More women opt for handymen over husbands
Fewer Americans have plans to engage in do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement projects in 2008, while they are more likely to have others do the work for them. Of the 81 percent of Americans planning home improve-ment projects in 2008, only 44 percent indicated they would do-it-themselves, down from 56 percent in 2006, according to a study conducted by Baltimore media communications company Vertis Communications.
Further, 37 percent indicated plans to have someone else do the home improvement work for them, up from 30 percent just two years ago. Female decision makers age 25-34 are most responsible for this trend, falling to 32 percent in 2008 from 59 percent in 2006. Women decision makers age 18-24 also decreased, from 48 percent in 2006 to 29 percent this year.
Additionally, the survey found the down economy has not drastically impacted Americans’ overall desire to take on the three most common home improvement projects. Landscaping, interior painting and remodeling a kitchen and/or bathroom are nearly as popular in 2008 as they were in 2004. Thirty-nine percent of household decision makers indicated they will paint their homes this year, compared with 40 percent in 2004. The percentage who will landscape and those who will remodel a bathroom or kitchen dropped only one point, respectively from 35 to 34 percent, and from 18 percent in 2004 to 17 percent in 2008.
Other key findings include: 57 percent of home improvement decision makers stated they turn to large home improvement stores first when purchasing items to assist with household maintenance; 18 percent of decision makers prefer a local option when shopping for home improvement needs, selecting a hardware store close to home; regular discount stores were the outlet of choice for 12 percent of household decision makers, rounding out the top three choices; and only 3 percent of decision makers indicated they opt for wholesale outlets such as Costco or Sam’s Club.
Also, 30 percent of home improvement decision makers selected “having a retailer close to the home” as the most important reason in determining a store for their home improvement shopping needs; 17 percent of decision makers choose a store because of its large stock and selection; the third most popular reason for choosing a particular store was “always having what I need,” according to 9 percent of decision makers; and only 1 percent of respondents answered that having an employee help find or choose home improvement items was important. For more information visit www.vertisinc.com.
Kia.com ranks highest among new-vehicle shoppers
Kia.com ranks highest among automotive manufacturer Web sites for usefulness in new-vehicle shopping, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Study (MWES), Wave 2, from Westlake Village, Calif., researcher J.D. Power and Associates.
The semi-annual study measures the usefulness of automotive manufacturer Web sites during the new-vehicle shopping process. New-vehicle shoppers evaluate Web sites in four key areas: appearance, speed, navigation and information/content.
Kia ranks highest with an index score of 872 on a 1,000-point scale, marking a nine-point increase from the last wave of the study, which was released in January 2008. Closely following Kia in the rankings are Ford (871) and Mazda (870), with Ford performing particularly well in the appearance factor. Also performing sig-nificantly above the industry average are Honda, Jeep, Lincoln, Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Subaru.
On average, most manufacturer Web sites undergo a major redesign every two to three years. While re-designs can eventually lead to increased satisfaction, small updates to improve critical areas on a manufac-turer Web site, such as information and content and ease of navigation, can also positively impact the cus-tomer experience in a more cost-effective manner.
In particular, Ford and Porsche have made frequent tweaks and updates to their sites, all leading to a steady increase in satisfaction scores during the past four years, without a major redesign. Specifically, after enhancing navigation following the second wave of MWES in 2007, these manufacturers have also made significant improvements in speed since January 2008.
The study also finds the following key patterns: satisfaction with a manufacturer Web site tends to increase shopper visits to the dealership, as 75 percent of shoppers who give high ratings on a site are more likely to go to a dealership to test drive a vehicle. Overall satisfaction with manufacturer Web sites has increased to 849, eight points more than the previous wave of the study. In particular, satisfaction with loading speed has increased as manufacturer Web sites have employed a variety of techniques, such as better navigation schemes, more aggressive caching, better page load order and pre-loading of content, to offer rich content that loads quickly. For more information visit www.jdpower.com.
Auto gadgets a larger draw than size
Drivers of both sexes are buying smaller, less-expensive and more-fuel-efficient cars, and they have unique preferences for the latest in automotive technology, according to research from Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive’s study AutoTECHCAST. There are significant differences by gender regarding which innovations they will most likely consider during the purchase process.
The study reveals that men gravitate more toward performance, convenience and communication/sound options, while women indicate a stronger preference for comfort items. Both sexes show strong interest in new technology options that provide a heightened degree of personal safety.
“The most intriguing results from our study indicate that men and women have significantly different tech-nology tastes and views of what features are the most appealing,” says Stephen A. Lovett, director of client development, Harris Interactive. “The fact is women have a great influence on vehicle purchases and they are more tech savvy than ever. The automakers need to take these views into consideration when designing their next-generation vehicles.
“Despite the trend toward smaller vehicles, drivers still have high expectations when it comes to comfort, safety and performance. Having more technology in the car may be one important way that people can com-pensate for a reduction in auto size.”
Key differences between men and women include: men (41 percent) are more interested in voice-activated controls and features than women (32 percent); advanced fuel cell engine technology is a greater consideration among men (38 percent) than women (27 percent); adaptive cruise control is a stronger buying consideration among men (41 percent) than women (34 percent); and automated driving technology grabs the imagination of more males (35 percent) than females (27 percent).
Bluetooth connectivity is more appealing to male drivers (48 percent) than female drivers (37 percent); men are more likely to consider digital surround audio technology (44 percent) than women (33 percent); and more females recognize the benefits of pivoting front seats (32 percent) than men (25 percent).
A parking heater system also is more appealing to women (32 percent) than men (26 percent); and the capless fueling system, a relatively newer innovation, also receives higher interest from women (38 percent) compared to men (32 percent).
Anti-trap/anti-pinch power windows appeal more to women (37 percent) than men (31 percent), but a much greater share of males (53 percent) than females (42 percent) value a two-way remote keyless entry system. More women (30 percent) than men (20 percent) are likely to consider a parking assist system in their next vehicle. Conversely, LED lighting is much more popular among men (66 percent) than women (48 percent). Heads-up display technology also is a greater consideration among men (38 percent) than women (27 percent). For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Novice car shoppers take Influential advice
“Influentials” are U.S. adults who describe themselves as either “very” or “extremely knowledgeable” about vehicles. They are much more likely than ordinary consumers, referred to as “Non-Influentials,” to say they know many people who are also knowledgeable about vehicles. And, they are more likely to talk to other knowledgeable people about the vehicles they are considering. With this in mind, Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive has taken a closer look at Influentials in the automotive market.
Overall, one in five U.S. adults (19 percent) fit into this category. Males (82 percent) dominate the In-fluentials. The average age of Influentials is 45, which is in line with Non-Influentials. Influentials have higher incomes, with more than half (53 percent) earning $75,000 or more compared to 40 percent of Non-Influentials.
Close to three in five (57 percent) Influentials know many people who are at least very knowledgeable about vehicles, compared to just 18 percent of Non-Influentials. Influentials talk about vehicles mostly to family (60 percent) and friends (58 percent), while Non-Influentials are less likely to talk about vehicles with family (38 percent) and more likely to talk with friends (65 percent). While Influentials talk to each other about vehicle choices, Non-Influentials actively seek out advice from Influentials. Slightly more than half (55 percent) of Non-Influentials initiate conversations about their vehicle choices with Influentials “always” or “most of the time.”
Influentials are more likely to indicate usage of traditional media (television, newspaper, magazines) as sources of vehicle information and are also more likely to use the Internet as a source (63 percent Influentials vs. 36 percent Non-Influentials). However, they are less likely than Non-Influentials to rely on other people (family, friends, acquaintances) and are less than half as likely to use a dealership salesperson as a source of information (17 percent Influentials vs. 38 percent Non-Influentials).
Non-Influentials are equally as likely to get vehicle information from each of their top sources - friends/family members/acquaintances (40 percent), the Internet (36 percent) and a dealership salesperson (38 percent).
On a seven-point scale about likelihood to change vehicle brand choice, 10 percent of Influentials are at the top of the scale indicating they are “much more likely” to change their vehicle brand choice as a result of conversations with Influentials, while only 2 percent of Non-Influentials indicate this. For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Many companies not working to earn loyalty
The pursuit of customer loyalty through customer experience is high on the corporate agenda, yet companies still fail to understand the totality of customer expectations and therefore deliver commodity products and services, according to research from Rochelle Park, N.J., research company Strativity Group’s Global Benchmark study. The 379 executive participants study examined organizations’ complete customer experience cycle from customer experience definition to customer-centric organizational alignment, as well as their mechanism to respond to customer feedback.
Although the study indicates that 80 percent of the executives strongly agree that customer strategies are more important to companies’ success than ever before, companies fail to design and deliver those strategies and, as such, lose customer commitment and loyalty.
Study highlights include: only 43.9 percent (up from 40.0 percent in 2006) believed that their companies deserve their customers’ loyalty; 42.6 percent responded that their companies products and services are not worth the price they charge (down from 44.0 percent in 2006); 56 percent responded that their companies have differentiated and beneficial products and services (up from 49.5 percent in 2006); 43.7 percent said their companies will take any customer that is willing to pay (up from 38.3 percent in 2006); only 34.8 percent indicated that their company has a dedicated customer experience management role; only 27.2 percent of the respondents said that the definition of the customer experience is well-defined and communicated in their companies; only 28.8 percent responded that employees have the tools and authority to solve customer problems (down from 34.0 percent in 2006); and only 23.9 percent agreed that their employees are well-versed in how to delight customers.
“The Customer Experience Management global benchmark study provides us with a sobering reality. Companies still fail to get what it takes to meet customer needs, let alone delight them,” says Lior Arussy, president of Strativity Group. “Especially in this economic environment, companies must get serious about understanding and delivering the complete customer experience.” For more information visit www.strativitygroup.com.
SMS responses lead in mobile marketing offers
Twenty-four percent of mobile phone users surveyed online have responded to mobile marketing, according to research from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), New York. The DMA quantitative mobile marketing research found that 70 percent of consumers who have responded to a mobile marketing offer say they’ve responded to a marketing text message, compared with 42 percent who’ve responded to a survey and 30 percent to e-mail offers.
According to DMA’s research, 42 percent participated in surveys sent to a mobile phone; 18 percent responded to a coupon offer; 70 percent responded to a text message for a product or service; 22 percent responded to a Web offer on a mobile browser; and 30 percent responded to an e-mail offer for a product or service.
Among the other findings: 33 percent of the group that did not respond to any mobile marketing (76 per-cent) reported that they had never received an offer; lack of interest and cost of airtime was cited as the leading reasons by those who haven’t responded to mobile offers; 71 percent of people who respond to mobile offers have data plans; and 21 percent of mobile marketing responders indicated that they respond to three or more offers per month.
Respondents who used AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile were more interested in mobile marketing incentives than respondents who used Verizon Wireless. Teens 15-17 years old (19 percent) and young adults 21-30 years old (19 percent) are twice as likely to respond to offers on their mobile devices as those 18-20 years old (7 percent). Single respondents were the most likely of all groups to respond to mobile marketing appeals. Higher-income respondents making more than $60,000 per year were more likely to respond to mobile offers.
Buyers of entertainment/music/video products were the most likely to respond to mobile offers. Categories of mobile offers were dominated by entertainment/music/video (44 percent); followed by food/beverage (21 percent); telecommunications/mobile (21 percent); beauty/personal care (15 percent); automotive/transportation, business services, consumer electronics, financial services and vacation/travel (12 percent each); and health care/pharmaceutical and real estate (7 percent each). For more information visit www.the-dma.org.
Most U.S. grocery shoppers are nutrition-label savvy
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of U.S. consumers say they notice nutritional information on food packaging more often now compared with two years ago, according to an online survey by New York researcher The Nielsen Company.
Though two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. consumers also claim to “mostly” understand the nutritional information on food packaging, less than half (44 percent) of global consumers say they do.
“Given that so many consumers are taking time to read nutrition labels, there is also a marketing op-portunity for food manufacturers to provide consumer-friendly information on labels that may entice shoppers to switch brands at the point of purchase,” says Deepak Varma, senior vice president, Nielsen customized research.
For some U.S. shoppers, scanning food labels appears to be routine behavior: 25 percent check the nutri-tional information while trying to lose weight, compared with only 15 percent of global consumers. More than half of U.S. consumers (51 percent) say they always check the fat content on nutrition labels, while nearly half check food labeling for calories (48 percent) and trans fats (43 percent).
“The relationship between consumers and nutritional information and labeling provides unmistakable in-sight into health and diet concerns. Without question, nutritional labeling can be a powerful marketing tool for savvy food manufacturers. For example, food marketers can make relatively low investments in pack and labeling changes compared with advertising and promotions and drive significant sales,” says Varma.
Other key findings include: Though less than a quarter (21 percent) of U.S. consumers always check the nutritional information on food packaging, nearly half (42 percent) check when thinking of buying a product for the first time; 8 percent of U.S. consumers never check the nutritional information, consistent with the global average; 67 percent of U.S. consumers say they understand the distinct difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat, slightly higher than the global average (60 percent); and globally, almost half (42 percent) of consumers check food labels for preservatives, while only 24 percent of U.S. consumers say they do. For more information visit www.nielsen.com.