NEW YORK , May 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new research from Experian Marketing Services , a global provider of integrated consumer insights, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, mobile devices are playing an increasingly important role in how users make purchases across all categories. While purchases using a computer or digital tablet still reign supreme, transactions via mobile phones are on the rise, and marketers are poised to take advantage of this trend.

The adoption of mobile marketing increased 17 percent in 2013, while 71 percent of marketers currently are engaging consumers in the mobile channel. This trend, among others, is highlighted in Experian Marketing Services' recently released 2014 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report . The report is an annual go-to resource for marketers looking for key industry benchmarks, insights, technology trends and consumer data.

"Using a mobile device as a shopping tool is one thing; using it to make a purchase is another," said Bill Tancer , general manager of global research, Experian Marketing Services. "One industry in particular that marketers recently have taken advantage of is food. Consumers are increasingly moving from researching on their mobile devices to actually making food purchases on-the-go, including grocery home delivery and even onsite point-of-purchase, where available."

Mobile food purchase trends

When it comes to food purchases, affluents are 12 percent more likely to purchase food products through their mobile phone, 29 percent more likely to purchase through their tablet and 30 percent more likely to purchase through their personal computer.

Affluent consumers also are more likely to visit the Websites of popular family restaurants, as well as the leading reservations site, OpenTable.com. As of April 2014 , the top five food Websites visited by affluents were:

Source: Experian Marketing Services

Affluent: Household income $100,000+

Charitable giving

Among device owners, purchase rates consistently are higher on tablets and computers than on smartphones due to the larger screen. However, the one exception is charitable giving. Affluents are just as likely to have made a charitable donation from their smartphone as they are to have made one from their tablet, and contributions made from a computer are only marginally higher than those on tablets and phones.

Charitable organizations have made donating as easy as sending a text, which is likely why charitable donations is the only category with mobile purchase rates as high as those from a tablet.

"Marketers can take a page from the charitable sector's playbook and streamline their own purchase process. This might include allowing repeat customers to conduct transactions using financial information on file, using mobile-optimized design for collecting payment information or other innovative approaches that allow the would-be customer to transact from anywhere," added Tancer.

Mobile travel purchase trends

One category favored by affluent consumers is mobile travel purchases. Affluents are 16 percent more likely than average to book travel from a mobile phone, 42 percent more likely to book from a tablet and 31 percent more likely to book their travel through their personal computer.

"The data highlighted in our Digital Marketer Report reveals that a demographic such as affluents, who are prime for booking travel, is only booking travel at marginally higher levels than average via mobile. This means that travel marketers can benefit from focusing efforts on streamlining the mobile booking process," said Tancer.

Overall, the report highlights how marketers can take advantage of this data to more successfully target and engage with their customers.  The percentage of mobile phone owners who say they are interested in receiving advertising on their mobile phone has risen by 45 percent since 2010. Nearly one in 10 mobile phone owners today say that they are likely to buy products that they see advertised on their phones, up from 6 percent in 2010.

The 2014 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report is available via a free download at http://ex.pn/PpijOx .

About Experian Marketing Services

Experian Marketing Services is a global provider of integrated consumer insights and targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing. We help organizations from around the world intelligently interact with today's dynamic, empowered and hyperconnected customers. By coordinating seamless interactions across all marketing channels, marketers are able to plan and execute superior brand experiences that deepen customer loyalty, strengthen brand advocacy and maximize profits. For more information, please visit http://ex.pn/1fSccNf .

About Experian

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2014 , was US$4.8 billion . Experian employs approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland , with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK ; California , US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil . For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com .    

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Suzanne Blackburn
Experian Marketing Services
1 212 863 4648
suzanne.blackburn@experian.com

SOURCE Experian Marketing Services