Mobile spam alienating phone users

Nearly two-third of users are fed up by mobile phone spam, according to a new report.

The survey, carried out by research company GfK NOP, found that 64 per cent of users admitted to being annoyed by marketing offers received from mobile service providers. The survey also found that 70 per cent of phone users found the offers irrelevant to them.

The strategy of texting or phoning users with unsolicited offers appears to be failing with only 11 per cent of the 752 respondents surveyed buying products as a result of receiving an offer from their operator.

Mobile spam appears to be falling on deaf ears among older people. The research found that 75 per cent of 45-54 year olds and 78 per cent of 55-64 year olds saw mobile spam offers as irrelevant to them.

Teenagers and young adults were also dissatisfied with operators' efforts to promote services with 57 per cent of this age range believing products touted to them as irrelevant. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of people between 25-34 were also the irritated by receiving marketing spam.

Guy Talmi, senior marketing director at Pontis, the marketing company that commissioned the survey, said that the results are proof that mass marketing techniques used by mobile operators are not working.

"The findings represent both good and bad news for the service provider community: on one hand it shows that their inability to tailor services and content to the individual user's interests and situation is not only failing to attract new revenue streams but - even worse - it's alienating their customer base," said Talmi.

Talmi said that the results of the survey point to opportunities for operators that can exploit information they have about subscribers' interests and behaviour to offer more appropriate services and products.

Analysts said that operators could no longer afford to dodge the problem of mobile spam.

"Today's spam-weary consumer is heartily sick of poorly-aimed and irrelevant campaigning. The 'one size fits all' promotion model is outdated. This report flags up a growing need for better tailored and personalised campaign techniques, and a higher level of commitment to customer micro-segmentation going forward," said Emma Mohr-McClune principal analyst for wireless services at Current Analysis.

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