comScore: Mobile's Hierarchy of Needs

© comScore, Inc. Proprietary. 2

Introduction

The concept of ‘mobile first’

is no longer exclusive to

technology-focused businesses

and consumers, and is the default

position for a growing number

of internet users, who now spend the

majority of their digital time on

smartphones and tablets.

Although dominant, the share of

consumer audiences and time on

mobile devices is unevenly distributed

between categories, demographics

and geographies. International

markets follow paths of digital

evolution based on combinations of

global and local influences.

In this report, we will review human

necessities from Maslow’s Hierarchy

of Needs and align them with pockets

of particularly intense mobile usage.

Using data from 9 global regions, we

will suggest that mobile users have a

hierarchy of digital needs that drive

their consumption on these platforms.

1st

Ben Martin | Director, Global Marketing Insights | [email protected]


Mobile Evolution

In 2017, mobile devices have an unquestionable

role as consumers’ primary digital tool


AUGUST

30% of Spanish internet

users no longer access via

desktop in a month

2016 was a year of mobile milestones

The past year featured a number of milestones that indicate continued growth of smartphone and tablet consumption

Source: comScore MMX Multi-Platform, January 2017

MARCH

US mobile minutes

exceed 1 billion for the

first month ever

JULY

Fastest growing app

Pokémon Go achieves 55m

US unique users in first month

SEPTEMBER

7 out of 10 Brazilian

internet users now access

via mobile in a month

APRIL

US consumers spend 2x as

many minutes on mobile as

desktop for first month ever

JUNE

Mobile apps surpass

50% of all digital time

in the UK

DECEMBER

UK records its most

monthly mobile

minutes of the year


Our primary tool

Across the globe, mobile devices dominate total minutes spent online, passing 90% in Indonesia


% mobile share of total digital minutes

USA Canada UK ItalySpain

Brazil Mexico China Indonesia

71%

62% 61%64%

72%

75%

71%

91%

67%


We are now firmly in the ‘app age’

As consumers have come to rely on mobile devices in more aspects of daily life, the customisable

and refined experience of apps have led to their dominance within mobile consumption


% app share of total mobile minutes

USA Canada UK ItalySpain

Brazil Mexico China Indonesia

% mobile share of total digital minutes

87%

86% 82%88%

87%

89%91%

99%

90%


LATE NIGHT

12am – 7am

Apps readily fit into consumers’ daily lives

The constant availability of mobile devices, coupled with ease of app usage are a perfect fit for consumers’ lives.

Taking two major UK categories, we can see clear peaks in usage based on the need for these types of activity

Source: comScore Custom Solutions, Jan 2017, United Kingdom

Share of UK app minutes by hour

for social media / news categories

% of UK total

mobile mins

DAYTIME

10am – 5pm

EARLY EVENING

5PM – 8pm

EARLY MORNING

7am – 10am

PRIME

8pm – 12am

News

SocialSocial News


Mobile is the ‘go-to’ destination for most video viewers

An analysis of YouTube’s digital consumption in the UK reveals that mobile users

now account for the majority of video minutes for users of all age and gender demographics

Source: comScore Video Metrix Multi-Platform, United Kingdom, December 2016

% of YouTube video minutes (UK)

Desktop Mobile

MALES FEMALES

18-34

year olds

45+

year olds

35-44

year olds

18-34

year olds

45+

year olds

35-44

year olds

67%

69%

60%

80%

85%

69%


Mobile meets primary needs

The degree to which categories are ‘mobile first’ can be aligned

with human need states from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs


The uneven distribution of ‘Mobile First’

The balance of audiences and consumption between desktop and mobile is dramatically different

between categories, and can be loosely divided into four areas, shown here with data from Canada

Source: comScore MMX Multi-Platform, Canada, January 2017

Category mobile users & minutes as a % of desktop

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%

350%

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%

Mobile-first categories in terms of both minutes

and audiencesCAREER

SERVICES

WEATHER

RETAIL - FOOD

HEALTH

PERSONALS

Audiences have moved to mobile, but time spent has not yet followedBANKING REAL ESTATE

TRAVEL

APPAREL

‘Legacy’ desktop categories

ENTERTAINMENT

PORTALS

Massive mobile minutes, but there are still more of the audience on desktop

SOCIAL

NETWORKING

RETAIL

NEWS /

INFORMATION

total minutes

unique users


Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (and how mobile meets it)

This familiar theory from Abraham Maslow’s 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation” is still considered

an important framework in understanding behaviour. Many highly mobile-skewed digital behaviours fit these needs.

SELF-ACTUALISATION | Travel

ESTEEM | Newspapers, Social networking

LOVE / BELONGING | Personals

SAFETY | Banking, Weather, Career services

PHYSIOLOGICAL | Health, Apparel, Retail - food, Real estate

Many key uses of mobile devices can be aligned with this set of needs


Physiological

Physical requirements for human

survival and health, which should

be met first.

These needs include air, water

and food, as well as clothing

and shelter for protection from

the elements.

comscore.com/mobile


PHYSIOLOGICALMobile provides largest top-of-funnel access to real estate

In the majority of markets, real estate audiences are now larger on mobile than on desktop, but time still

lags behind, suggesting mobile usage still largely occurs at the research stage of the purchase funnel


Real estate category reach / mins (as a % of desktop reach / mins)

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

Mobile reach as % of desktop Mobile mins as % of desktop Total desktop reach / mins

USA UKCanada Spain Italy Brazil Mexico Indonesia


PHYSIOLOGICALApparel shopping is a key driver of mobile retail

Especially in North American and European markets, clothing is one of the top retail uses

of mobile devices. Other top 5 top categories vary dramatically from market to market


Reach / rank of apparel category among retail users

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Rank

39%37%

47%

40%

28%

20%

12%11%

27%

7th

6th

5th

4th

3rd

2nd

1st

USA UK Spain Italy Brazil Mexico IndonesiaCanada China


PHYSIOLOGICALSmartphones enable daily healthy habits

Formation of habits is a common theme for the health industry. The rise of activity trackers and health

apps has seen associated increases in daily smartphone audiences for the health category


Average daily smartphone users of the

health category (% versus January 2016)

+18%users

+43%users

+15%users

United KingdomUSA Canada

January 2016 January 2017


To download the full 49-page version of this report, please visit:

comscore.com/mobile

For more information about the report, please contact:

Ben MartinDirector, Global Marketing Insights

[email protected]

http://www.comscore.com/Products/Audience-Analytics/Mobile

comScore: Mobile's Hierarchy of Needs

Mobile

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