[June 14, 2013] Digitas Launches Research on LGBT Mobile Device Behavior Tweet Jun 14, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- A new study by Digitas, a digitally led, integrated brand agency, finds that LGBT individuals and families are embracing the "mobile first" way by adopting smartphones and tablets to manage family households, plan and book travel, and leverage mobile shopping technology. According to a release, Digitas partnered with Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) to survey 1,595 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender respondents with mobile devices in the United States, ages 18 and older. The findings demonstrate that LGBT mobile device users have a higher understanding and level of activity with mobile devices compared to general population users. "LGBT consumers have made mobile devices an integral part of how they manage their lives. They have become a bellwether for the entire population, providing a preview of what's to come as more consumers embrace mobile connectivity," said Chia Chen, senior vice president and mobile practice lead at Digitas. "Digitas commissioned this survey because there is shockingly little research around LGBT mobile consumers in this mobile era. We call on brands and marketers to recognize and develop marketing strategies for this segment of our population who are making mobile moments a priority in their everyday lives," said Tony Weisman, CEO, Digitas North America. "The equality movement is fast and furious, and Digitas is dedicated to pushing our clients and the industry forward to eliminate these missed opportunities." "We applaud Digitas' commitment to educating the advertising industry on the relevance and purchasing power of LGBT consumers, especially those growing couples now with children. We hope this new data eliminates hesitations from marketers and brands and makes the LGBT community a priority," says Jeff Krehely, vice president of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Of the LGBT mobile device owners surveyed, the findings revealed: Today's LGBT are mobile-first, early technology adaptors and cross-generational users -LGBT live in a post-PC world: 56 percent chose to use a mobile device over a "desktop" or "laptop" compared to a year ago. -Early mobile adaptors: 51 percent of LGBT mobile device users have used a smartphone or tablet for three years or more. This is nearly twice as much as compared to the general population at 28 percent1 -Mobile-proficient seniors: 21 percent of LGBT mobile device users ages 65+ have used a smartphone or tablet for five years or more -Coming out mobile: 35 percent of LGBT ages 1824 have used a mobile device in coming out. Across all age groups, of those polled who said their mobile device played a role in their coming-out process, 70 percent used Facebook -Apple loyalty: 55 percent of LGBT mobile users own and use iPhones versus Androids (40 percent); 30 percent own and use iPads versus Android Tablet (13 percent). This constitutes a reversal of general population findings2 Today's modern mobile family embraces smartphones and tablets everyday -Running a household on mobile: LGBT families rely on mobile devices to manage activities in their households; 49 percent coordinate calendars, 47 percent coordinate locations, 32 percent manage family finances, and 27 percent share to-do lists -A gaming family: 61 percent of LGBT parents say that they purchase mobile games for their children -More mobile kids: 85 percent of children under the age of 18 with LGBT parents own or have access to a mobile device Respondents were recruited from CMI's proprietary research panel of 70,000 LGBT people. The survey was made available through an e-mail invitation to a subset of CMI's research panelists with an incentive of a chance to win one of five $100 cash prizes. A total of 1,977 participants started the survey but 382 were branched out because they did not own a mobile device (19 percent). A total of 1,595 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender respondents in the United States completed the entire survey on mobile technology ownership and use. The 10-minute online survey was conducted in May 2013 and participant invitations were balanced by age, gender, and state of residence to reflect other research on the overall makeup of the LGBT community in the United States. For the complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected]. Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) is a research and marketing company. DigitasLBi is a global digital agency network that partners with marketers and brands. More information: www.publicisgroupe.com www.digitas.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]