Phone Users Ringing in Change
November 23 2001
An estimated 3.4 million people in Britain change their mobile phone ring tone at least once every month. Some 1.2 million also have ring tones that they have composed themselves. This is according to a recent survey researched by e-MORI on behalf of Lycos.co.uk, the new mobile channel.
Other key findings about mobile phones and ring tones include:
- 39 percent of mobile phone users in Britain have changed their ring tone.
- One in ten (11%) of British mobile phone users change their ring tone at least once a month.
- Five percent (1.5 million) of mobile phone users in Britain change their ring tones weekly.
- One percent of mobile phone users in GB change the tune on a daily basis.
- 4% of mobile phone users, who have changed their ring tone, have used a tune they composed themselves on their mobile phone.
- 8% of mobile phone users, who have changed their ring tone, say they have done so to annoy someone.
MORI's reseach has also revealed that one in ten (3.1 million) of mobile phone users have used a TV/movie theme tune. Nine percent have downloaded a recent chart hit, a classical tune was the choice for seven percent, whilst an old pop tune was selected by six percent.
Most surprisingly, the survey has unearthed the fact that nearly one million people have changed their ring tone to purposely annoy others - showing that mobile phones are a source of amusement for many! It is also the 15 to 24 year olds who have most embraced the ring tone phenomenon, with half of those who have changed their music doing so because they have been bored with their sounds.
The new mobile channel allows visitors to compose their own ring tones. Since it went live at the beginning of October, Lycos users have produced over 1,000 ring tones. The survey found a growing desire for home grown ring tones, with 4 percent of mobile phone users already using tones that they have produced themselves. These can also be published on the site for others to download. Lycos.co.uk records how many times a tone is chosen and creators are rewarded with points that allow them to download more for free.
Alex Kovach, managing director, Lycos UK and Ireland, commented, "People are keen to display their individuality and musical skills by creating their own ring tones. Who knows, we may even find that the next big chart hit is based on a ring tone, rather than a ring tone being based on a chart hit."
The research was conducted between 20 to 25 September 2001 in 193 sampling points across Great Britain as part of MORI's Omnibus. A total of 1,310 interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of mobile phone users aged 15 plus.
All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
