marketers stay on top of the latest trends.
MOBILE CONTENT AND
ACTIVITIES ROUNDUP
presented by

Mobile Content and Activities Roundup Copyright ©2015 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved. 2
MOBILE CONTENT AND ACTIVITIES ROUNDUP
Overview
Content is king—and that goes for mobile, too.
In the US alone, the audiences for mobile phone
video, music, games, search, social networks (and
specifically Facebook) are more than 100 million
strong. Not only that, but as late as 2015, each of
those audiences is still growing by double-digit
rates. More consumers are using more mobile
devices to do more tasks than ever.
Apps are even bigger. eMarketer estimates nearly 170
million US consumers will install at least one app on their
smartphone during 2015, up from around 150 million last
year. Including tablet app installers brings the mobile app
audience this year to more than 196 million.
The ecommerce audience on mobile is also growing
robustly.This year, eMarketer forecasts, 121.8 million US
consumers ages 14 and up will make at least one purchase
via a mobile browser or app this year, whether on a tablet,
smartphone or other device.That represents 70.9% of the
total US digital buying audience this year.While nearly 100
million people will make a purchase via tablet this year,
fewer than 80 million will do so on a smartphone—but that’s
up from 67.2 million in 2014, and is expected to reach 105.6
million by 2019, when nearly half of all smartphone users will
make a mobile purchase.
Though mobile users are gobbling up content—and stuff—
via mobile, the smartphone is still not the equivalent of a PC.
In the realm of commerce, mobile is still more popular as a
research tool, while shoppers are out and about or in a store,
showrooming, than it is for conversion. In terms of content,
users still prefer short-form video clips to snack on, and tend
to watch full-length shows or movies on larger devices.
As smartphones continue to get larger screens, and end up
in the hands of ever-more users, publishers, app-makers and
advertisers will all have to contend with growing audiences
and continually changing expectation. But above all, these
users want the same thing: an excellent mobile experience,
no matter what they’re doing.
US Mobile Phone Content Usage Metrics, 2013-2019
Mobile phone
video viewers
(millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
music listeners
(millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
gamers (millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
search users
(millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
social network
users (millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
Facebook users
(millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
Mobile phone
Twitter users
(millions)
—% change
—% of mobile
phone users
—% of population
2013
76.7
20.0%
31.0%
24.2%
71.6
31.9%
29.0%
22.6%
129.3
21.1%
52.3%
40.9%
109.6
32.7%
44.3%
34.6%
118.6
23.0%
48.0%
37.5%
100.3
21.2%
40.6%
31.7%
34.1
31.0%
13.8%
10.8%
2014
94.1
22.6%
37.2%
29.5%
87.2
21.7%
34.5%
27.4%
147.6
14.2%
58.4%
46.3%
133.6
21.9%
52.8%
41.9%
136.4
15.0%
53.9%
42.8%
115.9
15.5%
45.8%
36.3%
40.9
20.0%
16.2%
12.8%
2015
107.1
13.8%
41.5%
33.3%
100.1
14.8%
38.8%
31.2%
164.9
11.7%
63.9%
51.3%
157.3
17.8%
61.0%
49.0%
151.2
10.9%
58.6%
47.0%
128.8
11.2%
49.9%
40.1%
46.8
14.4%
18.1%
14.6%
2016
117.2
9.5%
44.7%
36.2%
112.3
12.2%
42.8%
34.7%
180.4
9.4%
68.8%
55.7%
177.8
13.0%
67.8%
54.9%
162.6
7.5%
62.0%
50.2%
138.8
7.8%
52.9%
42.8%
53.2
13.7%
20.3%
16.4%
2017
123.9
5.7%
46.6%
37.9%
121.3
8.0%
45.6%
37.1%
192.2
6.6%
72.3%
58.9%
196.5
10.5%
73.9%
60.2%
170.7
5.0%
64.2%
52.3%
145.8
5.0%
54.8%
44.6%
57.8
8.6%
21.7%
17.7%
2018
131.4
6.0%
48.6%
39.9%
128.5
5.9%
47.5%
39.0%
202.8
5.5%
75.0%
61.6%
207.6
5.6%
76.8%
63.1%
178.4
4.5%
66.0%
54.2%
152.3
4.4%
56.3%
46.2%
62.0
7.3%
22.9%
18.8%
2019
136.9
4.2%
50.0%
41.3%
134.5
4.7%
49.1%
40.5%
209.5
3.3%
76.5%
63.1%
215.8
4.0%
78.8%
65.0%
183.5
2.8%
67.0%
55.3%
156.5
2.8%
57.2%
47.2%
65.1
5.0%
23.8%
19.6%
Source: eMarketer, Feb 2015
184779 www.eMarketer.com

Does Mobile Help Marketers Gain Customer Loyalty?
Loyalty efforts are the most popular mobile campaigns—and the
most effective
Despite ongoing chatter about the channel for
several years now, mobile marketing usage
increased sharply last year. In a November
2014 Salesforce Marketing Cloud study, 46% of
marketers worldwide reported using some form
of mobile marketing, compared with 23% studied
in the prior year. Nearly two-thirds of mobile
marketers said mobile produced, or would
eventually produce, return on investment, and
70% said the channel was a critical enabler of
products and services—up 13 percentage points
year over year.
Customer loyalty pays off—just ask Amazon.com and take
a look at the loyalty of holiday gift givers—and marketers
were bringing these efforts to mobile. Loyalty efforts were
the most popular type of mobile campaigns, used by 37%
of respondents. Mobile marketers also took advantage of
prime shopping seasons, with 36% using the channel for
holiday or event campaigns. The same percentage also
sent SMSs that promoted email subscriptions.
Loyalty campaigns paid off, too, ranking No. 1 in mobile
marketing effectiveness. With this in mind, Salesforce
pointed out that marketers who haven’t launched loyalty
programs yet should consider optimizing them for mobile.
Consumers love their deals, and mobile-exclusive offers
landed in second for effectiveness, along with win-back
and conversation via keyword campaigns.
Loyalty-focused apps have emerged as part of the mobile
marketing landscape—with examples including Starbucks
and 7-Eleven. Oftentimes, these apps track customers’
activity and send them rewards and offers in return. But
are consumers tapping into the trend? 451 Research
found that 37% of US mobile phone users had used mobile
reward program apps to collect or redeem points, and
21% were interested in trying one. While one can’t ignore
the fact that 43% of respondents weren’t interested in
redeeming points via mobile reward program apps, it’s
important to remember that quality often trumps quantity
in the case of loyalty—maintaining devoted, big customers
should be a key mobile focus.
% of respondents
Effectiveness of Select Mobile Campaign Types
According to Marketers Worldwide, Nov 2014
Very effective/effective
Somewhat effective
Not very effective/not at all effective
Don't know
Source: Salesforce Marketing Cloud, "2015 State of Marketing"; eMarketer
calculations, Jan 13, 2015
Loyalty
86% 12%
2%
Win-back
85% 13%
2%
Mobile-exclusive deals
85% 12% 2%
1%
Re-engagement
84% 14% 1%
1%
Mobile welcome SMS
84% 12% 2%
2%
Promoting email subscription via SMS
83% 15% 1%
1%
Holiday or event campaign
83% 14% 2%
1%
Drive cross-channel engagement
83% 13% 2%
2%
Conversation via keyword
85% 11% 3%
1%
% of respondents
Frequency with Which US Mobile Phone Users Use
Mobile Reward Program Apps to Collect/Redeem
Points, Sep 2014
Daily 8%
Weekly 10%
Monthly 10%
Tried once or twice9%
Would like to try 21%
Not interested 43%
Source: 451 Research, "2014 US Consumer Survey" as cited in company
blog, Dec 11, 2014

Mobile Retail Apps’ Special Role? Price Checkers
Price checking is most helpful mobile retail app feature
Lifestyle and shopping app usage soared last
year, but retailers have a long way to go in terms
of app development, according to December
2014 research by Boston Retail Partners. Among
retailers polled in North America, just 16% had a
smartphone app that worked well. An additional
22% had one, but it needed improvement,
while 46% had plans to implement one within
three years.
Whether they’re improving apps or starting from scratch,
retailers would be wise to take into consideration the
findings from October 2014 research by YouGov for InMobi.
When the study asked US mobile internet users about the
most helpful mobile retail app features, price checking was
the top response, cited by nearly two-thirds of respondents.
Checking item availability and comparison shopping—
which often goes hand in hand with checking out prices—
were the second and third most helpful features.
Including price information in mobile retail apps is even
more important when one takes showrooming into
consideration. Just under half of US internet users polled by
Harris Interactive in December 2014 had showroomed, and
based on recent research by comScore, price likely played
the biggest role in their decision to buy online in the end.
Among US smartphone owners polled, 52% said they had
used their smartphone to search for better prices while
showrooming—the highest response. Looking for online
promotions and deals was second, though this trailed by
16 percentage points, and other details not related to price,
such as item info and reviews, lagged by 21-plus points.
Giving mobile retail app users easy access to price details
can satisfy their need for information and help sway their
purchase decisions—just don’t expect them to push the
buy button in the app itself.
% of respondents
Most Helpful Mobile Retail App Features According to
US Mobile Internet Users*, Oct 2014
Price check 64%
Item availability 50%
Comparison shopping 37%
Product demos 29%
Customer service 27%
Shopping list 25%
Store map 12%
Note: n=296; respondents chose their top 3; *who intend to purchase an
ereader, smartphone, smart wearable device and/or tablet/hybrid tablet in
the next 3 months
Source: InMobi, "US Vertical Insights: Consumer Electronics – Smart
Wearable Devices" conducted byYouGov, Feb 2015
% of respondents
Ways in Which US Smartphone Owners Use Their
Smartphone While Showrooming*, Oct 2014
Search for better prices 52%
Look for online promotions/deals 36%
Search for item information 31%
Check reviews/ratings 30%
Make a purchase via mobile device13%
Other 22%
Note: *visiting a brick-and-mortar store to see a product but instead
purchasing the product online
Source: comScore Inc., "State of the US Online Retail Economy in Q3 2014,"
Nov 18, 2014

Mobile Apps and Sites May Actually Work Together
Majority of smartphone owners tap links in mobile apps that lead to mobile
site articles
Mobile app ads have been found to perform
better than those on mobile sites, and other
analysis suggests time spent with mobile
internet skews heavily toward apps. However,
in a December 2014 study by Harris Poll for
the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Mobile
Marketing Center for Excellence, US smartphone
owners didn’t view usage the same way: 33%
said they used mobile sites and apps with about
the same frequency, compared with 18% who
said they spent a significantly larger amount of
time with apps.
The study pointed to in-app browsing as one reason for
the difference in time spent figures vs. user opinions, and
results suggested the two actually work together plenty of
the time, as mobile apps act as a “portal” to web articles.
Fully 52% of smartphone owners said they tapped links in
mobile apps that led to articles on mobile websites at least
sometimes, with around half of that group doing so often
or very often.
Respondents who had been brought to articles on mobile
websites after clicking in-app links found more value
from such content, possibly because they’re already in an
environment that relates somewhat to their interests. Fully
50% of smartphone users said they had learned new things
as a result of accessing articles this way, and 39% said they
found articles they wouldn’t have found otherwise. More
than one-quarter (26%) also said this was a way to find
publications and websites they didn’t know about.
IAB said apps served as “a key route” to mobile websites—
especially social media apps. Fully 26% of smartphone
owners used social media apps to find mobile websites—
the third-highest response behind search engines (48%)
and word-of-mouth (29%). Fully 14% of respondents also
cited other mobile apps and news aggregation apps
as sources.
The number of US consumers accessing the mobile
internet via web browser or app will continue to rise by
double digits (11.2%) this year. eMarketer expects 187.3
million mobile phone users in the US to go online via such
devices, representing 72.2% of internet users, 72.8% of
mobile phone users and 58.3% of the population.
% of respondents in each group
Frequency with Which US Smartphone Owners Tap
Links in Mobile Apps that Lead to Articles on Mobile
Websites, by Demographic, Dec 2014
Gender
Male
4% 11% 43% 28% 14%
Age
18-34
4% 12% 41% 31% 12%
Very often Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Note: n=938 ages 18+ who own a smartphone and use mobile internet;
numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Mobile Marketing Center for
Excellence, "Apps and Mobile Web: Understanding the Two Sides of the
Mobile Coin" conducted by Harris Poll, Jan 14, 2015
Total
39% 33% 16%3% 10%
Female
2% 36% 37% 17%9%

Do Millennials Ever Put Down Their Mobiles?
Millennials spend more time than older consumers with almost all mobile
communication activities
It’s no secret that millennials are attached
to their mobile devices, and recent research
from My.com, conducted by Survey Sampling
International (SSI) in October 2014, set out to
determine just how much time this demographic
spent with their beloved smartphones
and tablets.
According to the study, which included 13- to 24-year-olds
in its definition of millennials, 45% of smartphone- and
tablet-using 13- to 18-year-olds in the US spent 4 hours or
more using the mobile internet each weekday, with 28%
logging on for over 5 hours on average. Nearly half of 19- to
22-year-olds spent at least 4 hours with the mobile internet
every weekday. Here, too, just less than one in three logged
on for over 5 hours on average.
eMarketer estimates that this year, 88.0% of US internet
users ages 12 to 17 will own and use a mobile phone at
least once per month, and 80.8% will access the internet
via such a device. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, mobile phone
penetration will come in at 96.5%—the highest out of all
age brackets—and 91.4% of these consumers will log on to
the internet via their phones at least once per month.
Research has indicated that younger users spend more
daily time on social networks, and My.com found that this
trend wasn’t restricted to social. On both weekdays and
weekends, millennials spent more time on average with
all mobile communication activities besides email—which
makes sense given that older consumers often need to
access email more frequently for work.
Despite the looming death of SMS, text messaging grabbed
the most time with millennials each day, with 114 minutes
on average during the weekdays and 115 minutes on the
weekends. Social networks were the second most frequent
form of mobile communication across all days, followed by
instant messenger apps, with average time for both rising
about 10 minutes on the weekends.
Given all of the time they spend with mobile media, it
makes sense that millennials want brands to be on top of
their mobile game. According to September 2014 research
by Annalect, when asked about the leading ways in which
brands should use digital media, US millennial smartphone
users ranked having mobile-friendly websites and apps
No. 1, at 55%. While 44% did agree that brands should still
maintain some form of human interaction, almost just as
many (42%) thought they should offer loyalty programs
through mobile apps or allow for mobile payments.
There’s no denying that millennials spend a huge amount
of time with the mobile internet and communication tools.
Brands looking to target them need to adapt to mobile in
order to best reach them on their preferred screens.
minutes
Daily Time Spent Using Select Mobile Communication
Channels on Weekdays vs. Weekends Among US
Smartphone/Tablet Users, by Age, Oct 2014
Weekdays Weekends
Text/MMS
Social networks
Instant messengers
Voice calls
Video calls
Email
13-24
114
99
85
67
59
47
25-54
71
84
73
63
54
53
13-24
115
108
95
73
68
46
25-54
70
87
76
68
68
51
Note: mean daily minutes
Source: My.com, "Millennials These Days: A Report on Evolving Mobile and
Digital Habits" conducted by Survey Sampling International (SSI), Feb 26,
2015

Mobile Will Account for 72% of US Digital Ad Spend by 2019
Consumer usage and better ad formats drive dollars to mobile apps
Mobile ad spending continues to increase at
the expense of desktop, taking more and more
share of marketers’ digital ad dollars, according
to new figures from eMarketer. In 2015, mobile ad
spending in the US will increase 50.0%, reaching
$28.72 billion and accounting for 49.0% of all
digital ad spending. By 2019, mobile ad spending
will rise to $65.87 billion, or 72.2% of total digital
ad spend.
Next year will be the tipping point where mobile ad
spending surpasses desktop. And while desktop advertising
will remain a significant portion of marketers’ budgets—
approximately $25 billion in each year throughout
eMarketer’s forecast period—mobile will continue growing
in the double digits to gain more and more market share
while desktop spending remains flat.
The shift to mobile ad spending is being driven mainly by
consumer demand. In 2014, US adults spent an average of
2 hours, 51 minutes with mobile devices each day, up from
2 hours, 19 minutes in 2013. Meanwhile, desktop time fell
to 2 hours, 12 minutes daily last year, after being equal with
mobile time in 2013.
At the format level, mobile display dollars will continue
to increase, outpacing mobile search. In 2015, US mobile
display ad spending will reach $14.67 billion, compared
with $12.85 billion for mobile search. Through 2019, both
display and search will increase at a similar rate, with
display widening the gap slightly by virtue of growing from
a higher base. By the end of our forecast, mobile display ad
spend will total $33.90 billion, while mobile search will be
$28.41 billion.
It’s important to call out the “other” category as well,
which includes classifieds, email and lead generation,
among additional formats. US mobile ad spending on those
formats will increase from $962 million this year to $3.32
billion in 2019. Meanwhile, mobile messaging ad dollars
will rise in 2015 and 2016 before going on a slow decline
through the remainder of eMarketer’s forecast period.
Our new forecast breaks out mobile app and mobile web
spending for the first time. This year, app spending will
outpace mobile web browser ad dollars nearly 3-to-1.
Advertisers will spend $20.79 billion to reach consumers
via mobile apps in 2015, compared with $7.93 billion on
mobile browsers.
Advertisers are finding compelling opportunities through
video, rich media and native in mobile apps, as well as a
better ability to target captive audiences. Next year, when
US Mobile Ad Spending, 2013-2019
Mobile ad
spending
(billions)
—% change
—% of digital
ad spending
—% of total
media ad
spending
120.0%
24.7%
2013
$10.67
6.3%
2014
$19.15
79.5%
37.7%
10.8%
2015
$28.72
50.0%
49.0%
15.3%
2016
$40.50
41.0%
60.4%
20.4%
2017
$49.81
23.0%
66.6%
23.9%
2018
$57.78
16.0%
69.7%
26.3%
2019
$65.87
14.0%
72.2%
28.6%
Note: includes classiﬁed, display (banners and other, rich media and video),
email, lead generation, messaging-based and search advertising; ad
spending on tablets is included
Source: eMarketer, March 2015
billions
US Digital Ad Spending, by Device, 2013-2019
2013
$32.44
$10.67
2014
$31.58
$19.15
2015
$29.89
$28.72
2016
$26.59
$40.50
2017
$24.96
$49.81
2018
$25.17
$57.78
2019
$25.35
$65.87
Desktop* Mobile**
Note: *includes spending primarily on desktop-based ads; **includes
classiﬁeds, display (banners and other, rich media and video), email, lead
generation, messaging-based advertising and search; ad spending on
tablets is included

Mobile Will Account for 72% of US Digital Ad Spend by 2019 (continued)
mobile spending will surpass advertising on the desktop
for the first time, app ad dollars will continue to gain steam,
increasing 42.6% to nearly $30 billion, or 73.2% of all US
mobile ad spending.
Mobile web ad spending will also grow at a healthy
clip, rising 36.8% in 2016 to $10.84 billion, eMarketer
estimates. Spending on the mobile web is being driven
by programmatic, cookie-based targeting and bundling
across devices.
eMarketer’s latest mobile ad spending forecast also
includes mobile app install ads for the first time. We
estimate that US app install ad spending totaled $1.67
billion in 2014, or 8.7% of all mobile ad spend, and expect
this to reach $3.00 billion this year. That figure is an 80.0%
year-over-year increase, yet still only accounts for 10.4% of
all mobile ad dollars.
Spending on app install ads via mobile search was
negligible last year, so the low share of total mobile ad
spending doesn’t paint the entire picture. App install ads
accounted for 17.3% of US mobile display ad spending in
2014, and this is expected to grow to nearly 20% this year.
The leading search providers are making strides to attract
app developers’ ad dollars, but we expect app install ads
to represent an insignificant portion of mobile search
spending in 2015.
billions
US Mobile Ad Spending, by Format, 2013-2019
Display
—Banners,
rich media,
sponsorships
and other*
—Video
Search
SMS/MMS/
P2P messaging
Other
(classiﬁeds,
email, lead gen)
Total
2013
$5.31
$4.59
$0.72
$4.92
$0.25
$0.20
$10.67
2014
$9.65
$8.11
$1.54
$8.72
$0.24
$0.55
$19.15
2015
$14.67
$12.05
$2.62
$12.85
$0.24
$0.96
$28.72
2016
$20.80
$16.87
$3.94
$17.87
$0.26
$1.57
$40.50
2017
$25.69
$20.60
$5.09
$21.73
$0.25
$2.14
$49.81
2018
$29.74
$23.78
$5.96
$25.04
$0.24
$2.76
$57.78
2019
$33.90
$27.04
$6.86
$28.41
$0.24
$3.32
$65.87
Note: ad spending on tablets is included; numbers may not add up to total
due to rounding; *includes ads such as Facebook's News Feed Ads and
Twitter's Promoted Tweets
US Mobile Ad Spending, In-App vs. Mobile Web,
2014-2016
In-app (billions)
—% change
—% of total
Mobile web (billions)
—% change
—% of total
Total (billions)
2014
$13.67
88.2%
71.4%
$5.47
61.0%
28.6%
$19.15
2015
$20.79
52.1%
72.4%
$7.93
44.8%
27.6%
$28.72
2016
$29.66
42.6%
73.2%
$10.84
36.8%
26.8%
$40.50
Note: includes advertising that appears on mobile phones and tablets, and
includes all the various formats of advertising on those platforms; numbers
may not add to total due to rounding

Mobile Game Revenues to Grow 16.5% in 2015, Surpassing $3 Billion
Gaming leads growth of $10 billion mobile content market as ebook and
music downloads stagnate
US mobile game revenues—including both
downloads and in-app purchases—will grow
16.5% this year to reach $3.04 billion, according
to new figures from eMarketer. By virtue of this
growth, mobile games will account for 30.9% of
the US mobile content market in 2015, up from
29.3% in 2014.
In-app purchases are driving increases in US mobile game
revenues, due in part to growing popularity of freemium
models among app developers. This year, in-app revenues
for mobile games will total $1.82 billion, or 59.8% of all
mobile game revenues, increasing to nearly $2 billion next
year, when share of the mobile game market will be 60.1%.
Overall, mobile content revenues in the US—which include
purchases of mobile goods such as ebooks, games,
videos and music, but exclude ad-supported revenues
and subscriptions—will total $9.82 billion in 2015, a 10.3%
increase from 2014. Next year, mobile content revenues
will increase another 6.3%, reaching $10.44 billion and
accounting for 10.6% of all retail revenues on smartphones
and tablets in the US.
Mobile content purchases on the whole are beginning
to slow, which tracks user growth and consumer habits.
Smartphone and tablet ownership in the US is not yet at
saturation, but the days of exponential growth are certainly
behind us.
“Since mobile content is native to the devices, it’s often
new mobile users’ first introduction to mcommerce,” said
Martin Utreras, senior forecasting analyst at eMarketer. “As
the US mobile user base matures, mobile content revenues
are taking a smaller share of the overall mcommerce
market as consumers become more comfortable buying
physical retail items and making more expensive purchases
from their devices.”
billions, % change and % of total mobile download and in-app
revenues*
US Mobile Game Revenues, 2013-2016
2013
$2.03
71.2%
26.4%
2014
$2.61
28.5%
29.3%
2015
$3.04
16.5%
30.9%
2016
$3.31
8.9%
31.7%
Mobile game revenues
% change % of total mobile download and in-app revenues*
Note: includes game downloads and in-app purchases on ereaders, mobile
phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported revenues and subscriptions;
*includes downloads of ebooks (including audiobooks), games, music and
video, as well as game in-app purchases and other; includes ereaders,
mobile phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported revenues and
subscriptions
US Mobile Game Revenues, by Venue, 2013-2016
Game in-app purchases (billions)
—% change
—% of mobile game revenues
—% of total mobile download and
in-app revenues*
Game downloads (billions)
—% change
—% of mobile game revenues
—% of total mobile download and
in-app revenues*
2013
$1.12
99.3%
55.0%
14.6%
$0.91
46.0%
45.0%
11.9%
2014
$1.51
35.6%
58.1%
17.0%
$1.09
19.8%
41.9%
12.3%
2015
$1.82
19.9%
59.8%
18.5%
$1.22
11.7%
40.2%
12.4%
2016
$1.99
9.4%
60.1%
19.1%
$1.32
8.1%
39.9%
12.6%
Note: includes game downloads and in-app purchases on ereaders, mobile
phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported revenues and subscriptions;
*includes downloads of ebooks (including audiobooks), games, music and
video, as well as game in-app purchases and other; includes ereaders,
mobile phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported revenues and
subscriptions

Mobile Game Revenues to Grow 16.5% in 2015, Surpassing $3 Billion (continued)
Ebook sales will reach $4.25 billion in 2015, accounting
for 43.3% of US mobile download and in-app revenues
in 2015. While ebooks will maintain the largest share of
mobile content revenues throughout our forecast, growth
is flattening. Music downloads are also losing share of
the mobile content market, since music revenues have
been particularly affected by the rise in subscription and
streaming services. Video download revenues are still
growing, expected to increase 13.8% this year, but may also
see an impact from subscription and streaming services
over time.
billions
US Mobile Download and In-App Revenues, 2013-2016
2013 2014 2015 2016
Ebook downloads* $3.95 $4.07 $4.25 $4.38
Games $2.03 $2.61 $3.04 $3.31
—Game in-app purchases $1.12 $1.51 $1.82 $1.99
—Game downloads $0.91 $1.09 $1.22 $1.32
Video downloads $0.49 $0.74 $0.85 $0.93
Music downloads $0.47 $0.52 $0.55 $0.58
Other** $0.73 $0.95 $1.13 $1.24
Total $7.68 $8.90 $9.82 $10.44
Note: includes ereaders, mobile phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported
revenues and subscriptions; numbers may not add up to total due to
rounding; *includes audiobooks; **includes all other content downloads
and in-app purchases
% of total and billions
US Mobile Download and In-App Revenue Share,
2013-2016
2013 2014 2015 2016
Ebooks downloads* 51.5% 45.8% 43.3% 42.0%
Games 26.4% 29.3% 30.9% 31.7%
—Game downloads 11.9% 12.3% 12.4% 12.6%
—Game in-app purchases 14.6% 17.0% 18.5% 19.1%
Video downloads 6.4% 8.4% 8.6% 8.9%
Music downloads 6.2% 5.9% 5.6% 5.5%
Other** 9.5% 10.7% 11.5% 11.9%
Total (billions) $7.68 $8.90 $9.82 $10.44
Note: includes ereaders, mobile phones and tablets; excludes ad-supported
revenues and subscriptions; numbers may not add up to 100% due to
rounding; *includes audiobooks; **includes all other content downloads
and in-app purchases

Only 33% of US Mobile Users Will Pay for Apps This Year
Tablet users are more likely than smartphone users to buy apps
Put a dollar sign in front of an app, and the
number of people who are willing to download
and install it drops dramatically. According to a
new forecast from eMarketer, 80.1 million US
consumers will pay for mobile apps at least
once this year, representing only 33.3% of all
mobile users.
The total figure is inclusive of feature phones, which
depresses the overall penetration rate. However, a minority
of consumers among both the smartphone and tablet user
groups will pay for and install apps on their devices this
year. Only 35.8% of all US smartphone users will purchase
apps in 2015, totaling 65.2 million people. Tablet users are
much more likely than smartphone users to buy apps for
their devices, and eMarketer estimates that 44.0% of all US
tablet users, or 60.9 million people, will purchase apps for
download and installation on those devices this year.
“The preference for free, ad-supported apps is rising
among mobile users, and the share of smartphone and
tablet users who pay for apps will actually tick downward
over the next four years, despite the continued growth
in the number of smartphone and tablet users and the
number of app users overall,” said Cathy Boyle, senior
mobile analyst at eMarketer.
It’s not only waning demand that’s depressing the market
for mobile app purchases; supply is also in decline. Since
apps are perceived as a cost center by some smartphone
users, developers cognizant of consumers’ preference
for free apps have been steadily moving away from the
pay-to-download model in order to attract a larger base
of users. Paid apps can and do attract a sizeable and
loyal audience—some in the productivity, business and
navigation categories, for example—but that is a declining
percentage of the marketplace.
Furthermore, many developers have tested the paid
download model against the various iterations of the free
model—namely in-app purchases, subscriptions and in-
app advertising—and on the whole, they’ve found the latter
approach to be more lucrative.
Of course, the fact that a majority of mobile users don’t
want to pay for apps doesn’t mean they’re not installing
them. eMarketer estimates that nearly 93% of US
smartphone users will download and install at least one
app this year, and more than 90% of tablet users will do so.
US Mobile App Buyers, by Device, 2013-2018
Smartphone (millions)
—% change
—% of smartphone users
Tablet (millions)
—% change
—% of tablet users
Total (millions)
—% change
—% of mobile users
2013
42.4
57.0%
30.0%
54.6
28.8%
47.0%
62.9
50.4%
27.2%
2014
59.0
39.3%
36.0%
58.4
7.0%
45.0%
77.1
22.6%
32.7%
2015
65.2
10.4%
35.8%
60.9
4.3%
44.0%
80.1
3.9%
33.3%
2016
70.1
7.5%
35.5%
63.3
3.9%
43.6%
82.3
2.7%
33.7%
2017
73.8
5.3%
35.3%
65.1
2.9%
43.4%
83.7
1.8%
33.8%
2018
76.9
4.2%
35.3%
66.7
2.4%
43.3%
85.0
1.5%
33.8%
Note: ages 14+; mobile device users who have purchased at least one app
via an app store for use on their mobile device during the calendar year;
excludes virtual goods and subscriptions; smartphone and tablet app
buyers are not mutually exclusive; there is overlap between groups
US Mobile App Installers and Penetration, by Device,
2013-2018
Smartphone (millions)
—% change
—% of smartphone users
Tablet (millions)
—% change
—% of tablet users
Total (millions)
—% change
—% of mobile users
2013
127.5
28.6%
90.3%
99.3
39.2%
85.5%
160.5
29.9%
69.4%
2014
149.7
17.3%
91.3%
114.7
15.5%
88.4%
181.6
13.1%
77.0%
2015
169.1
13.0%
92.9%
125.0
9.0%
90.3%
196.2
8.1%
81.5%
2016
184.5
9.1%
93.5%
133.0
6.4%
91.6%
206.4
5.2%
84.5%
2017
196.9
6.7%
94.2%
139.4
4.8%
92.9%
215.4
4.4%
87.0%
2018
207.0
5.1%
95.0%
144.5
3.7%
93.8%
222.1
3.1%
88.2%
Note: ages 14+; mobile device users who have installed at least one mobile
app on their mobile device during the calendar year; includes paid and free
apps; smartphone and tablet app installers are not mutually exclusive;
there is overlap between groups

Mobile Web Outpaces Apps for Retail Transactions
Sonia Nagar
Senior Director, Mobile Product Strategy
RetailMeNot
RetailMeNot is a marketplace platform that offers
consumers digital coupons and discount codes
for approximately 70,000 retailers. Sonia Nagar,
RetailMeNot’s senior director of mobile product
strategy, spoke with eMarketer’s Rimma Kats
about the pros and cons of mobile sites vs.
apps and when it makes sense for retailers to
have both.
eMarketer: What percentage of your clients have both a
mobile app and a mobile site?
Sonia Nagar: Out of the thousands of retailers we work
with, it’s actually a really low percentage. When you think
about who has both an Android and an iOS app, that
number gets even lower. Most retailers start with iOS—
there’s a higher percentage representation there. For many,
the Android platform is an afterthought. That may have to
do with the demographic and the spend propensity.
Many retailers did start with the mobile web first. You see a
higher percentage of retailers that have a mobile site vs. a
mobile app.
“The majority of traffic is still coming from
the mobile web vs. mobile apps. Mobile
web dominates.”
eMarketer: What percentage of the shopping apps that
you have are commerce-enabled?
Nagar: We work mostly with ecommerce retailers and
in-store partners. Probably less than 5% are not commerce-
enabled.
eMarketer: Of the sales transactions that are coming
through mobile devices, what percentage comes through
apps vs. the mobile web?
Nagar: The majority of traffic is still coming from the
mobile web vs. mobile apps. Mobile web dominates.
eMarketer: Why do you think that is?
Nagar: It has to do with discovery. A lot of shoppers will
still go to Google when they are figuring out where to
shop. As a result, we see strong traffic coming through the
mobile web.
We’ve also invested heavily in mobile apps. On certain
days, like weekends, we see a shift in traffic. During the
weekdays, people tend to shop online. On weekends, when
people are in-store, that’s when they use our mobile app,
and that can sometimes overtake the mobile web.
“When a user comes into the app, we
ask them to opt in to certain programs
that allow us to market to them on an
ongoing basis.”
eMarketer: How do businesses go about setting
objectives for their mobile site and apps?
Nagar: In order to have a successful app, you need to have
people using it. It’s important to understand what your
monthly active users look like. When a user comes into the
app, we ask them to opt in to certain programs that allow
us to market to them on an ongoing basis. We market to
them two ways: One is push notifications, the second is
email. We also have some metrics that we’ll look at for
email and push to understand the health of those channels
and drive re-engagement for the app.
eMarketer: When does it makes sense to have one
mobile channel, either an app or a mobile site, instead
of both?
Nagar: If you don’t have the engineering and resources
to make a continuous investment or even the marketing
resources to continuously manage push programs, then
forego an app and focus on the mobile web.
If your brand loyalty isn’t that strong and you are going to
have trouble drumming up a meaningful user base for an
app, then it may be best to focus on the mobile web only.

Mothers’ Smartphones Are Their ‘Do-Everything Device’ and Way
to Escape
Julie Michaelson
Vice President, Global Sales
BabyCenter
Different phases of motherhood drive different
patterns of digital usage for mothers.They’re
looking for different kinds of products, services
and information, leading them to overlook ads
when these communications seem out of place.
Julie Michaelson, vice president, global sales at
BabyCenter, spoke with eMarketer’s Stephanie
Wharton about mothers’ behavior online and
how marketers can win them over with the right
message at the right time.
eMarketer: How do mothers use digital media
to de-stress?
Julie Michaelson: Moms use mobile specifically to help
them with their daily lives and to accomplish all the tasks
they need to get done. It’s kind of their do-everything
device. We’ve found that about 73% of moms are watching
video on their mobile devices, and the No. 1 type of content
they’re watching is entertainment-based.
About 30% are using parenting communities on a daily
basis. Those communities are awesome for information
and advice, but we’ve also found that they can be a really
great source of entertainment and a place for them to talk
with other moms they identify with.
eMarketer: Does leisure time feel less leisurely for
mothers than for non-mothers? If so, how does that affect
the way they consume digital media?
Michaelson: Moms naturally have less leisure time. As a
mom, that’s true for me. I think they value it more. We hear
a lot from our moms on the need to focus themselves and
take “me time” out of their busy day.
They are sneaking little bits of leisure throughout their day.
We’ve found that they are connecting and using social
media 15 times a day on average, which is huge.
“We hear a lot from our moms on the need
to focus themselves and take ‘me time’ out
of their busy day.”
eMarketer: Do different phases of motherhood bring
about different patterns of digital usage?
Michaelson: We look a lot at what we call the changing
face of motherhood: How a woman’s media usage changes
from the time she becomes pregnant to after she has a
baby to the time her child gets older.
When she’s pregnant, especially for the first time, her need
for information is huge. She’s checking her BabyCenter
app, getting our weekly emails and she’s researching all the
various products she didn’t know she needed until she had
the baby. Her media usage is really heavy, and she’s using it
largely for learning, researching and discovering.
Then after the baby is born, it really does change. She’s
using digital media to look up questions on how to do
things: how to feed a baby, how to make sure the baby is
getting enough sleep. They have tons of questions, and
quite frankly, they have less time with their doctor than
ever before, so they’re looking for answers. They’re looking
for guidance from other moms as well as experts online.
eMarketer: Do mothers feel that ads sent to their
smartphones are intrusive?
Michaelson: They haven’t said that they find them
intrusive, but they do say they dislike seeing ads that aren’t
relevant to them. We also heard comments that they don’t
like seeing ads for products they had already purchased.
“If she’s pregnant, we’re not showing her
an ad from a yogurt product for kids in
preschool. She might find something like
that intrusive.”

Mothers’ Smartphones Are Their ‘Do-Everything Device’ and Way to
Escape (continued)
Since we know mom’s due date and we know how old
her child is, it’s very, very easy for us to connect marketers
with mom at the right time with the right message. For
example, if she’s pregnant, we’re not showing her an ad
from a yogurt product for kids in preschool. She might find
something like that intrusive. The more relevant you can
make the message, the more receptive mom is going to be
to it.
eMarketer: Do single mothers feel ignored by the media?
Michaelson: Just under half of births today are to
unmarried women, and the majority of those women are
without a partner. It’s definitely a group of moms we are
looking at very closely. Through our research and talking
to them, we’ve found that the majority of those single
moms feel that single motherhood has really become
socially acceptable, but we hear from many of them that
advertising doesn’t really reflect the nontraditional family
unit that has become almost commonplace today.
We also know that the No. 1 thing they say they look for
when they’re considering different brands is that they
want to buy from brands that really share their values. We
encourage our clients and marketing partners to make
sure their advertising really relates to what families look
like today.

Terra’s Research Points to Hispanics as Largest Mobile
Content Viewers
Soizic Sacrez
Director of Marketing
Terra
Soizic Sacrez, director of marketing for Terra, a
global digital media company, discussed with
eMarketer the findings in Terra’s latest round
of research into US Hispanics’ media usage,
revealing insights into why Hispanics are more
likely to access video content via mobile and pay
for video content.
eMarketer: Terra’s research shows that Hispanics are
accessing entertainment content on mobile at a much
higher rate than non-Hispanics. Did the research give you
some idea of why this is?
Soizic Sacrez: We’ve been seeing this trend over the
course of the past few studies—Hispanics overindex on
everything mobile. Specifically for entertainment, Hispanics
are passionate about music, entertainment and sports, and
they like to be up to date on what is going on with artists
and athletes they are following. Overall, it’s a cultural point.
eMarketer: Are you seeing this behavior across all ages?
Or is it more likely to be a millennial behavior?
Sacrez: We are seeing some differences through the
generations. For instance, looking at the data for listening
to music on smartphones, 76% of millennials said that they
were listening to music on their smartphones, vs. 68% of
Gen X and 43% of baby boomers. And some of this has to
do with technology adoption [since younger generations
are more likely to use digital technology]. But if we look at
the whole group of Hispanics, in general, they are going to
listen more to music [than non-Hispanics].
eMarketer: The research also showed that Hispanics are
more likely to pay for access to entertainment content.
When there is so much free content, why are Hispanics
paying for content?
Sacrez: It depends on the category, but much of it has to
do with watching a program live rather than after the fact.
Sports, especially, are a passion point. Boxing and soccer
are key sports among Hispanics, and they are willing to
pay to experience the game live. Especially if they follow
a specific boxer or a specific team, they are more likely
to pay.
eMarketer: The research also shows that Hispanics are
more likely to access this content on smaller screens—
smartphones, tablets—than non-Hispanics. Did you get
some indication as to why this is?
Sacrez: Hispanics overindex in everything mobile, and we
have seen that throughout our studies. We’re seeing a lot
of [video] consumption on the go. It’s primarily a comfort
level [they have with mobile devices]. In Latin America,
too, there is a lot of mobile consumption. They are more
connected to their families and friends through their
smartphones; for instance, when they are in a retail store
they will send a picture of the product to their family, more
so than the non-Hispanics. So, mobile consumption of
video is comfortable for them.
eMarketer: Is the content they are consuming more likely
to be in Spanish or English?
Sacrez: We’ve seen that millennials are more likely than
Gen X to favor some online content in Spanish. And that’s
interesting, because that shows an attachment among
the younger generation to their culture and to the Spanish
language. I think it has to do with pride in their heritage. We
do see also that Spanish-preferred Hispanics tend to be
a bit more engaged, for instance, in commenting, sharing
and participating than the English-preferred Hispanics,
and that’s true in particular for live events around sports
entertainment and music.

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