The mobile phone is emerging as a key to holiday commerce, survey finds

Half of consumers with mobile phones view their device as a holiday shopping resource for product and sale information, coupons, product reviews, and store information, a new survey finds. And 32% believe their mobile phone is helpful for buying products, according to a survey of 200 consumers visiting sites on their mobile devices within the Mojiva mobile ad network.

One-third of mobile consumers are beginning holiday shopping in October, the survey says. 54% will begin shopping for gifts for the holidays in November and December.

When it comes to making purchases via mobile commerce, 70% of consumers who use mobile devices for information and guidance on gift buying say they are likely to consider spending $20 or more on items such as toys, games and electronics via their phones. Four in ten consumers feel comfortable spending $50 or more on a single holiday gift item using their mobile device, the survey finds.

“What’s unique about the holiday season is the high concentration of consumers actively purchasing. What makes the mobile user an even more attractive audience during the holidays is the engagement they exhibit on their devices,” says Tony Nethercutt, general manager at Mojiva. “Our data shows that consumers are accessing a variety of information on mobile devices specifically for holiday shopping. This is a valuable channel for advertisers to fill specific needs of their customers. With a significant amount of consumers beginning shopping in October, marketers need to have their mobile strategy in place very soon.”

The Mobile Audience Guide survey, conducted by digital marketing research firm InsightExpress, also found that clothing and entertainment are among the top product categories for mobile purchasing. And compared with previous surveys, more consumers have indicated they would redeem or download a coupon as a result of seeing a mobile ad on their phones.

“We are seeing that mobile marketing is having more and more influence and a direct impact on consumer behavior. Consumers are indicating that they are open to browsing web destinations or redeeming or downloading a coupon as a result of seeing a mobile ad on their phones,” says Joy Liuzzo, vice president of InsightExpress. “This shows that mobile marketing has made tremendous strides, and the consumer activity and interests we are observing on the Mojiva ad network is a clear indication of the larger trends happening in this segment.”