The percentage of consumers who use their smartphones for multiple purposes is growing rapidly — Prosper Insights & Analytics says its up 34% from a year ago – and the company has evidence that the devices are being used just as heavily on the road for some R&R.
According to the latest survey, 60.9% of consumers use smartphones smartphones “for all functions of their daily life.”
When going on vacation, 82.6% take a smartphone or tablet along, a double digit jump from the 71.1% who said the same a year earlier.
While on vacation, here are the ways the devices are used now, compared to last year, with a score of 100 indicating there has been no change.:
Smartphone or Tablet Usage for the Following While on Vacation
* Checking in at an airport ahead of time — 152
* Making reservations for restaurants or attractions — 135
* Entertainment while traveling (on a plane, in the car, etc.) — 132
* Posting photos/status updates to social media — 128
* Searching for local restaurants or attractions — 126
* Entertainment while on vacation (at the beach, in a hotel, etc.) — 124
* Checking work email — 122
* GPS/Maps — 122
* Keeping in touch with those back home — 117
* Checking personal email — 111
* Source: Prosper Insights & Analytics™
“The inability to disconnect while on vacation appears to be the byproduct of our digital society and in some cases can relieve the stress caused by being away from work or home,” said Pam Goodfellow, analyst for Prosper Insights & Analytics. “However, constant connectivity is a double-edge sword because you’re seemingly sacrificing the true meaning of vacation — to relax and disconnect. Perhaps the question we should be asking ourselves is ‘Where do we draw the line?’”
RBR-TVBR observation: This is just one more piece of evidence that smart broadcasters have to be as digitally-engaged as possible, both on the internet and on mobile platforms. You need to sell more than the fact that your stations help your clients reach targeted consumers – you have to sell the fact that a well-constructed advertising campaign can use your station’s full array of assets to reach consumers regardless of whether they are tuned into a station, surfing the web or using a mobile device.
