Buongiorno, the multinational provider of digital entertainment, released a very interesting study into the mobile browsing behavior of 18 to 34 year old subscribers. The study reveals the 2 dominant modes of consumer behavior and the 4 major reasons for mobile browsing.

The study, which took place in the UK, used a “deep-dive” approach to research. This included in-home interviews, going out with people, keeping diaries, and a “torture-test”, where PC browsing was banned to test the true potential of mobile. The objective was to understand what role it plays in their lives, key themes shaping their behavior and what is in store for the future.

Two main attitudes towards browsing emerged:

• Embracers: see their phones as real beings – pets, friends, collaborators. They love to experiment with browsing and the battery is their only limit when it comes to being online. They browse with friends, alone, on the bus, out shopping. They browse to stay connected, to alleviate boredom, for efficiency, for entertainment or for information.
• Pragmatists:see their phones as tools to make their lives easier. For them, browsing is about being informed. They usually spend short bursts of time online – just enough to get the job done. Browsing is a personal activity, not one to be shared with friends. It’s about keeping up, being productive, and staying on top of day-to-day issues and events.

Another finding was that there are 4 main reasons why people go on the mobile internet:

• Socializing is the primary activity, eg MySpace, Facebook
• Searching for information and entertainment
• Continue actions started on the PC/ internet, (e.g. searches, comparisons, email)
• Download content (music, video, games, etc).

The full report is a slide deck that also cover many other topics, including:
• Frequency of use patterns;
• What pushes users out of their ‘comfort zone’;
• Current barriers to further growth of browsing.

Buongiorno is an independent mobile media and technology company driving the burgeoning cellphone entertainment and personalization industry. Read more about Buongiorno in the MobiAD Company Index.

Read the full Buongiorno press release here.