Marketing research and insights news and information. This issue's keywords: smartphone users; customer experience; self-help technologies; binge-watching
U.S. smartphone users spend as much time on entertainment (games, music, Web surfing and watching streamed content) as texting, with 22 percent of time spent on smartphones being devoted to each of those things, shows a study by GFK MRI, New York. Phone calls account for another 22 percent of time and social media and e-mail each account for 10 percent. When asked which smartphone apps or functions they turn to first thing in the morning, texting was cited most often by 67 percent of respondents. E-mail came in second, mentioned by 63 percent, followed by Facebook (48 percent) and the weather (44 percent). Streaming music service Pandora (12 percent) placed above Pinterest, Twitter and other well-known social media apps. Sixty-eight percent of consumers - and 83 percent of Millennials - reported that they text more than they talk on their smartphones. Texting is the phone feature that respondents said they would miss most if it was not available.
The customer's experience and the content to support it continue to be top priorities for both marketers and their agencies, according to a survey of marketers and e-commerce professionals by London-based firm Econsultancy and San Jose, Calif., computer software firm Adobe. The priorities on top of marketers' lists include individual personalization (31 percent), content optimization (29 percent) and social media engagement (25 percent). Twenty-two percent of client-side respondents ranked optimizing the customer experience as the single most exciting opportunity for the year ahead, followed by other areas such as creating compelling content for digital experiences and data-driven marketing (both 16 percent). Additionally, 51 percent of company respondents and 61 percent of agencies rank mobile as a top-three area of priority for their organization (or their clients) in 2016.
A shows that shoppers are looking for self-help technologies in-store (digital signage, kiosks, interactive displays, etc.) to give them self-directed shopping experiences like they get online, shows a retail report by Atlanta in-store analytics and customer experience firm InReality. Sixty-nine percent of shoppers say they would be more likely to buy in-store if given these technologies. Seventy-eight percent of shoppers said they would be more likely to buy in-store if given self-help options to find a particular product and 75 percent would be more likely to buy in-store if given self-help options to compare products or get price comparisons. The report also found that 27 percent of shoppers said they would give a physical store a second chance after a poor experience, while 15 percent said they would give a brand or product a second chance after a poor experience. Sixteen percent said they would give an online store a second chance after a poor experience.
Eighty-three percent of U.S. consumers prefer dealing with human beings over digital channels to solve customer services issues and get advice (77 percent), according to new research from professional services company Accenture, New York. Almost half (45 percent) of consumers say they are willing to pay a higher price for goods and services if it ensures a better level of service. The report also found that 52 percent of consumers have switched providers in the past year due to poor customer service, with banks, retailers and cable and satellite television providers being the worst offenders. In the U.S., the estimated cost of customers switching due to poor service is $1.6 trillion. Sixty-five percent of consumers agree that in-store service is the best channel for getting a tailored physical or in-store experience and 46 percent say they are more willing to be sold new or upgraded products when receiving a face-to-face service compared to online. Eighty-one percent of consumers say that it is frustrating dealing with a company that does not make it easy to do business with them. Another 73 percent expect customer service to be easier and more convenient and 61 percent want it to be faster. Forty-four percent of consumers admit taking to social channels in order to vent about poor customer experience.
Seventy percent of U.S. consumers now binge-watch an average of five episodes of TV shows at a time and almost one-third (31 percent) binge on a weekly basis, according to a survey by New York consulting firm Deloitte. In addition to binge-watching, nearly half (46 percent) of Americans now subscribe to streaming video services, with Millennials aged 14-25 spending more time streaming video content than watching live television. The survey also found that more than half of all consumers (and three-quarters of Millennials) watch movies and TV shows via streaming on at least a monthly basis. Millennials aged 26-32 who currently pay for streaming video have an average of three subscriptions and Millennials aged 14-25 value their streaming video subscriptions more than pay TV subscriptions. The percentage of streaming subscribers who ranked the service among their top-three most-valued subscriptions has tripled in the last three years (61 percent today, up from 17 percent in 2012). Additionally, the survey found that more than 90 percent of U.S. consumers are now multitasking while watching TV, with 33 percent of all consumers typically browsing the Web while watching TV. Fewer than one-quarter of consumers' multitasking activities are directly related to the program being watched.
These reports were compiled from recent issues of the Daily News Queue, a free e-newsletter digest of marketing research and insights news and information delivered each business morning. Not already in the Queue? Sign up here!