Group Press Releases
YAHOO! And Isobar Unveil Global Research 'Fluid Lives'
02 May 2006
YAHOO! AND ISOBAR UNVEIL GLOBAL RESEARCH SHOWING IMPACT OF WiFi, MOBILE, OTHER TECHNOLOGIES ON CONSUMERS
"Fluid Lives" Study Shows WiFi Households Change Pattern of Internet Use
LONDON (2 May) – Yahoo! and Isobar today released findings from "Fluid Lives," the largest global research study of its kind into the impact wireless technological advances have on consumers.
The research initiative incorporated an ethnographical study involving families across five cities around the world: Paris, London, Shanghai, Cologne and Chicago. It also used a quantitative online panel survey among broadband Internet users. In the ethnographic research, each family member was given a wireless laptop with Internet access as well as a 3G phone, with researchers capturing their daily routines and media habits both before and after these technology upgrades. The study was conducted between October 2005 and February 2006.
Several key findings from the study have important implications for brands and marketers:
- Consumers feel empowered when they upgrade to wireless. It allows them to "dip" into the Internet at their convenience and "mesh" with other media.
One third of broadband homes in the survey already used WiFi devices such as laptops and mobile phones. When homes upgrade to WiFi and laptops, it enables people to "dip" in and graze the Internet at their convenience. This new found online freedom allows for greater multi-tasking and has created a form of "meshing," with the Internet enhancing the experience of other media. This is particularly pronounced for TV, with fifty one percent of broadband users with WiFi laptops claiming to spend a lot of time online while watching TV. - WiFi users develop strong emotional attachments to their devices.
WiFi laptop users in the study named their laptops, spoke possessively about their mobile phones and formed strong emotional connections with wireless devices, which was different than their relationships with other media devices like TV. Sixty one percent of those for whom a WiFi laptop is the primary point of Internet access agree that their "home computer is my ally and good friend." "The laptop is an emotional object because it gives you freedom," said a male respondent from Cologne, Germany. - Wireless acts as a retail activator for online shopping.
47% of those who primarily use a WiFi laptop claim they shop online more often because they have a laptop and wireless access at home. Accessing the Internet from any room in the house leads to more opportunities for impulse purchasing and online browsing in a more relaxed setting. For marketers, this opens up new possibilities for engaging people online, and makes integration between online and offline media even
more crucial. - Advanced mobile phone devices still face hurdles in garnering widespread use, but Mobile Instant Messenger is proving to be a popular global choice.
Some of respondents in the ethnographic study were disillusioned and frustrated by problems with confusing phone interfaces and set-up options. However, services that seamlessly integrate from the Internet to mobile devices (such as music and Mobile Instant Messenger) proved popular among all who tried them. 45% of broadband users play mobile games; 32% use mobile IM. - Online marketers must develop relevant and creative advertising to match consumers’ expectations.
Broadband consumers want and expect online ads to become more creative and more relevant to the context in which they appear. Half of broadband users nominated "make it more entertaining and funny" as being one of their top two ways to improve Internet advertising. However, raising the creativity bar doesn’t mean to make ads more like TV. Only 14 percent of broadband users suggested that marketers should "make ads more like TV advertising or a short film."
Nigel Morris, CEO Isobar said:
"Fluid Lives gives us a really in depth insight into the way the convergence of mobile and broadband is transforming how people live their lives and what they do with their media. This confirms that across the world the conventions of media usage and consumption that have been eroding will be swept aside. It gives invaluable insights into just how active consumers are, how they are meshing their real and media lives, how they are taking control and how they are expressing themselves. Understanding this is critical for brands who want to stay relevant to their consumers. There are going to be big winners and losers over the next year or two and those most open to change and with the most knowledge will win."
The study highlighted the ways that the Internet impacts social connections. While people are spending more "screen time" with wireless devices, the technology can actually enhance social activity and connections. Approximately 74 percent of respondents agree that the Internet helps them feel closer to friends and family. Globally, one in four respondents said they are more active politically or in their community because of the Internet, and more than half are more active in personal interests and organizations. The research also showed a blurring between home and work use of the Internet. Respondents indicated that 20 percent of time spent on the
Internet at home was for work purposes, while 26 percent of the time on the Internet at work was for personal purposes.
The study showed that the Internet is becoming a must-have element of daily life, just like a basic utility such as running water or electricity. Approximately 63 percent of respondents feeling they would be "lost without their home Internet connection, even for just a half a day." If made to choose, 64 percent of broadband users would opt for a computer with Internet access over TV, radio or print when stranded on a desert island.
Mark Chippendale, Vice President of Yahoo! Sales Europe said:
"The findings demonstrate just how imperative the internet has become without which many people would struggle to function in their daily lives. Today’s user has sophisticated tastes and is increasingly attracted to campaigns which match their needs at that particular time. In order to succeed in what has swiftly become an invaluable advertising medium it is vital that advertisers are ready to push the boundaries in delivering campaigns that are creative, engaging, relevant and integrated into
their wider activities."
For further information contact:
April Simpson
Global Isobar Press
+44 (0) 207 550 3274
Email: april.simpson@isobar.net
Debi Clay, Cohn & Wolfe
Yahoo! Europe Press
+20 (0) 7331 5390
Email: debi_clay@cohnwolfe.com
Anouska Jayetileke, Cohn & Wolfe
+20 (0) 7331 5376
Email: anouska_jayetileke@cohnwolfe.com
