Abstract
Mintel will address the hypothesis that: “whilst technology is developing at an increasingly faster rate, brands are now creating things that can be used more easily by all, not just the tech-literate. The web has empowered and motivated consumers to dictate to brands what they do and don' t want, rather than the other way round. At the same time, increasing penetration of broadband has allowed consumers to get more tech-savvy, helping them make better-informed decisions and increasing their feeling of control of new technology.”
In exploring this hypothesis, the report aims to look at the relationship consumers have with technology and how important it is to their lives. It looks at whether consumers are increasingly obsessed with new technology, and if they think “new” necessarily means better, and how technologically literate they are. It also addresses the question of control. Has technology made consumers' lives easier, or are they finding it increasingly hard to control as a result. Are new innovations getting out of their control? Do consumers wish they could simply turn off and disconnect from the digital world?
Main report themes:
- Are consumers more savvy and able to understand the technological ins and outs of new products?
- Are consumers addicted to their gadgets? Do they have to take them out everywhere? Is it getting to the point where some consumers wish they could just switch off and ‘disconnect' ?
- How fixated are consumers with getting new technology, and how has it influenced consumers' lives?
- As new technology gets less expensive, who are the consumers that readily embrace it, and how involved are they in seeking out news and information?
- Is there a feeling amongst some consumers that the rate of new technology coming to the market is increasing? Are consumers feeling overwhelmed?
- How has the rate of change impacted on technology buying behaviours? Is it all so complex that consumers are relying on word of mouth and social networks to make difficult decisions?
- Are consumer technology companies risking consumer ‘burn out' as consumers increasingly deal with added functions, new formats and devices?
- Does the seemingly never-ending stream of new functions, formats and interfaces risk consumer burnout?
- As new technology gets more advanced, is it getting easier to install and use for the first time, or harder for consumers to cope with?
Table of Contents
- Issues in the Market
- Main issues
- Definition
- The Control Curve
- Abbreviations
- Insights and Opportunities
- Prop up support systems
- Converge on compatibility
- Human search
- Market in Brief
- Elements of control
- Major corporations still dominate
- Access all areas
- Navigating new technology: We want to hold a hand
- With a little help from our friends (and family)
- Who' s in control: Men or women?
- Who' s in control: Teens?
- Who' s in control: Only the rich?
- Fast Forward Trends
- Trend 1: Learning Through Play
- What' s it about?
- Observations
- Implications
- Trend 2: Trust From Testing
- What' s It About?
- Observations
- Implications
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points
- Broadband has brought more up to speed
- Figure 1: UK broadband penetration, 2004-08
- More web, more tech knowledge
- Figure 2: Feelings of technological know-how, by personal internet usage, June 2008
- Internet access: Digital divide switching from age to class
- Figure 3: British internet penetration at home/work/place of study or elsewhere, by gender, socio-economic group, age, region and working status, 2003-08
- Online activity: Going beyond the basics
- Figure 4: Selected activities undertaken on the internet in the last three months, 2003-08
- Knowledge directly influences more advanced device ownership
- Figure 5: Feelings of technological know-how, versus digital items personally used, June 2008
- Technology: Can advanced also mean inclusive?
- Software increasingly managing the clutter
- The impact of the mobile web
- Figure 6: Digital items personally used, June 2008
- Controlling living room technology
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points
- Pressure on gadget spend
- Gadget savvy segment of the population increasing
- Figure 7: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2003-13
- Will an ageing population become increasingly out of sync with new
technology?
- Figure 8: Adult population trends, by lifestage, 2003-13
- Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Access
- Web 2.0 technologies
- Brand power
- Innovation
- Usability
- Weaknesses
- Incompatibility
- Consumer cynicism
- Brand power
- Cost
- Communication
- Who' s Innovating?
- Key points
- Home appliances increase control without the stress
- Touching the future?
- Blinking your way to a better computer life
- How Do Consumers Rate Their Tech Skills?
- Key points
- Very few Luddites and astronauts
- Figure 9: Feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- Men know what they want; women know what they need
- Figure 10: Feelings of technological know-how, by detailed demographics, June 2008
- Wisdom of experience lies with the young
- Figure 11: Feelings of technological know-how, by age, June 2008
- Feelings About New Technology
- Key points
- Consumers know what they want, but are they getting it?
- Figure 12: Consumer attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market (including gadgets, equipment and software), June 2008
- Men are the keenest for convergence
- Figure 13: Selected consumer attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by gender, June 2008
- Figure 14: Device ownership by gender, July 2008
- Teens compete with older consumers for technology cynicism
- Figure 15: Consumer attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by age, June 2008
- Early adopters overwhelmed?
- Figure 16: Consumer attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by age, June 2008
- What women really want: Simple perfection, every time
- Figure 17: Consumer attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by gender, June 2008
- The difference boils down to interest
- Figure 18: Features used on a mobile phone, by gender
- How Do We Find Out About Technology?
- Key points
- Hi-tech products, lo-tech learning
- Figure 19: How consumers find out about new technology, June 2008
- The price must be right
- Brands hold hands
- Global conversations
- Figure 20: Selected ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by gender, age, socio-economic group, personal internet usage and mobile phone network, June 2008
- Who browses for info?
- When women go shopping, men hide online
- Figure 21: Selected ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by gender, June 2008
- The young stay off the High Street
- Figure 22: Selected ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by age, June 2008
- Better-off invest in quality
- Figure 23: Consumers that visit a technology brands website to find out about new technology, by gross annual household income, June 2008
- Which groups are adverts hitting?
- Young most ad-aware
- Figure 24: Selected ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by age, June 2008
- Plenty of value in print
- Figure 25: Discovering new technology through print advertising, by socio-economic group and gross annual household income, June 2008
- Older consumers more likely to click on web ads
- Figure 26: Using web adverts to find out about new technology, by age and personal internet usage, June 2008
- Who uses the media?
- Newspapers still have mass circulation
- Figure 27: Selected ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Narrowcasting through television
- Figure 28: Using TV shows to find out about new technology, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Distinct routes to different groups
- Figure 29: How consumers find out about new technology, by feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- What Are Our Attitudes To Buying New Technology?
- Key points
- Purchasing decisions: a chance to take control
- Figure 30: Attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), June 2008
- Who waits to buy?
- Teenagers curb their enthusiasm
- Figure 31: Willingness to wait to buy new technology, by age, June 2008
- Men look for functions, women seek out value
- Figure 32: Upgrading for obvious benefits, by gender, June 2008
- Who is guided by price?
- The disinterested watch their wallets
- Figure 33: Selected attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by gender and age, June 2008
- Who rushes in?
- Have money, will travel
- Figure 34: Propensity to buy new things as soon as they come to market, by gender and gross annual household income, June 2008
- Kids need cash
- Figure 35: Propensity to buy new things as soon as they come to market, by age and personal internet usage, June 2008
- Who are the worriers?
- Early adopters get cold feet
- Figure 36: Selected attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by age and gross household income, June 2008
- Men more stressed than women
- Figure 37: Selected attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by age, June 2008
- A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
- Figure 38: Selected attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by personal internet usage, June 2008
- Uncertainty the only certainty
- Figure 39: Attitudes to buying new technology, by feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- How Do We Feel About the Increasing Role of Technology?
- Key points
- Opinions ready to be led
- Figure 40: How consumers feel about the increasing impact technology has on their lives, June 2008
- Men think they have control, but women are more likely to truly achieve it
- Figure 41: How consumers feel about the increasing impact technology has on their lives, by gender, June 2008
- Teens have more fun with technology, but less control
- Figure 42: Selected ways that consumers feel about the increasing impact technology has on their lives, by age, June 2008
- How Hard is it Using New Tech for the First Time?
- Key points
- Customer care lines: show us the value, not the money
- Figure 43: How consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, June 2008
- More than a little help from our friends
- Who is confident?
- Figure 44: Selected ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by age, June 2008
- Figure 45: Selected ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by socio-economic group and gross annual household income, June 2008
- Who wants what kind of help?
- Figure 46: Selected ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by age, June 2008
- Figure 47: Selected ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by age, June 2008
- Figure 48: How consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- Conclusion
- Key points
- What have we proved?
- So, who is in control?
- And how can brands take advantage?
- Appendix: How Do Consumers Rate Their Tech Skills?
- Figure 49: Feelings of technological know-how, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Digital devices
- Figure 50: Digital items personally used, by feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- Online activities
- Figure 51: Online activities in the last three months, by feelings of technological know-how, June 2008
- Appendix: Feelings About New Technology?
- Figure 52: Most popular attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 53: Next most popular attitudes towards the rate of new technology becoming available on the market, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Appendix: How Do We Find Out About Technology?
- Figure 54: Most popular ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 55: Next most popular ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 56: Other ways in which consumers find out about new technology, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Appendix: What Are Our Attitudes To Buying New Technology?
- Figure 57: Most popular attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 58: Next most popular attitudes to buying new technology (including gadgets, equipment and software), by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Appendix: How Do We Feel About the Increasing Role of Technology?
- Figure 59: Most popular feelings about the increasing impact technology has on their lives, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 60: Next most popular feelings about the increasing impact technology has on their lives, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Appendix: How Hard is it Using New Tech for the First Time?
- Figure 61: Most popular ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, by demographic sub-group, June 2008
- Figure 62: Next most popular ways in which consumers set up new technology for the first time after purchase, June 2008
