You would think that our world’s remarkable connectivity would be a marketer’s dream come true—the opportunity to reach consumers anytime, anywhere. But, in reality, connectivity has created unforeseen challenges: siloed and dislocated marketing budgets; global brand builders and retailers that, in most cases, still have not unified their approaches to shoppers; and consumers in both developing and developed markets who are becoming dramatically more sophisticated, often in surprising ways.
Recognizing this challenge, we embarked on the Connected Consumer Study to better understand today’s connected consumers. Who are they, what motivates them, how do they behave, and how do they buy differently? How do they differ in developing and developed markets? What is their online shopping journey?
For the study, we surveyed 10,000 “connected consumers”—those who say they connect to the Internet at least once a week, but oftentimes much more. Our survey includes approximately 1,000 consumers each in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, and Nigeria, and it is statistically significant and census-proper in each market
The findings of our study are fascinating and at times counterintuitive. Here’s the quick view:
Continuous connectivity. The Internet has become a 24-7 activity. More than half of our survey respondents—already chosen because they are already regular users of the Internet—say that they are connected to the Internet nearly every waking hour. On a country-by-country basis, we find Brazil and Nigeria more connected, and Japan and China less so.
Four motivations for connectivity. People go online because it meets four basic, universal needs: interpersonal connection, self-expression, exploration, and convenience. But respondents from different countries were more motivated by different factors. For example in emerging markets and places where offline expression is limited, the ability to express an opinion rates very highly; in more mature markets, exploration and convenience matter more.
The power of social media. Social networks are the places where connected consumers spend the largest amount of their time online. Social networks and social marketing are very effective in generating brand interest and purchases among younger consumers. However, the number of users on a social network is not necessarily an indication for engagement or, importantly, purchases. Furthermore, different social media sites display different usage patterns in different countries.
Pop-up ads’ surprising effectiveness—but only in some markets. In some emerging markets, particularly Brazil, China, and Nigeria, pop-up ads and banners are surprisingly effective. Respondents from those three countries say they don’t mind the ads and often click on them to see what’s up. In Western Europe and the United States, these ads are far less effective.
The convergence of physical and online stores. While most purchases today are still made in store, more than half of the survey respondents say they prefer shopping online as well as the online experience. Connectivity does not mean that consumers do everything online, but being connected offers access, speed, and convenience, and enhances the overall the experience.
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