‘Decade of Data’ Study Reveals Key Trends

For men 18 and older, TV advertising is no longer the main influencer in purchasing decisions - just 22 percent say it is (down 8 points), compared with 24 percent who now cite advertising inserts as the most influential medium, according to the Customer Focus: Decade of Data report from Vertis Communications, MarketingCharts reports.

Overall, 27 percent of total adults survey said they turn to inserts when making a purchasing decision, compared with just 19 percent 10 years ago, when only 16 percent of men 18 and older cited the medium as the main influencer.

Decade of Data, based on a survey of 3,000 consumers via telephone, also reveals that young adults have drifted away from personal interaction when choosing leisure activities:

• Since 1998, the number of young adults participating in team sports has decreased from 19 percent to 13 percent.
• The amount of time spent with computers has drastically increased, from 8 percent to 21 percent.
• The number of young adults going out to the movies has decreased from 13 percent in 1998 to just 3 percent in 2008.
• The number of adolescents staying home to watch television or rent videos has increased from 24 percent in 1998 to 32 percent in 2008.

Below, other key findings from Customer Focus: Decade of Data.

The Rise of Single, Influential Women

• In 1998, only 69 percent of women age 18-24 reported being involved in the decision-making process when purchasing home electronics; in 2008, 91 percent report they are a part of that process, with cell phones, desktop computers and digital cameras among their most popular purchases (see chart).
• Considered late adopters, 68 percent of women age 50 and older now have access to the internet, up from 30 percent in 1998 (see chart).
• In the past 10 years, the percentage of women age 25-34 who are single or living with their significant others has increased 8 points, from 30 percent in 1998 to 38 percent in 2008 (see chart).
• The number of women who report having an undergraduate or graduate degree has increased drastically in the last decade, from 28 percent to 41 percent (see chart).

Today’s Consumers Socially Responsible, More Informed

• Today’s consumers rally around victims of natural disasters and are more focused on making social connections: In 2005, when this attitude emerged following Hurricane Katrina, more than 85 percent of adults had responded to a charitable appeal, surpassing the 77 percent that responded immediately after the events of 9/11 (see chart).
• Also, since 2004, fewer shoppers visit a store without first researching their purchases, hinting that today’s consumers are much more educated about their buying decisions: Prior to entering a store in 2008, approximately 57 percent of adults say they will look through advertising circulars, 50 percent say they will conduct research on the internet, and 38 percent say they will use catalogs for information (see chart).
• In 2004, 31 percent of adults indicated that they entered a store without any prior research; this number is down to 17 percent in 2008 (see chart).

Impact of 9/11, Economy

• Immediately before the 9/11 tragedy, Vertis’s Customer Focus data showed almost 38 percent of Americans were planning to purchase a new or used vehicle within the next 12 months. Just four months later, this number decreased to 22 percent, while the number of Americans planning to purchase a new car decreased by 50 percent (see table).
• After 9/11, approximately 16 percent of adults reported making fewer large-ticket purchases totaling $100 or more (see table).
• Interestingly, in an environment of a crisis in housing market and higher gas prices, 40 percent of Americans indicated they’re less likely to make purchases over $100 in the coming year, 24 percentage points more than after 9/11 (see table).

Auto Purchases Rising, Vacation Auto Travel Down

• Among automobile shoppers, more are likely to purchase a new car in 2008, with the percentage growing from 58 percent in 1998 to 70 percent in 2007 (see table).
• In addition, more adults are planning to buy a used car or truck, up from 45 percent saying so in 1998 to 53 percent in 2007.
• However, adults are shifting their vacation agendas in 2008 to include fewer trips via automobile, the percentage decreasing 5 points since 1998.
• Fewer adults are planning to take a vacation in 2008, down from 70 percent 10 years ago to 67 percent today (see chart).
• Plans to travel via air while on vacation have increased slightly in the past decade, from 40 percent in 1998 to 43 percent today.

More about the study is available from the Vertis website, including a PDF copy.