People Want to Give Permission Before They are Sent Adverts on Their Mobiles

Many youngsters are unreceptive to mobile marketing strategies because they view their handsets as being truly personal, it has been suggested.

Research from Ball State University showed although exposure to such ads is high, the effectiveness of the campaigns may be somewhat limited.

Over half (51.2 per cent) of smartphone users polled said they had received ads, eMarketer reports, with text messaging the most popular means of getting in touch with this demographic.  Of those questioned, 44.3 per cent said they would not be encouraged to receive mobile ads under any circumstances, but 37 per cent would be receptive if they got something in return.

Almost half of those polled by the university said they did not want to see the ads, even if they offered vouchers for fast food, cinemas or restaurants.

Mobile marketing is set to reach dominant penetration levels faster than any medium before it, according to a report from Borrell Associates.

Mobile marketing reached $2.7 billion (£1.8 billion) last year and is expected to grow 84 per cent annually, the group predicted, hitting $57 billion (£38 billion) by 2014.