Affluents Online: A Luxury Trend Report on How Affluent Consumers Use the Internet, Social Media, and Mobile Devices

Transcription

1 Affluents Online: A Luxury Trend Report on How Affluent Consumers Use the Internet, Social Media, and Mobile Devices Table of Contents Research objectives p. 2 Take Action>> Research methodology 4 A year in the life of the affluent internet user -- Major Findings 5 About Internet Use 7 Overview internet, social media, mobile device usage 7 Demographics of affluent internet users 8 Take Action>> 9 Spending on the Internet, including heavy users 10 Take Action>> 11 Special consideration for crafting an online luxury website 12 How affluents use and access the internet, via computer and/or mobile device 13 Mobile device online usage by age 14 Different ways affluents access internet via computer or mobile 15 Take Action>> Internet activites detail by computer only, mobile only, both computer and mobile 17 Trends in what affluents shop for online 18 What products and services affluents shop for online 19 Trends in use of internet by activity 21 How affluents use internet 22 How affluents use Facebook 22 Where affluents shop online 23 Take Action>> 24 Websites that attract more young affluents 25 Take Action>> 26 What affluents say about their favorite websites 27 Trends in hours affluents spend online and for shopping-related activities 28 Trends in spending on the Internet, demographic detail 30 Services that luxury consumers value about internet shopping 31 Take Action>> 32 Features and services important for a luxury shopping site 34 Take Action>> 35 What most influences online purchases 37 How affluents discover websites 38 Take Action>> 39 How affluents use internet and in-store shopping strategies 40 Take Action>> 41 Affluents and whether they enjoy online or instore shopping more 42 Take Action>> 44 Unity Marketing, 2012

2 About Social Media 46 Social media usage 47 Take Action>> 48 Most active social networking site 49 Take Action>> 50 Demographic profile of affluent social media users 52 Take Action>> 53 How affluents use Facebook 54 Social media by the numbers 55 Time spent on Facebook 56 Take Action>> 57 Why affluents use social media 58 Facebook is part of their luxury lifestyle 59 Take Action>> 60 LinkedIn is a professional site 62 Twitter is for news 63 Men and women use social media differently 64 Social media used to connect with brands 65 Take Action>> 66 Why affluents friend brands via social media 67 Take Action>> 68 The brands affluents friend 71 Take Action>> 72 How affluents use social media ads 73 Take Action>> 74 Success stories from Facebook 76 Ways to intergrate social media and traditional advertising 78 Take Action>> 79 About Mobile Devices & Mobile Apps 81 Use of mobile devices 82 Take Action>> 83 Type of apps 84 More on apps for affluents 85 Use of shopping apps 86 Luxury brand apps 87 Take Action>> 88 Unity Marketing, 2012

3 Analyze the results of the Unity Marketing most recent special investigation into the affluent consumers and how they use the internet and social media in pursuit of their luxury lifestyles. Research included focus groups and a quantitative survey. This analysis covers primarily the results of the quantitative survey, though some insights gathered in the focus groups are included. A detail report on the results of the focus groups, including transcripts, are available upon request to Unity Marketing. We compare the results of the 2012 survey with similar surveys conducted in 2011 and 2010 in order to provide a trend perspective. Unity Marketing, /12/2012 2

4 This study reveals how affluents use internet, social media and mobile apps in support of their luxury lifestyles so that marketers can develop strategies to use these marketing and branding tools most effectively. It answers these critical questions for planners and managers: How often do affluent consumers use the Internet in support of luxury goods and services purchases, what they buy online, how much they spend? When do they turn to the Internet and why they use it? What are their favorite luxury websites and what specifically do they value about their favorite websites? How do affluent luxury shoppers use social media to learn about luxury brands, share information about luxury brands, and connect with people with similar outlooks on luxury brands? What turns them on about using the Internet for luxury purchasing and research? What is the opportunity for luxury marketers to connect with their customers through mobile media? Unity Marketing, /12/2012 3

5 A total of 831 affluent consumers with incomes of $100,000 or more and who bought luxury in the third quarter 2012 were surveyed from October 9-15, They were asked about their use of the Internet, social media and mobile devices in support of their luxury lifestyles. This survey is compared with that conducted in January 2011 among 1,237 affluent luxury consumers ; and a survey conducted in January 2010 among 1,614 affluent consumers to track trends and shifts in internet usage. The insights into how affluents use the internet is broaden by qualitative research. Unity Marketing conducted a series of focus groups held among men and women who actively use the internet to shop. These focus groups were held in November Highlights from those focus groups are included in this report. The special investigation questions designed to help luxury marketers and brands better use their websites to attract and retain the affluent shoppers, included: How affluents use the internet (e.g. shopping, researching purchases, getting gift ideas, connecting with friend, travel plans, etc.); total hours on a weekly basis they use the internet for personal interests and shopping-related activities. More about internet shopping,, such as what attracts them to a website to shop; how much they spent online; features of importance when shopping online; what features a website devoted to luxury brands must offer its customers. We asked how online shopping compares to in-store, whether the affluents surveyed like online better than in-store or vice versa. The results will surprise you! On social media, we asked about whether they have profiles on any social media site; which social media site they use most often; how frequently they long on; how many people they are connected with; why they use social media, such as to reconnect with old friends, professional networking, to learn about brands/companies/products, etc. We asked if they were connected or friends with any brand and if they were likely to become friends in the future.; about use of advertising on social media sites; and use of social shopping sites., such as Gilt.com, Hautelook, Rue LaLa. And mobile devices, how they use them, do they shop with them, have they downloaded any luxury apps. Unity Marketing, /12/2012 4

6 Why are you connected with a brand or product on a social networking site (like Facebook or Twitter)? Base: Affluents who are fans or like a bran 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Getting coupons, discounts and special offers is the #1 reason why affluents friend brands. Other reasons of lesser importance include entering sweepstakes; because one is a customer of the brand; to show others that they like the brand; to gain access to exclusive contents and to find out about new products. Given the relative importance among affluents to announce their relationship with brands to their network of friends via social media and to show their support of those brands, it points to opportunities for brands to use these committed friends to connect with their established network; in other words, using social media in friend-get-afriend promotions. To get coupons, discounts and special To enter sweepstakes, contents Because I am a customer of the To show others that I like/support this To gain access to exclusive content To find out about new products To learn more about the brand/company To provide customer feed-back To sign up for company s To shop To interact with others who like the 34% 33% 31% 29% 28% 24% 22% 19% 15% 13% 46% To rate products 11% Other reason 5% Unity Marketing, /11/