Mobile Local Search Proves Invaluable During Airport Strikes
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 11:31
In response to consumer habits, new initiative bridges gap between web and mobile behaviour and unlocks mobile local search revenue potential
MWC Barcelona, 11th-14th February 2008: The spate of strikes and delays which brought the UK’s airports to a halt from October to December 2007 led to an unprecedented number of consumers utilising their handsets to retrieve information regarding their flights. The m-spatial Q4 Mobile Local Search Index 2007 compared figures with the previous quarter and like-for-like searches in the same quarter last year. Amongst its finding were that searches for airport information rose 33 places to be ranked as the seventh most popular search category.
The index demonstrates the categories that are most searched for (particularly when browsing) and also looks at individual brand searches. Topping the chart again this quarter are Cineworld, Odeon and Tesco for the most searched for brands – an unchanged top three from the 2006 results for the same period. Cinema, train information and fast food remain the top three rankings in the categories index.
Mobile phone services (including the location of handset shops) also saw a surge in its placing, moving up 26 places to eighth. This is testament to the rising popularity of mobile phones as Christmas presents – spurred on by the launch of the iPhone, which itself has seen a dramatic shift in the manner and frequency of consumers’ use of data services on their handsets.
Those more prudish will be pleased to see a fall in the popularity of XXX adult services, falling from ninth to twelfth place. While Q4 proved disappointing for parts of the retail sector last year, certain sectors and brands faired better in the Christmas shopping season than others; DIY stores experienced an increase in popularity amongst the searches, with four per cent of searches being for the Home & Garden sector. Argos also saw a substantial rise up the rankings of brand names search, moving from seventeenth to eighth place – which is also an improvement on last Christmas when it failed to make the top 10.
Commenting on the results, Andy Walker, CEO of m-spatial, said: “This quarter’s Index shows that there are certain services which will always remain popular with the public when using their mobile phones for local searches. Activities like going to the cinema, eating out and finding local supermarkets are now a mainstay of the Index. However, it is interesting to note how national events can change people’s searching habits. The number of searches for airport information in Q4 was almost as many as the rest of 2007 put together.”
Top Ten Local Search Categories* October – December 2007 compared to October – December 2006
| Ranking 2007* | Category | Percent | Ranking 2006 | Category 2006 | Percent* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1(-) | Cinema | 25 | 1 | Cinema | 22 |
| 2(-) | Train Info | 17 | 2 | Places to Stay | 14 |
| 3(-) | Fast Food | 12 | 3 | Fast Food | 13 |
| 4(▲1) | Supermarkets | 10 | 4 | Taxi | 13 |
| 5(▼1) | Taxi | 9 | 5 | Train Info | 11 |
| 6(-) | Places to Stay | 9 | 6 | Supermarkets | 9 |
| 7(▲33) | Airport Info | 6 | 7 | Restaurants | 7 |
| 8(▲26) | Mobile Phone Services | 4 | 8 | Nightclubs | 4 |
| 9(▼2) | Banks | 4 | 9 | XXX Adult Services | 4 |
| 10(▼1) | Home & Garden | 4 | 10 | Department Stores | 3 |
* Based on the final chosen result of each individual mobile search by category. Percentage figures based on breakdown of searches to top ten brands.
** Ranking 2007 compares October – December Q4 Mobile Local Search Index figures to Q3 figures.
Top Ten Local Search Brands* October - December 2007 compared to October - December 2006
| Ranking 2007* | Brand | Percent | Ranking 2006 | Brand 2006 | Percent* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1(-) | Cineworld | 22 | 1 | Cineworld | 22 |
| 2(-) | Odeon | 19 | 2 | Odeon | 17 |
| 3(-) | Tesco | 12 | 3 | Tesco | 13 |
| 4(▲4) | Asda | 8 | 4 | Pizza Hut | 8 |
| 5(▼1) | Vue | 8 | 5 | Domino’s Pizza | 7 |
| 6(-) | Domino’s Pizza | 7 | 6 | Vue | 7 |
| 7(▼2) | Pizza Hut | 7 | 7 | Premier Travel Inn | 7 |
| 8(▲9) | Argos | 6 | 8 | Asda | 7 |
| 9(▼2) | Showcase | 6 | 9 | Sainsbury’s | 6 |
| 10(▼1) | Halfords | 5 | 10 | PC World | 6 |
The m-spatial Mobile Local Search Index first started in April 2006, and provides quarterly results on what mobile users are searching for.
