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Insights on Mobile Consumers

Erin Geoghegan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:54:31 +0000

Nine in ten U.S. adults today use at least one mobile device. Mobile phones have truly become an essential part of consumers’ every day lives, and email marketers can easily capitalize on this immense market if they plan and segment their campaigns strategically. Recently released consumer reseach from Experian Simmons reveals the following key trends that provide deep insight on the traits and characterstics of the mobile consumer today:

The most popular mobile function today – aside from talking – is taking pictures, which 70% of mobile phone owners do each month.
Adults under age 50 are the most likely to be mobile users with 93% owning a mobile phone today.
Over 78% of adults over the age of adults over age 60 are now mobile.
Fully half of cell phone users simultaneously engage with some other medium while on their mobile. TV is the most common media distraction with 21% of mobile phone owners watching TV while using the phone
Thirty-one percent of mobile phone owners check personal email on their phone and 21% check their work email.

To learn more about what research by Experian Simmons has to say about today’s mobile consumers, we recommend reading the “Mobile marketing” section of our latest report, the 2010 Digital marketer: Benchmark and trend report.

Source: Experian Simmons Fall 2009 Consumer Study/National Hispanic Study

Americans Who Purchase Electronics

Erin Geoghegan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:36:34 +0000

Today’s consumers are more connected to their electronic devices and gadgets than ever before. To provide insight on the demographic traits and behavioral tendencies of the consumers that purchase electronics in America, Experian Simmons analyzed relevant information from its 2009 National Consumer Study and New Media Study. Key findings include:

Seventy-one percent of new TV buyers in 2009 reported purchasing either an LCD or plasma TV, more than double the rate in 2006
Nearly half of all TV buyers reported that the screen size of their most recent purchase was 40 inches or larger
Between 2006 and 2009, ownership of VCRs among US households dropped 13% to 79%. Meanwhile, DVR ownership doubled
The most popular mobile function today is taking pictures, which 70% of mobile phone owners do each month
Video gaming among adults grew a relative 9% between 2007 and 2009, with half of almost all adults now saying they own or play games

American Travel Behaviors and Preferences

Erin Geoghegan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:56:14 +0000

Travel tends to peak during the holiday season and late winter months. But given the state of our economy and financial changes that have occured over the last year, how have American’s travel habits shifted? A review from the Experian Simmons Summer 2009 and Summer 2008 full-year National Consumer Studies shows that domestic vacation travel is slightly down in comparison to years past. Key trends and statistics include:

Over the past year, all modes of transportation, except for buses, have seen a decrease in the percentage of vacationing Americans using them for travel. This likely due to the fact that fewer Americans are vacationing away from home.

Thirty-two percent of Americans who vacationed domestically within the last 12 months are enrolled in at least one frequent flyer program.
Southwest tops the list of airline companies on which domestic vacationers flew during the last 12 months.
The South Atlantic region is the top domestic destination among Americans who traveled for vacation in the last year, followed by the Pacific and Mountain states. Fewer than 10% of American vacationers traveled to New England last year.

Candy Consumers in America

Erin Geoghegan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:58:43 +0000

With the winter holiday season heading our way, candy consumption will surely rise. Experian Simmons reviewed data from its Spring 2009 Kids Study: Full Year and its National Consumer Study to gain insight on Americans who are most likely to consume candy, as well as what types of candy they prefer. Key findings from the analysis include:

Seventy-five percent of all U.S. Adults say they eat chocolate or hard candy.
Ninety-six percent of American children ages 6 to 11 say they eat chocolate or hard candy with little difference across age groups. Older kids, though, indulge more frequently than their younger friends.
Specifically, kids ages 10 and 11 are 16 percent more likely than the average kid to say that they eat 6 or more servings of candy per month. Young children ages 6 and 7 who are most reliant on their parents for their candy supply are the least likely to have 6 or more servings a month.

The most liked brands differ greatly by age group, with 5th Avenue as the top choice for children that are 6 and 7 years of age, Nutrageous for 8-9 year olds and Nestle Treasures for children ages 10 and 11.

Common Traits of the Fantasy Football Fanatic

Erin Geoghegan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:37:55 +0000

The highly-anticipated 2009 NFL Season is now upon us. With free agency and today’s transient popluation, many fans show their allegiance to specific players rather than teams – and over the past years their loyalties have poured into their fantasy football leagues.

Experian Simmons reviewed data from its Spring 2009 National Consumer Study/National Hispanic Consumer Study to gain insight on Americans who play in fantasy sports leagues. For this report, this consumer is defined as being very or somewhat interested in the NFL and having participated in a sports fantasy league in the last 12 months. Certain trends were uncovered specific to this group, including:

Fans that work full-time and are employed by others are the Americans most likely to have participated in a fantasy sports league during the last 12 months.
Those who are most likely to have participated in a fantasy sports league are between the ages of 18 and 44; and close to a third of them are between 25 and 34 years old.
They are most likely to have never been married.

More of these Americans live in the Midwest in a residence they own rather than rent. Furthermore, they are most likely to live in a house rather than in a condominium/co-op/apartment or mobile home.
These consumers are so tech-savvy that their friends turn to them for advice on electronic equipment and are 80% more likely than the average adult to be electronic product trendsetters.
According to Experian Hitwise, Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football is the number one website these Americans visit for their fantasy football needs – making up about half of the total visits to this custom category.

Source: National Consumer Study/National Hispanic Consumer Study Spring 2009 Full Year