More Acceptable, More Memorable, More Enticing: Tablets Demonstrate Potential to Advertisers in the UK

Contact: Neil Beston, Tel: 020 3103 3959

London, 8 Feb 2012 - Consumers find advertising on tablets more acceptable, more memorable and more enticing than advertising on smartphones, according to the latest UK Connected Devices report from information and measurement firm Nielsen. Brands need to carefully consider the impact of evolving digital behaviour to improve the effectiveness of both online and cross-media campaigns.

More acceptable, more memorable
More UK users agree that ‘advertising is acceptable’ on their tablet (40 percent) than on their smartphone (30 percent). In addition, they remember ads better on their tablet, with 48 percent recalling seeing an ad on their tablet ‘about once a day’ or more often, compared to just 37 percent on their phone.

More enticing
Ads shown on tablets may also have a stronger impact than those appearing on smartphones. Although the differences are statistically too small to prove conclusive, the report does show that 20 percent of users recall clicking on an ad in the previous three months on their tablet; 17 percent did on their smartphone. And 10 percent of users say they made a direct purchase through their tablet, compared to seven percent on their phone.

More opportunities
“There is now one tablet for every six smartphones in the UK, a ratio which continues to close,” says David Gosen, who leads Nielsen’s digital strategy in Europe. “Our report shows that this increasingly popular device category is changing consumer behaviour and presents significant potential for advertisers. For example, more users reached for their tablet (28 percent) to look up product information for an ad they saw on TV, than their smartphone (18 percent).”

“Tablets are driving an increase in ‘dual screening’. This is both good and bad for advertisers,” continues Gosen. “Consumers are unfortunately more distracted during TV ad breaks, with 64 percent simultaneously using a tablet while watching TV at least ‘several times a week’. But intelligent, integrated campaigns with TV, app and search elements can deliver a powerful, cohesive brand message like never before. Understanding how consumer behaviour is evolving is the key to success.”

About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.