The More Mobile Devices You Have, the More Valuable Mobile Content Becomes

Smartphones aren’t simply transforming the manner in which media is delivered and consumed; they’re transforming its value, as well. This according to the Boston Consulting Group, which argues that mobile devices are far more than just enablers of media consumption.

In a new report, “Through the Mobile Looking Glass,” BCG notes that consumers’ perceived value of online media increases as they purchase additional mobile devices. According to the firm’s research, there is a 41 percent increase in perceived media value when consumers add a second mobile device to their collection, another 40 percent increase when they add a third, and a 30 percent increase when they add a fourth.

In other words, people with more mobile devices value the media they get through them more than those with fewer devices. Makes sense, right? You get more value out of your HBO subscription if you’re able to finish that “Game of Thrones” episode you started watching on your TV set on your iPad while commuting home from work. And if your iPad battery runs out on that trip and you can finish it on your phone? More value still, right?

It’s an interesting idea: Mobile devices can inspire people to value a product or service above and beyond what they pay for it. Is that a boon for media companies?

“The fact that consumers value media higher the more devices they have is first and foremost a reflection of the strong value consumers put on being able to consume media on devices dependent on their situation or context — PC at the desk, tablet while lounging around, or phone while on the commute, for example,” BCG senior partner David R. Dean told AllThingsD. “The challenge for media companies is to make this work seamlessly — for example, syncing where the consumer left off. Obviously, there’s also a challenge for the device guys, not least because some consumers will want to consume across different ecosystems.”