boomenials: connected device usage in millennials and baby boomers

BOOMENNIALS! Digital tech and the connected consumer

06│10│2014

Hello!

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Mcgillivray 2011

What we did

LIFE-BLOGGING

CAMERAS6 people

2 days each

START

ONLINE

COMMUNITY24 people

1 week

VIDEO

ETHNOGRAPHIES6 people

1 afternoon each

SURVEY500 respondents

FINISH

01Attitudes to

tech 02 The web 04Conclusion

and key take

outs03

The social

web

01

Attitudes and

ownership

This is not about tech adoption

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

Boomers are keen adopters of digital tech

80% 58% 57% 34%

At least one of the following devices in the household

Laptop Smart phone Tablet Games Console

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

TOP FIVE WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH

TECH:

1.ENJOYMENT

2.CONNECTED

3.FUNCTIONAL

4.EDUCATIONAL

5.CREATIVE

For Millennial’s tech was about play and learning

PHOTO CREDIT: LUFTHOLEN 2007Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

Which makes tech an indispensable part of life

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

TOP FIVE WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH

TECH:

1.FUNCTIONAL

2.ENJOYMENT

3.CONNECTED

4.EDUCATIONAL

5.FRUSTRATED

For Boomers tech was about work

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

Which might explain why tech is seen as a ‘necessary evil’

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

47% of Baby boomers regard technology

as a ‘necessary evil’

What Boomers DON’T use digital tech for

Browsing

Researching

Shopping

Banking

Online voucher

Accessing music

Accessing films

Gaming65%

49%

28%

14%

11%

1.8%

1.7%

1.4%

Activities not done online

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

Channel usage throughout the day is still quite traditional

WAKING UP

BREAKFAST

JOURNEY TO WORK

N/A

AT WORK

EARLY EVENING

SUPPER

N/A

LATE EVENING

Multi-screening or Multi-tasking?

Have had a conversation

Have browsed online

Have read a book or magazine

Have done some shopping

Have looked up info about the

programme they are watching

70%

49%

43%

38%

30%

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

21%

29%

25%

22%

8%

23%

9%

12%

8%

5%

2%

7%

Shopping

Browsing

Researching

Accessing films

Accessing music

Banking

Online tasks done ‘on the go’

Boomers

Millennials

Being online and on the go doesn’t appeal

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

58%

This is likely to be related to smartphone ownership

88% 49%

Kids in HH No kids in HH

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014PHOTO CREDIT: Iain Farrell 2014

Or if not ownership then how ‘smart’ features are actually used

SO WHAT?

1. IT’S ABOUT ATTITUDES NOT ADOPTION

2. THERE IS ROOM FOR DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT

TARGETING BOOMERS TO GROW

3. EVENINGS ARE KEY FOR DIGITAL CHANNEL

ENGAGEMENT

4. BOOMERS DON’T WANT TO BE ‘ALWAYS ON’

02

The web

The top five benefits of the internet are…

1. ABILITY TO RESEARCH

PRODUCTS AND

SERVICES

2. MAKING MUNDANE

ACTIVITIES EASY

3. SHOPPING

4. KEEPING UP WITH

FRIENDS AND

RELATIVES

5. EXPLORING MY

PASSIONS

PHOTO CREDIT: Surlan Soosay 2009

The internet connects you to the real world

74% of Baby Boomers agree that the

internet has made the world a

smaller place

compared to

55% of Millennials

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

There is a real joy connecting to real people and places

Browsing is more task focused

40% of Baby boomers only go online when

they have something specific to do

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014PHOTO CREDIT: Bryan Campbell 2010

Which means Boomers are less susceptible to distraction

49% of Millennials say they are ‘often

distracted’ by other things online

compared to

39% of Baby Boomers

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

And are less likely to feel ‘overwhelmed’ by technology

35% of Millennials say they feel

overwhelmed by new technology

compared to

25% of Baby Boomers

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Rodriguez 2013

Brands should focus on providing deals, promotions and ‘information’

68% Of Baby Boomers want brands to

provide deals and promotions

54% of Baby Boomers want brands to

provide product service information

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Sessums 2010

SO WHAT?

1. BOOMERS HAVE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN

HANG ABOUT ONLINE

2. BOOMERS ARE PREPARED TO GIVE MORE TIME TO

THE RIGHT KIND OF CONTENT

3. CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD IS A RICH SEAM TO

DELVE INTO

03

The social web

The idea of using the internet to ‘kill time’ doesn’t wash

IT’S ALL YOUTUBE AND PHOTOS

OF LATTE, WHO BLOODY CARES?

Jonathan, Baby Boomer

Using online to catch up with friends is important

55% of baby boomers have a Facebook account (the same number who say that keeping up with friends is a preferred way of using online)

11% Have a twitter account

35%

18%

19%

27%

9%

7%

Skype

Online

Instant messenger apps (eg. What's App)

Which of the following allows you to have a proper chat?

Baby Boomers

Millennials

But the idea of using social media to ‘have a chat’ is not appealing

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

And the idea of ‘always on’ Social media has a limited appeal

36% of Millennial’s always have a social

tab open whilst browsing

compared to

11% of Baby Boomers

Boomers are unlikely to interact with brands via social media

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014

HAVE NEVER FOLLOWED A BRAND ON

SOCIAL MEDIA

HAVE NEVER VISITED A BRANDS FACEBOOK

PAGE

HAVE NEVER GONE ON A BRANDS WEBSITE

AFTER SEEING INFORMATION ON SOCIAL

MEDIA

60%

72%

59%

Boomers are less willing to acknowledge the role that brands play in their lives

14% of Millennials say Brands make them

feel they belong

compared to

3% of Baby Boomers

Source: Connected consumer survey 2014PHOTO CREDIT: Simon Bleasdale 2008

SO WHAT?

1. BOOMERS USE SOCIAL MEDIA DIFFERENTLY

2. BOOMERS ARE NOT CONNECTING WITH BRANDS

ON SOCIAL MEDIA

3. PERHAPS BRANDS AREN’T DOING A GOOD JOB AT

CONNECTING WITH BOOMERS IN GENERAL?

04Conclusion and key

take outs

IN CONCLUSION

1. THE CONNECTED CONSUMER?

2. ELECTRIC GUITARS

3. THE AGE OF WONDER AND CONFUSION

4. NO LOGO

Goodbye!

PHOTO CREDIT: Linda Martin 2006

For more information please contact:

Jim.Mott@mediacom.com

Vickie.Chamberlain@mediacom.com