It may not come as a surprise but in the US, the population is more responsive to and reliant on digital communications and technologies in their everyday life. Today’s populace uses a variety of digital channels to do virtually everything, from booking vacations via their mobile phones to researching products on social networking sites. This acceptance of digital media as a communication source has meant that the modern user is becoming less tolerant of any irrelevant messages and more receptive to interconnected and integrated communication.

The 2011 Digital Marketer Benchmark report from Experian reports that in the US:

•    90% of American adults now own a cell phone, an increase of 21% since 2006
•    84% of Americans email on a regular basis
•    74 % of American send and receive text messages

and even those Americans who are the least connected to emerging technology and are very resistant to adopting a new technology-focused life, are now entering the digital arena, where:

•    75% of the segment, send and receive email
•    60% send and receive texts
•    55% visit social networking sites

In the modern technological household, although TV and computers are important across all age groups, those aged 18 to 34 are much more reliant on their cell phones, with only:

•    13% deeming TV as the media they cannot live without
•    22 % relying on their cellular phones for Internet access

The rapid proliferation and adoption of smart phones has also seen a shift in the source of online visitor traffic. Figures released for E! Online, showed that in 2010, visits to the mobile version of its web site nearly equalled those to its main website, reinforcing the belief that given the choice, the mobile audience preferred to consume content on mobile devices.

This consumer demand for integrated communication mechanisms is also being reflected in the way that SMS technology is being used as an engagement tool. Even with the advances in mobile technology and the proliferation of smart phones. SMS messaging still reaches the widest breadth of mobile consumers. However, the emphasis on SMS technology now, is to use it to build mobile communities, generate loyalty and facilitate geo-specific targeting of services.

Source: The 2011 Experian Digital Marketer Benchmark Report