• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, October 2, 2012

Ad features such as video and image galleries help boost engagement with mobile ads, according to a new study commissioned by Say Media and conducted by comScore. For the ad-related part of the study, the companies looked at 100 recent mobile campaigns on the Say Network to understand which elements made them most effective.

The study found that rich media features, such as product carousels, mapping and “lookbooks,” saw click-to-site rates three times as high as similar mobile ads without these interactive tools. Video in mobile ads increased time spent. For auto ads, average time spent increased 28% compared to ads without video, and 32% for technology industry ads.

Overall, Say Media reported that mobile click-through rates were three to five times higher than for the same campaigns on the desktop Web. Based on a survey of 1,200 smartphone or tablet users, the study also offered findings on how people use mobile in relation to purchases and in daily life:

*61% of respondents researched a product on their mobile device before making the decision to buy, while 37% validated a price at the point of sale.

*Nearly half had redeemed an offer using their mobile device.

*44% have purchased goods on their mobile device; 30% have made a payment through a mobile app, such as Square or Levelup.

When it comes to media consumption, mobile is becoming mainstream, especially among younger users:

*55% regularly stream music on their phones, a growing trend due to the popularity of apps like Spotify and Pandora.

*63% percent have watched or posted a video on their mobile device.

*Men spend an average of five hours a week and women spend four hours a week watching mobile video.

*One in three smartphone owners receive the majority of their news on a mobile device (half of 18-24s)

The research also reflected how mobile devices have become ubiquitous personal assistants:

*Half of workers agree that their smartphones better enable them to take care of personal items during the workday. About a quarter feel more stressed by their mobile devices.

*One in three smartphone users have recorded exercise and food intake, monitored personal health, taken meeting notes and tracked finances and day-to-day expenses and monitored personal health on their mobile device.  

*More than half (55%) of those 18 to 24 recorded their exercise activity on their mobile device, and half of this age group tracked day-to-day expenses.

Say Media, which in July raised $27 million in venture funding, claims a network of some 500 sites, with a combined global reach of 400 million Web users.