Time Spend on Mobile / Tablets Increase, Apps the Catalyst

Mobile Time Spend Share IncreasingTime spent consuming digital media on mobile is gaining traction at the expense of time spent on the traditional desktop. This trend is not new, but when looking at the numbers, it is clear that this shift has been swift and unrelenting. In their 2Q earnings reports, GOOGL, FB, LNKD, YELP, GRUB, Z, EVDY and others, highlighted the robust growth of the mobile channel and the strategic importance of their respective apps.

Since August 2013, mobile has continued to gain widespread use as the platform for digital media consumption. Although mobile now accounts for 60% of time spent consuming digital media, consumers have adopted mobile as the forum for various content segments at different rates.

Consumers have moved quickly to mobile for digital radio, while mobile use for directories / resources lags. The most important content category, social networking, has also been a laggard. However this segment is also shifting. In its recent earnings report, Facebook stated that 654mn out of its 829mn DAUs are now connecting via mobile, which accounted for 79% of DAUs, up from 76% in 1Q14 and 67% in 2Q13. The switch to mobile will likely continue, and those able to capitalize on the shift will likely be the recipients of increased time share and ad dollars.