This week, Cossette launched a new mobile-marketing measurement tool that provides media agencies and marketers with a clearer picture of how Quebecers use their mobile phones.

The first report from the new tool has just been published, and is designed to provide a benchmark of sorts outlining the basic state of mobile use and marketing effectiveness in Quebec. Conducted in August 2010, the report is based on a survey of 500 Quebeckers between 18 and 65 years old.

Smartphone penetration in the province is, unsurprisingly, highest among young (18 to 34 year olds) and more affluent (59% have an income of over $60,000) Quebeckers, and highest in Montreal. More surprisingly, 6.5% of 18 to 34-year-old respondents reported clicking on a mobile ad, for a total of 3% of all respondents. A little over 15% of smartphone users reported being receptive to mobile advertising.

In terms of participation in mobile-marketing tactics, 5% of respondents said they took part in text-messaging promotions, a figure that rises to 12% when narrowed down to 18 to 34-year-olds. Only 1% of respondents said they used a coupon from a mobile phone, while slightly more (2%) said they had scanned a QR code (although 5.4% of 18 to 34-year-olds reported doing so). Things look a little more lively in the price-comparison department, where almost 8% of all respondents said they had done so, a figure which rose to 16% with 18-to 34-year-olds.

The outlook for brands also looks promising: over 80% of smartphone users in the study said they want more tools to help them locate stores, which contributed to the report’s conclusion that the more apps offering this service will increase the number of smartphone adopters. Over 60% of smartphone users in the poll said they would like to see more apps that offer more information on products in-store.

And although the number of people in the study who reported using a mobile coupon was very low overall, 60% of smartphone users said they want to access store coupons on their phones.