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HOW AUDIENCES USE TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES

  • Writer: Robi Ro
    Robi Ro
  • Mar 25, 2020
  • 6 min read

INTRODUCTION


Over the years, technology becomes an integral part of our existence.

It revolutionized the world we are living in and the way we approach it. Thanks to the Internet, we always have the information we need at hand.

We use technology on a daily basis, from computers, mobile phones, tablet, smartwatches, TV, and mixers that tell us how to make our meals.  

Certainly, the internet innovated our lives and it has made them easier.



THE INTERNET 

The internet is a system of communication between computers and networks that allows exchanging information from one location to another. (Plusnet plc, 2018 online)

During the past 20 years, we have witnessed the evolution of internet technology for desktop computers, mobile Internet and the Internet of things (IoT).

We moved from the first Dial-up connection to the latest optical fibre.


MOBILE INTERNET 

With the smartphone release, Mobile Internet was born but it only reached its real potential with the development of 3G, transforming the way people used smartphones forever.

Thanks to the sophisticated technologies developed by scientists, the transmission of information become faster and economically more accessible for consumers.  

Because of this accessibility, the internet has been registering always more mobile users, which soon developed the instinct of being constantly connected with the external world.



INTERNET PENETRATION RATE


The Internet penetration rate kept growing all over the world and during the last 20 years, it is increased by 58.7%. (“Internet word Stats, Internet users estimate stats, Dec 2019” online).


DIGITAL DEVICES USED BY AUDIENCE


At the moment the vast majority of users access the internet via Mobile 51.74%, followed by desktop 45.64% and tablet 2.65% (Statcounter GlobalStats 2019, online).



However, today, not just the people connect to the internet but thanks to the improved speed internet technologies, also machines are connected.

Internet technologies “gave life” to items that we use daily.

According to the Cisco Annual Internet Report 2018- 2019, we have seen a growing number of M2M applications, such as smart meters, video surveillance, healthcare monitoring, transportation, and it has been predicted that by 2023, M2M connections will be 50 per cent of the total devices and connections.


HOW CONSUMER SEARCH FOR INFORMATION


Nowadays the internet has become vital to answer consumers’ queries and concerns.

In fact, for any doubts, questions or recommendation, the majority of the people turn to the web. Consumers check on blogs, websites, search engines, social media, reviews platforms and more.

Certainly, there is an evolution in the way people use technology: Internet is used to connect and communicate with other like-minded individuals. It is all about creating web communities, sharing knowledge, thoughts, ideas and dreams.

Very often, consumers use the information obtained online to increase their purchase prospects in physical transactions. (Brown and Goolsbee 2002, Zettlmeyer et al. 2006)

Google categorizes the ways people search the web in three ways:

  • GO (Navigation queries) when consumers visit a specific site or page, looking for something they already know they know exists (facebook.com, a brand name etc...) 10% search volume

  • KNOW (informational queries) people looking for answers (how old is the Queen? What is the time in NY?) 80% search volume

  • DO (Commercial/ transactional queries) queries driven by an intent to buy. ( best price gas 2020, best restaurant with a view in London) 10% search volume


These questions have become very important for marketers that try to use them to position their businesses in front of the customers at the beginning of the journey, trying to turn the customer desire to buy in a sale.  Miller, M. (N.D.) Online


The ease of researching, buying, shipping, the huge availability of options from small retailers to large brands and often the more accessible prices have driven 57% of consumers to prefer shopping online. Bedgood, L. (2019)

WHAT PEOPLE BUY ONLINE

 

Most purchases involved are:


• Clothes and sports goods (65%)

• Travel and holiday accommodation (54%)

• Household goods (46%)

• Tickets for events (41%)

• Books, magazines and newspapers (33%)


Less than one in five e-shoppers bought computer hardware (17%), medicines (16%) and e-learning material (8%).


Eurostat (n.d.), Ecommerce statistics for individuals 


ONLINE VIDEO


The technology enhancement (display sizes, quality of mobile devices, faster mobile data connections, and the spread of connected TV sets) boosts also the consumption of online video that becomes an important part of the consumers' decision-making process, so much that this tendency became vital for marketing strategies.

Video is more engaging than other content because is easier to consume and it is a combination of music, images and messages.  


According to Zenith’s data, the amount of time spent watching online video has grown at an average rate of 32% per year between 2013 and 2018. (Zenith Data “online video viewing to reach 100 minutes a day in 2021)

As the Global Brand President at Zenith says, “Online video is amplifying advertisers’ ability to reach consumers with high-impact brand-building ads” James, M. (2019) Zenith 

Also before the internet, people consumed a lot of video by watching TV. Nowadays streaming services like Netflix, amazon, apple TV are challenging traditional TV as the main entertainment platform. In fact, they have grown from 31% to 52% between 2013 and 2017.  Felix (2020) Online Video Consumption Statistics

A a lot of video content is consumed via social networks like youtube.com, facebook.com etc. for fun, entertainment, to find out about news, for tutorials or simply to keep up with friends and see what they are doing. Felix (2020) Online Video Consumption Statistics

CONSUMERS TRENDS

As previously said, in the past years, the access the internet notably increased, also boosted by the evolving technologies. Consumers are connecting to the internet not only with mobiles, desktop and tablets but as well with machines such as TVs, Home appliances etc.

The reasons why people connect to the internet are several, they can look for answers, recommendations, product or service reviews or they can look for something they already know exists.

The possibility to access so many information has also changed and delayed the approach that the consumers have when they have to make a decision from the moment of the problem recognition to the actual purchase. Nowadays, before consumers take the final action and buy something, they actively gather all the possible information, by analysing other customers’ feedback and comparing prices. They evaluate alternative ways of solving the problems, and they consider the post-sales service. Moreover, people may go back and forth between all the stages. (USC Marchall, n.d. University of Southern California)

How many times we found ourselves comparing prices and products on idealo.co.uk, or how many time we checked tripadvisor.com looking for a dinner recommendation or reading blog to find out the best soundbar released in the current year.


Today consumers are in control like never before, as they are better informed and have the possibility to communicate instantly with each other.  

The internet area has seen the rise of the “Prosumer” “professional consumer”, members of the social web — bloggers, forum posters, social networking participants, and so on, who spread messages, influence people around the world, and drive demand.

Prosumers are the online influencers that business leaders and marketers must develop relationships with in order for their products and brands to thrive. (Genelius, S. 2010, Forbes)

SUMMARY  


The internet and the new technologies gave consumers the tools to be more informed and to interact with other people around the world. They want to access the internet faster and more frequently and they have learnt how to filter out relevant items and how to block out what is irrelevant. Users are posting their opinion online for all to see, and are consulting the opinion of their online peers before making purchasing decisions. Digital technology has shifted the balance of power in favour of the consumers, they are getting increasingly involved in the creation of products and services they purchase and social media has a large role to play on it (Ryan, D 2015, 14-16). Because of all these new challenges, if marketers want to connect with consumers they must change and adapt their approach, take advantage of marketing technologies, advertising, social media influencers. They must also gather consumers’ data and feedback to target the correct audience and gain new customers; they cannot limit to push information out to them as they used to do in the past.


MY VIDEO PITCH!


Slideshare presentation: 


REFERENCE LIST

Ryan, D., 2015. In Understanding of Digital Marketing 3rd Edition, Kogan Page London, Philadelphia, New Delhi, pp. pp. 14-16

Plusnet plc writer, 2018, What is the internet and who invented it? [Online]

Stojanov, Z., 2017, The 6 Main Ways Technology Impacts Your Daily Life [Online]


Piejko, P. 2015, Which Type of devices have browsers? [Online]

Owaida, A. 2019 How concerned are you about the privacy challenges of your IoT devices [Online] Available at: https://cybersecurityreviews.net/2019/10/10/how-concerned-are-you-about-the-privacy-challenges-of-your-iot-devices/ [Access 19.03.2020]

Cisco, 2020, Cisco Annual Internet Report, (2018–2023) White Paper [Online]

Eurostat (n.d.), Ecommerce statistics for individuals, Internet users who bought or ordered goods or services for private use in the previous 12 months, by age group, EU-28, 2009-2019 [Online]


Miller, M. (N.D.) Understanding How People Search The Web, Bowlerhat.co.uk [Online]

Joanna, C (2020) Video Marketing statistics to know for 2020 [Online]

Zenith Media (2019), Zenith Data “online video viewing to reach 100 minutes a day in 2021 [Online]

Felix (2020) Online video consumption statistics [Online]

Genelius (2010) The Shift from CONsumers to PROsumers, Forbes [Online]

 
 
 

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