The insider’s guide to mobile Web marketing in Germany

Get the latest stats and facts on Europe's largest mobile market from ComScore founder Gian Fulgoni and MMA Germany chairman, Mark Wächter - includes top 10 mobile sites, the leading brands, agencies, publishers and ad networks.

Germany is Europe's largest mobile market. Here, a cell phone is called a Handy, and Germans are very keen on them - recent estimates put mobile phone subscriptions at 108 million, which gives Germany a market penetration of over 130 percent, by population (compare that to about 90 percent in the US). Germany is also home to many big brands that have readily embraced mobile Web and mobile marketing, such as BMW, Deutsche Post and Lufthansa.

The fist part of this guide (Q1-8) was contributed by Gian M. Fulgoni, chairman and co-founder of ComScore, which provides essential mobile Web statistics for Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain and USA, including the top 10 most popular mobile sites.

The second part of the guide (Q9-17) – encyclopedic listing (with links) of the most innovative German brands and all the movers and shakers in the German mobile business, including agencies, content providers, ad networks was provided by Mark Wächter, chairman, MMA Germany and BVDW mobile group; and consultant at MWC.mobi.

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Q1. How big or advanced is mobile Web in Germany v rest of world?
With approximately 51 million mobile users, Germany is the largest mobile market in Europe. The most remarkable statistic (according to ComScore's latest research) is the penetration of mobile applications – one of the hot channels for mobile marketing right now – which were used by approximately 15 million people last year, or a 31 percent reach of the total subscriber base.

Q2. Where are the key mobile marketing activities – mobile Web; mobile advertising; text campaigns; applications etc?
About 7.5 million German subscribers access the Web via their mobile browser; while 15 million access mobile services through mobile applications. But more traditional mobile marketing activities, such SMS, remain strong channels, with 13 million people receiving at least one SMS Ad in November 2009 and 1.5 million purchased a ringtone.

Q3. What is driving growth?
Growth is being driven by better data networks; unlimited data plans; consumer adoption of smart phones (which make browsing the mobile Web easier); availability of more compelling mobile content and services; made-for-mobile Websites; and the availability of useful applications from app stores.

Q4. Which industries/sectors have shown the most interest in mobile Web/marketing in Germany?
a) All mobile network operators have invested in the mobile Web and marketing activities to help counter declining voice revenues.
b) Most publishers have launched mobile sites across their brands (ad-funded), and more recently mobile applications. Lately we have seen some paid-for applications, as publishers seek new revenue streams from mobile. Axel Springer has launched paid-for applications for the leading German newspapers Bild and Die Welt (Note: Bild mobil and Welt Mobil remain free/ad funded).
c) Broadcasters such as RTL (mobile site: mobil.rtl.de) and ProSieben (mobile site: Prosieben.mobi) have mobilized their leading brands to increase reach, including offering mobile video.
d) The Auto sector has been very active, testing and optimizing media budgets using mobile branding and targeting. Among car manufacturers BMW (mobile site: BMW.mobi), Mercedes (mobile site: Mercedes-Benz.mobi, Opel (mobile site: Opel.mobi) and Mazda have been particularly active.
e) Fast-moving consumer brands are also keen mobile marketers.

Q5. What are the most popular mobile sites in Germany?
With the exception of ICQ and T-Online, the top 10 mobile sites are dominated by international brands, according to ComScore:

Most popular mobile sites in Germany
Source: ComScore, November 2009
Brand/mobile site	Total monthly users	Percentage reach *
Total German mobile users	51,000,000	100%
Google	4,250,103	8.3%
MSN/Windows Live/Bing	2,257,608	4.4%
Yahoo!	1,823,827	3.6%
Wikipedia	1,193,945	2.3%
ICQ	1,143,404	2.2%
AOL	1,017,109	2.0%
Facebook	985,870	1.9%
eBay	976,286	1.9%
YouTube	931,498	1.8%
T-Online	861,306	1.7%
* Reach = the percentage of all German mobile users who access the site during the month

Q6. What categories of site or application are most popular?
The top 10 types of mobile application used by mobile subscribers, according to ComScore:

Most popular types of mobile application in Germany
Source: ComScore, November 2009
Type of application	Total monthly users	Percentage reach *
Total German mobile users	51,000,000	100%
Maps	1,415,228	2.8%
Weather	1,438,676	2.8%
Search	904,794	1.8%
News	833,093	1.6%
Social networking	766,452	1.5%
Sports information	701,020	1.4%
Traffic reports	670,893	1.3%
Photo or video sharing services	596,312	1.2%
Restaurant information	540,793	1.1%
Television guides	571,740	1.1%
* Reach = the percentage of all German mobile users who access the application during the month

Q7. Which sites stand out as good examples of best practice? What makes them stand out?
All sites that have invested in creating mobile-specific sites and/or mobile apps are a testament to good practice. Facebook is an excellent example, though its popularity as a mobile destination stems from giving its existing (online) subscribers access to Facebook content via mobile devices, rather than attracting mobile users per se.
All companies need to do more in terms of mobile-specific development. When companies start to better understand the mobile platform and design services to leverage the unique benefits of mobile devices, we should see even more success in the mobile content space.

Q8. What is the most exciting thing about mobile?
This is a crucial stage in the development of mobile media and marketing. When you study the rapid growth in fixed-line broadband Internet, technology was a key driver. Mobile technology is at the same stage now. The evolution of mobile handsets, particularly smartphones such as the iPhone; unlimited data plans; and greater wireless access is fuelling growth of the mobile Web. This is very exciting.
The marketing possibilities provided by these devices are endless. The data collected on mobile users is highly accurate and targeted. As people have these devices with them consistently throughout the day, potentially present a very lucrative advertising audience.

* The following information on the German mobile market (Q9-17) was contributed by Mark Wächter, (MMA, BVDW):

Q9. Which German brands/publishers are the most innovative with mobile?
German Brands:
BMW (mobile site: BMW.mobi; case study: winter tires), Deutsche Post (mobile site: Deutschepost.mobi); Lufthansa (mobile site: mobile.lufthansa.com), Mercedes (mobile site: Mercedes-Benz.mobi), Audi, Audi; Adidas (mobile site: Adidas.mobi), Puma.
German Publishers:
Axel Springer; Hubert Burda; Gruner + Jahr (see the G+J mobile portfolio); Spiegel

Q10. What are the main mobile agencies or creative agencies?
12snap (mobile site: 12snap.mobi); Clanmo; Ogilvy; YOC; Neue Digitale (Razorfish)

Q11. What are the main mobile content providers?
ARD; Axel Springer; Hubert Burda; Gruner + Jahr; N-TV; RTL; Spiegel (mobile site: Spiegel.mobi); Gofresh/Itsmy (mobile site: Itsmy.mobi); SchülerVZ (mobile site: schuelervz.mobi); Peperonity

Q13. What are the main mobile advertising networks?
YOC (YOC is profiled in the Guide to mobile ad networks); Yahoo! Deutschland; G&J EMS; Contnet ; Madvertise; Interactive Media; Tomorrow Focus; Axel Springer Media Impact; United Internet Media; IP Deutschland (RTL)

Q15. What are the main mobile network operators?
T-Mobile (mobile site: T-Mobile.mobi); Vodafone; E-Plus (mobile site: EPlus.mobi); O2

Q16. What are the main mobile associations?
BVDW Fachgruppe Mobile; Mobile Marketing Association Germany (it has Germany-specific case studies).

Q17. Where should people go for more information – reference sites, books etc?
Book: BVDW's Mobile Kompass; Web: Mobile Zeitgeist; BVDW; MMA; ComScore.

Comment below or email editor (at) mobiThinking.com.

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