JEDDAH – Mobility is spearheading digital consumption throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at an unprecedented rate, largely driven by the rise of tablets and devices, the Effective Measure's ‘EM' Q2 Mobile Measure report for MENA revealed Tuesday. The Mobile Measure report features key data insights into mobile phone brands and usage, mobile phone advertising, tablet brands and usage as well as multi-screen usage behavior. Effective Measure Regional MD - MEA, Brendon Ogilvy, said “while there are existing reports on mobile that are US or UK based, there is a lack of qualitative research compiled within MENA to show what local mobile consumers like, want and have. Mobile Measure fills that gap to ensure that companies are getting the right information in their hands.” “Boasting some of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world, the rise of digital media consumption in the Middle East has highlighted the importance of local and cultural understanding. Content creators and global brands are starting to capitalize on peak engagement times such as Ramadan, when working hours are shorter but consumers are prolonging screen time on mobile devices,” Ogilvy said. Effective Measure's Insight Q2 report on Mobile Measure was compiled from data collected directly from over 6,000 respondents across Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from April to June 2012. “With the mobile uptake in the region increasing steadily, there is an urgent need for local digital strategists to take notice of what key trends there are in their own backyard,” added Ogilvy. Top-line trends from Mobile Measure: • Unlimited data packages increased from Q1 to Q2, with two out of five consumers enjoying unlimited data plans. • Telecommunications competition is heating up across prepaid and postpaid contracts as consumers become more savvy and demanding for the best value for data. • Brands of mobile phones used are correlated to the income bracket of each country - with Nokia, Apple, Blackberry and Samsung being the main players in this region. – SG
