Despite the number of new mobile entertainment services with their ever-increasing amount of content available to consumers in the US and UK, only 26% of mobile users in the two regions are happy with their mobile entertainment services, says a new survey from the Mobile Entertainment Forum and LLC International.
One of the biggest problems cited by consumers is that the services don’t necessarily work like they’re supposed to. Cost is also a key factor, but value – what you get for your money – is even more important, particularly to folks in the UK, the companies found. While they’re willing to pay a premium for entertainment, UK mobile subscribers expect a high quality of service in return for the fees.
Surprisingly, considering how new the market is, mobile TV has the highest satisfaction rates in the US (37%). In the UK, consumers are most satisfied with music downloads (32%), according to the research. Subscription-based services – chat, TV and information services – are more popular in the States, while downloaded content such as wallpaper and ringtones get more attention in the UK.
The survey also found more than 80% of consumers are aware of the different types of mobile entertainment available. A large percentage are even ready to consider making some purchases – more than half of the Brits and Americans surveyed said they’re “very likely” or “likely” to buy a ringtone. Now, according to the research, it’s up to the industry to figure out how to turn these plans into actual purchases.
“While the mobile entertainment market still represents vast potential, it is time to convert that opportunity into hard revenues. To do this the industry needs to take a close look at the experience we provide for users,” said MEF global chair Patrick Parodi. “There will inevitably be some growing pains as mobile entertainment moves from an emerging market to an established media and entertainment channel. However, the industry must collaborate to focus on providing a seamless user experience, boosting subscriber satisfaction and encouraging mass adoption.”
The research is the first stage in a global research study into user mobile entertainment experiences. The overall study is part of the MEF’s Quality of Experience initiative, which aims to establish industry-wide key performance indicators to help improve user experience and consumer uptake of mobile entertainment services.
Led by LCC and Zandan, the MEF Quality of Experience (QoE) initiative is also supported by additional MEF members including Alcatel-Lucent, Buongiorno, Celltick, Hungama Mobile, mBlox, Motorola, Motricity, Musiwave, Orange, Telephia and Vodafone.