Consumer Attitudes towards Word of Mouth and Viral Marketing - UK - April 2008

Table of Contents

• Issues in the Market
• Report synopsis
• Related reports
• Abbreviations
• Lifestyle Sector in Brief
• By gender
• By age group
• By interest in technology
• How technology is changing the role of Word of Mouth
• Trust: the Big Brother syndrome
• The Sophisticated Consumer and responses to viral marketing
• Speed of change and the dangers of wear-out
• Sector Environment
• Social networking sites
  • Figure 1: Frequency of usage of social network websites, March 2008
• You Tube
• Friends Reunited
• Facebook
• MySpace
• Bebo
• Faceparty
  • Figure 2: Usage of social network sites, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 3: Frequent use of social network websites, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Message boards, forums
  • Figure 4: Use of online forums during past three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Work-related forums (usually accessed at home)
• Leisure-related forums
• Forums for everyday problems/interests (technical and non-technical)
• Local sites for exchange of information, goods and services
• Online dating
• Blogs
• Second Life
• YouTube and other online video
  • Figure 5: Online video activities during past three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Media reports
• Word of mouth in the workplace or elsewhere:
• Forums and social networking sites
• Emails from friends and relatives
• WOM and Purchase Decisions
• Marketing messages
• Celebrity endorsement/sponsorship
• TV and press advertising
• Other media
• Word of mouth
• Use of online WOM
• Decision-making typologies
• Internet Consulters (38% of adults)
• Advisers (9% of adults)
• Advice Seekers (27% of adults)
• Advice Sharers (14% of adults)
• Celebrity Influenced (4% of adults)
  • Figure 6: Decision-making typologies, 2003-07
• Technology -- enthusiasts vs the wary
  • Figure 7: Technological typologies, 2003-07
• Relevance of technological expertise in decision making
  • Figure 8: Decision-making typologies, by technology typologies, 2007
• The Consumer Viewpoint: Segmentation and Issues
• Marketing messages
• Consumer segmentation
• Segmentation by gender
• Segmentation by age group
• Segmentation by interest in technology
• Issues
• How technology is changing the role of Word of Mouth
• Is Big Brother watching? Trust and viral marketing
• The Sophisticated Consumer and the world of viral marketing
• Speed of change and the danger of wear-out
• New Ways of Marketing
• Marketing messages
• The role of email
• The forwarded social email
  • Figure 9: Experience of forwarded social emails in last three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 10: Attitudes to forwarded social emails -- March 2008
  • Figure 11: Forwarded social emails: Positive v negative attitudes, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• The marketing email
• The viral marketing email
  • Figure 12: Experience of email marketing in last three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 13: Attitudes towards marketing emails, March 2008
  • Figure 14: Marketing emails: positive v negative attitudes, March 2008
• The role of mobile marketing
• Online sampling
  • Figure 15: Those who have sent away for free samples from websites in the last three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Consumer viral typologies
  • Figure 16: Consumer viral typologies by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Food and Drink and Groceries
• Marketing messages
• Grocery shopping
• Product innovation
• Advertising
• Special offers and promotions
  • Figure 17: Agreement/disagreement that ' I like to try out new food products' , by decision-making typology, 2007
  • Figure 18: Agreement/disagreement that ' I like to try new recipes' , by decision-making typology, 2007Figure 19: Those agreeing that ' if I see a new product in a shop/supermarket, I often buy it' , by decision-making typology, 2007
  • Figure 20: Agreement/disagreement that ' I' m tempted to buy products I' ve seen advertised' , by decision-making typology, 2007
  • Figure 21: Agreement/disagreement that ' I look for the lowest possible prices when I go shopping' ,by decision-making typology, 2007
  • Figure 22: Agreement/disagreement that ' I always use money-off coupons and vouchers' , by decision-making typology, 2007
  • Figure 23: Agreement/disagreement that ' I always look out for special offers' , by decision-making typology, 2007
• Viral examples
• Alcoholic drink
  • Figure 24: Agreement/disagreement that ' i like to try new drinks' -- by decision-making typology, 2007
• Viral examples
• Cars
• Marketing messages
  • Figure 25: The decision-making process when buying a car, by gender, March 2008
  • Figure 26: Use of online versus offline information sources when buying a car, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 27: Online versus face-to-face wom when buying a car, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 28: Household car ownership -- by decision-making typology, 2008
  • Figure 29: When most recent car was obtained -- by decision-making typology, 2008
• Viral examples
• Home and Technology
• Marketing messages
  • Figure 30: The decision-making process when making a major purchase for the home, by gender, March 2008
  • Figure 31: Online versus offline sources of advice and information when making a major purchase for the home, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 32: Online versus face-to-face recommendations when making a major purchase for the home, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Technology
• Viral examples
• Holidays and Travel
• Marketing messages
  • Figure 33: The decision-making process when choosing where to go on holiday, March 2008
  • Figure 34: Online versus offline sources of advice and information when choosing where to go on holiday, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 35: Use of online and face-to-face wom when choosing where to go on holiday, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 36: Number of holidays taken in past year, by decision-making typology, 2008
  • Figure 37: Most recent holiday destinations (last/last but one), by decision-making typology, 2008
  • Figure 38: Sources of holiday information (last/last but one), by decision-making typology, 2008
• Viral examples
• Lessons to be Learned
• The need to keep one step ahead
• Retaining consumer trust
• Potential in older Late Adopters
• The changing role of WOM
• Online versus face-to-face WOM
• A Viral Future
• Pro-viral statements
• Anti-viral statements
  • Figure 39: attitudinal groups by main socio-demographics & Internet usage, March 2008
• Future changes in socio-demographics favours neutrals
  • Figure 40: Socio-demographic impact of attitudes, 2008 & 2013
• Alternative scenarios
• The spectrum of threat and opportunity
• Linking behaviour and usage
  • Figure 41: Internet-related activities undertaken by attitudinal groups, 2008 & 2013
• Familiarity breeds enthusiasm
• The potential scenario
  • Figure 43: Potential audience for viral marketing in positive scenario, 2008-13
• Potential receptive audience of half of Internet users
• The overload scenario
  • Figure 44: Threatened aundience for viral marketing in negative scenario, 2008-13
• Overload could deter over 1 million soft targets
• Appendix -- The Consumer Viewpoint
• Segmentation and issues
  • Figure 45: Usage of social network sites, by demographic sub-group, March 2008
  • Figure 46: Users of social network sites, by age group within gender, March 2008
  • Figure 47: Frequent users of social network sites (more than once a week) -- demographic sub-group, March 2008
  • Figure 48: Use of online message boards and forums, demographic sub-group, March 2008
  • Figure 49: Online video activities during past 3 months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 50: Experience of forwarded social emails in last three months, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 51: Experience of email marketing in the past three months, March 2008
  • Figure 52: Those who have sent away for free samples from websites in the last three month, by demographic sub-group, March 2008
  • Figure 53: Purchase decision-making typologies, by demographic sub-group, 2008
  • Figure 54: Technological typologies, by demographic sub-group, 2008
• Home and technology
  • Figure 55: Online versus offline sources of advice and information when making a major purchase for the home, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 56: Online versus face-to-face recommendations when making a major purchase for the home, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 57: WOM sources used when making a major purchase for the home
• Cars
  • Figure 58: Use of online versus offline information sources when buying a car, March 2008
  • Figure 59: Online versus face-to-face WOM when buying a car, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 60: WOM sources used when buying a car, by buying a car, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
• Holidays and travel
  • Figure 61: Online versus offline sources of advice and information when choosing where to go on holiday, March 2008
  • Figure 62: Online and face-to-face WOM when choosing where to go on holiday, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2008
  • Figure 63: Sources of online and face-to-face WOM when choosing where to go on holiday, March 2008