Technology - Who is in Control? - UK

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Aug. 1, 2008 - 119 Pages

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

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?

About MarketResearch.com
MarketResearch.com is an online aggregator selling over 250,000 market research reports, company profiles and country profiles from over 650 research firms. Our reports will provide you with the critical business and competitive intelligence you need for strategic planning and marketing research. Coverage includes the US, UK, Europe, Asia and global markets.