••• mobile research
Disruptive but convenient
Users weigh the pros and cons of mobile technology
Some 85 percent of American adults now own a cell phone of some kind and these devices mean many things to their owners: an always-available link to friends and family, a pocket computer, a time-saving tool or even an actual telephone. However, all these benefits come with some drawbacks, according to a study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington, D.C. Mobile phone owners like the convenience and ease of connectivity but rue that they can be interrupted more easily, have to pay the bills and face bad connections.
When asked to describe in their own words what they like most about owning a cell phone, 17 percent said the best thing about their phone is that it is convenient; 12 percent like the ability to call or talk with others at any time; 11 percent like that their cell phone can help them get assistance in an emergency; 9 percent favor using the Internet, e-mail or apps; and 8 percent like the ability to connect with family.
However, the convenience and constant connectivity these mobile devices offer also comes with a downside in the form of annoyances, interruptions and cost. When asked what they like least about owning a cell phone, 24 percent said the fact that they are constantly available and can be reached at any time. Fifteen percent said that the cost of cell ownership is the thing they like least; 12 percent cited problems with bad reception, poor signal or dropped calls; 8 percent dislike the battery life; and another 8 percent pointed to interruptions from telemarketers and other unwanted callers as their primary annoyance.
Overall, cell owners are far more likely to view their phone as a time-saver than as a time-waster. Some 33 percent of cell owners agreed that their phone saves them time because they can always access the information they need, while just 3 percent agreed that their phone costs them time because they are constantly being distracted or interrupted. The largest proportion of cell owners (56 percent) said that the time costs and time savings offered by cell phones pretty much balance each other out.
Cell owners are extremely attached to their phones, although most don’t see that as too big of a problem. For many cell owners, their phone is an essential utility that they check frequently, keep close at all times and would have trouble functioning without. Over two-thirds find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts or calls even – when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating. Some 18 percent said that they do this frequently. Forty-four percent have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages or other updates during the night and 29 percent describe their cell phone as something they can’t imagine living without.
Despite this connection to their devices, most don’t worry too much (or get many complaints from their friends) about spending too much time with their phones. Eleven percent said that they themselves sometimes worry that they are spending too much time with their phone, while 12 percent said that people they know tell them that they are spending too much time using their phone.
Indeed, many cell owners hear complaints from friends that they don’t devote enough time to monitoring their mobile communications. Thirty-nine percent said that people they know have complained because they don’t respond promptly to phone calls or text messages and one-third said that people they know have complained because they don’t check their phone frequently enough.
Mobile phone users see some drawbacks to cell ownership but in general are positive about the benefits that mobile connectivity provides. When asked to assess the impact of their cell phone on various aspects of daily life, cell owners see some clear benefits – particularly when it comes to maintaining connections to friends and family. Sixty-five percent said that their phone has made it a lot easier to stay in touch with the people they care about; 28 percent said that their phone has made it a lot easier to plan and schedule their daily routine; and 26 percent said that their phone has made it a lot easier to be productive while doing things like sitting in traffic or waiting in line.
On the other hand, relatively modest numbers of users see a downside to cell ownership in the form of increased distractions and difficulty disconnecting from work life. Nine percent said that their phone makes it a lot harder to disconnect from work life (this concern is particularly acute among cell owners in high-income households); 7 percent said that their phone makes it a lot harder to give people their undivided attention; and another 7 percent said that their phone makes it a lot harder to focus on a single task without being distracted.
www.pewinternet.com
••• automotive research
Relying on reviews
Car shoppers consult the Web when selecting dealer
Nearly 80 percent of new-vehicle buyers use the Internet during their shopping process, among whom nearly one-third consult online ratings/review sites when selecting a dealer, according to a study from Westlake Village, Calif., research company J.D. Power and Associates. New-vehicle buyers are much more inclined to use a ratings/review site than a social networking site when selecting a dealer but satisfaction with the dealership experience is significantly higher among new-vehicle buyers who use social networking sites than among those who consult ratings/review sites.
Among new-vehicle buyers, males are significantly more likely than females to consult ratings/review sites, whereas females are significantly more likely to consult social networking sites. Both genders are equally likely to visit blogs, forums or social networking sites in general (7 percent each); however, females post considerably more positive online statements regarding their dealer experience than their male counterparts (86 percent indicate comments “mostly positive” vs. 77 percent, respectively).
The study analyzed the new-vehicle purchase experience and measured customer satisfaction with the selling dealer (satisfaction among buyers) and also measured satisfaction with brands and dealerships that were shopped but ultimately rejected in favor of the selling brand and dealership (satisfaction among rejecters). Among buyers, satisfaction was examined across four measures (listed in order of importance): working out the deal (17 percent); salesperson (13 percent); delivery process (11 percent); and facility (10 percent). Among rejecters, satisfaction was examined across five measures (listed in order of importance): salesperson (20 percent); fairness of price (12 percent); facility (6 percent); inventory (6 percent); and experience negotiating (5 percent). Overall sales satisfaction among both buyers and rejecters averages 664 on a 1,000-point scale in 2012, improving from 648 in 2011.
Lexus ranked highest among luxury brands in satisfaction with the new-vehicle buying experience for a second consecutive year, with an index score of 737. (Rankings are based on the experiences of both buyers and rejecters.) Infiniti (728) and Cadillac (725) followed. Year-over-year sales satisfaction improved the most for Infiniti (+52 index points), moving from ranking eighth in 2011 to rank second in 2012.
MINI ranked highest among mass-market brands for a third consecutive year, with a score of 712, followed by Buick (706) and GMC (683). Honda improved the most among mass-market brands (+30 index points) and moved from ranking 12th in 2011 to eighth in 2012.
www.jdpower.com
••• mobile research
Phones for Facebooking
Social media dominates smartphone Internet time
As consumers increasingly rely on smartphones as a major source of Internet access, social media represents by far the largest share of online time via these devices, according to research from The GfK Group, a Nuremberg, Germany, research company. Social sites and activities account for almost one-third of smartphone online minutes – double the proportion for e-mail, which ranks second at 16 percent.
The analysis also looked at differences in online activities when using PCs (laptops and desktop computers) versus smartphones. Social media represents only 18 percent of time spent on the Internet via PCs – the same percentage as e-mail and only slightly higher than online video (13 percent) and search (11 percent).
Phones now account for 17 percent of total time spent with the Internet across all devices, compared to 12 percent in 2011. Desktop and laptop computers, by contrast, have dropped off considerably, representing 73 percent of Internet time, compared to 83 percent a year ago. Tablets account for 6 percent of online time – double the 2011 figure of 3 percent; and Internet TVs also doubled, from 2 percent of online time in 2011 to 4 percent in 2012.
Trend data show that the purposeful Internet use encouraged by smartphone apps – checking social sites and e-mail – may be affecting how consumers approach online time via PCs, as well. The percent of time devoted to uncategorized “other” Internet activities on PCs has dropped by almost half in just a year, from 37 percent in 2011 to 20 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, time spent accessing online video via PCs has essentially doubled, from a 7 percent share to 13 percent, and time with social media and e-mail also grew.
www.gfk.com
••• financial services
Practical rewards
Credit card kickbacks go toward necessities
Among credit card holders, over three-quarters have rewards programs associated with their cards, most commonly cash back (47 percent) and general rewards points (44 percent), and the majority of cardholders put these rewards to practical use, according to a poll conducted by New York research company Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of the American Bankers Association.
Cash back is not only the most common type of rewards program but it is also the most favored, as six in 10 rewards-card holders say that cash-back cards are the most appealing credit card reward program to them personally. Other rewards programs include airline miles (15 percent), gas rewards points (8 percent), hotel points (7 percent), or some other reward program (4 percent). Fewer than one-quarter (23 percent) do not have rewards programs associated with their cards.
A quarter (26 percent) prefer general points that can be redeemed for goods, while 9 percent most prefer airline miles cards. A handful of respondents choose hotel points (2 percent) or some other type of reward (2 percent), while 1 percent said that none of these types of rewards are most appealing.
Those most likely to prefer airline points are those with a higher household income (11 percent vs. 5 percent of those with lower incomes) and those with a college degree (13 percent vs. 6 percent of those without). Those without a college degree tend to prefer general points cards (30 percent vs. 21 percent).
Just over half of rewards-card holders say they most commonly use their rewards to make necessary purchases for themselves or their household (54 percent). Three in 10 use their rewards to purchase gifts for friends and family or for purchases or travel that are outside of their normal purchase behavior (i.e., special offers, upgrades, trips, etc.) (27 percent). Only 18 percent report that they have not used the rewards they have earned.
Among those who participate in a credit card rewards program, 68 percent do not have any suggestions for additional rewards they would like to see their credit card company offer other than what is already provided. Less than one in five offer some suggestion about another type of rewards offering, most commonly cash back (5 percent), some other type of points/rewards (5 percent), gift cards (2 percent) or gas rebates or rewards (2 percent). Just 2 percent would like to see a rewards program related to reduced fees or interest rates.
www.ipsos-na.com
••• hispanics
Focus on faith and family
What ipacts the Hispanic-American worldview?
Hispanics are the fastest-growing population segment in the U.S. and have a distinct perspective faith, family and societal issues. A study conducted by Barna Group, a Ventura, Calif., research company, in partnership with American Bible Society, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and OneHope, investigated how Hispanic-Americans’ views will impact the political, social and economic climate in the U.S.
To start, 54 percent of Hispanic-Americans identify themselves first as Hispanic or Latino before American, Catholic or Christian. Still, 69 percent of Hispanic-Americans think public schools should teach the values found in the Bible and 42 percent say the Bible influences their views of political and social issues. However, 43 percent read the Bible less than once a year.
Hispanic-Americans are very concerned about school dropout rates (58 percent), immigration (53 percent), unemployment (57 percent), health care (54 percent) and housing (52 percent). Hispanics believe the No. 1 way they contribute to American society is through their commitment to family. Over three-fourths say the traditional family is the main building block of a healthy community.
When faced with a moral or ethical choice, 22 percent of those surveyed make choices based on principles or standards they believe in say they should do; those standards were most commonly defined by their parents or the Bible.
http://hispanics.barna.org