According to business respondents, the holidays are an important source of revenue and mobile tops the list for engaging with consumers. Surprisingly however, businesses are getting started on their holiday outreach earlier than consumers want. Over half of consumers say they are only interested in holiday themes and offers after Thanksgiving, yet 68 percent of businesses start well before that timeline – some as early as August and September!

Marketers and advertisers also approach mobile purchasing differently than their customers, with 60 percent of businesses preferring in-app purchases for the holidays while only five percent of consumers do. And while 54 percent of consumers say they will watch rewarded video for added holiday perks, only 20 percent of marketers are choosing to include it in their holiday campaigns.

“Without question, the holidays present phenomenal opportunities for mobile brands,” said Jennifer Shambroom, chief marketing officer at YouAppi. “Yet without careful planning and targeted goals, companies can easily miss out on their best ROI of the year. Rewarded video is just one example of how mobile brands can better engage their customers this holiday season, and we’ve compiled additional top tips and tricks to help global brands make the most of their holiday mobile experience. Consumer preference is driving mobile engagement, and its critical brands react with the holiday experiences users want most.”

To help marketers better prepare and execute successful holiday campaigns, YouAppi has created a free guide, entitled It’s the Most Mobile Time of the Year.

The survey was conducted by Dimensional Research and includes responses from 217 mobile app owners and digital marketers from around the world, as well as 533 individuals in the United States who use their mobile device for shopping.