Mobile owners in the UK, Germany and France prefer to receive SMS-based promotions over any other mobile channels, according to research published by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

The study, conducted on behalf of the DMA which surveyed 4,400 mobile owners in Europe’s 3 largest economies as well as the US, showed that 38% of UK mobile owners prefer to receive promotional offers by SMS compared to 15% who favour the mobile web.

The figures were higher for those who prefer to receive promotional SMS in Germany and France, with 58% and 60% respectively naming SMS as their preferred channel for receiving mobile promotions.

The study also found that 40% of all UK mobile owners are interested in being contacted via mobile by advertisers and promoters.

Although smartphone penetration is very high in these countries, this study shows that mobile owners still prefer receiving SMS promotions.

The full report is available here.