ST. LOUIS–()–Today, Maritz Research announces the results of its Maritz Holiday Tablet Poll, designed and analyzed using Maritz’ DecisionVue 360™ research methodology. The poll projects tablet purchases over the next three months (Dec. 2011 through Feb. 2012) will be approximately 10 percent higher than the past three months. And, while a majority of tablet consumers have purchased an iPad in the last three months, there are only 16 percent of buyers who entered the market with solely an Apple iPad in mind. This provides a significant opportunity for marketers of ‘other’ tablet brands to target non-committed customers for increased market share.
“The biggest questions for tablet marketers to decipher this holiday season are: what is driving consumers’ purchasing decisions, and what is causing them to eliminate a particular brand from consideration”
For the first time, the study identifies four key buyer segments in the overall tablet market: single-minded (21 percent), tablet-committed (44 percent), newcomers (13 percent) and low-end tablet buyers (22 percent). To marketers of tablet brands other than Apple, the study provides key insight into consumer profiles that help effectively target this large market of potential buyers.
“The biggest questions for tablet marketers to decipher this holiday season are: what is driving consumers’ purchasing decisions, and what is causing them to eliminate a particular brand from consideration,” said Michael Allenson, creator of DecisionVue 360 and senior strategic consulting director of the Technology/Telecom Research Group at Maritz Research. “In the fast-paced world of consumer technology, marketers need to be able to change course when their brand isn’t doing well. If they can learn quickly who their buyers are and the factors influencing their purchase decisions, they can change their messaging and approach to consumers in time to capture market share.”
The Holiday Tablet Poll results analysis reveal the four key segments broken out as follows:
Single-minded buyers (21 percent): These are individuals who really want to buy an Apple tablet. During their purchasing decision process, these consumers are not thinking of competitors; they are familiar with one or two other tablet brands, but 78 percent buy an iPad. Of that group, 40 percent purchase within two weeks of realizing they need a tablet.
Tablet-committed buyers (44 percent): This group is committed to buying a tablet but is undecided on a brand. These buyers are aware of three or more brands while entering the purchase cycle and are willing to consider brands other than the iPad; however, 58 percent of these consumers end up buying an iPad. Once in the market for a tablet, 34 percent of these purchasers make their decision to buy within two weeks.
Newcomers (13 percent): Newcomers may know a few tablet brands in the market but do not have familiarity or affinity toward any one in particular. Among this group, 58 percent prefer/buy an iPad, but they take longer to make a decision to buy, with only 28 percent purchasing within two weeks.
Low-end buyers (22 percent): These consumers want to spend less than $250 on their purchase. They have given rise to the low-end tablet market and are focused on the price tag and the entertainment value that tablets deliver. This segment is dominated by the Amazon Kindle Fire, which enjoys a commanding share of 45 percent of the market. Thirty-nine percent make their purchase decision within two weeks, demonstrating a rise in impulse buying.
Using Maritz Research’s DecisionVue 360’s proprietary research methodology, the study unveils additional helpful analysis for tablet marketers:
Buyers’ profile: Single-minded buyers have an average age of 41, skew female, and they have an average household income of $75,000. Tablet-committed buyers have an average age of 38, skew more male, and have an average household income of $72,000. Newcomers have an average age of 46, skew more female, and they have an average household income of $70,000. Low-end buyers have an average age of 41 years, are consistent with all tablet buyers on gender, and they have an average household income of $62,000.
Influencers: Since single-minded buyers are already committed to the brand, only 39 percent consulted expert reviews, well under the average; conversely 61 percent said family, friend and co-worker recommendations helped them make the decision, the highest level seen for any influencer. Tablet-committed buyers spend the most time reading expert reviews (59 percent), and 60 percent considered family, friend and co-worker advice. Additionally, 45 percent of newcomers and low-end buyers were influenced by expert reviews; and 60 percent of newcomers and 47 percent of low-end buyers made decisions based on family, friend and co-worker advice.
Factors important in the purchase decision: In making their purchase decisions, buyers often consider different key factors. For instance, price is more important to low end and newcomers. OEM Brand and 3G/4G connectivity are more influential for single-minded buyers.
Purchase channel: Tablet-committed, newcomer and low-end tablet buyers are less likely to make a purchase at the manufacturer’s store or on its website.
Type of purchase: The incidence of impulse purchasing has increased greatly (26 percent among low end purchasers vs. 17 percent overall) with the introduction of lower priced tablets. Nearly two in three consumers are purchasing a tablet for themselves, while one in five tablets is purchased as a gift.
Incremental rather than replacement: Consumers are not buying tablets as a replacement for desktop and laptop computers. The analysis confirms an extremely high proportion of tablet purchases (86 percent) are seen as incremental rather than a replacement for an existing device.
Tablet usage: The leading activities on a tablet are searching the Internet and conducting e-commerce, accounting for an average of nearly 25 percent of usage. Another 21 percent of tablet usage is for entertainment and 18 percent for communication. Further, productivity applications (e.g., office suite apps), social networking and location-based services all hover between 10 to 13 percent of tablet usage.
“Based on purchase profiles, we can conclude there is definitely room for non-iPad brands to capture market share,” said Allenson. “These brands need to make an impression on the newcomers because they have low awareness. To reach the tablet-committed buyer, marketers need to look at the sources of information they use, combined with purchase channels and their reason for purchasing, to determine the best message and method of reaching consumers with their brand’s value proposition.”
Survey Methodology: Maritz Research’s latest findings result from interviews with 2,485 consumers, including approximately one-third who have completed a tablet purchase in the last three months and two-thirds who plan on making a tablet purchase in the next three months. Respondents were identified from a national consumer research panel. The data was collected during the week prior to Thanksgiving, with approximate field dates of Nov. 15 – Nov. 21, 2011. For findings derived from the entire sample, maximum sample error will be +/- 2 percent.
About DecisionVue 360
Maritz Research’s DecisionVue 360 is the only custom research analysis product to take the guesswork out of how customers purchase a product or service, or move on to a competitor. It is the only research product on the market to use brand rejection analysis—providing insights into what factors cause a brand to be eliminated from consideration as well as when and why it is eliminated in different parts of the decision lifecycle process. DecisionVue 360 is not retrospective or recall-based; instead, it utilizes a proprietary cohort analysis design that measures user engagement over time. It is a patent-pending solution that can be used by marketers in a wide variety of industries, including technology, cable and telecommunications, retail, automotive, hospitality, restaurant and insurance, among others.
For an executive summary of the Holiday Tablet Poll, visit http://maritzresearch.com/holiday-tablet-poll and for more on DecisionVue 360, visit http://maritzresearch.com/dv360.
About Maritz Research
As one of the world’s largest marketing research firms, Maritz Research, a unit of Maritz, helps many of today’s most successful companies improve performance through a deep understanding of their customers, employees and channel partners. Founded in 1973, it offers a range of strategic and tactical solutions concentrating primarily in the automotive, financial services, hospitality, technology, telecommunications, and retail industries. The company has achieved ISO 20252 registration, the international symbol of quality. It is a member of CASRO, ESOMAR, MRA, and is the official sponsor of the American Marketing Association.
For more information, visit www.MaritzResearch.com or call 877-4MARITZ.
