GroupM Research Reveals 1 in 2 U.S. Consumers Believe It’s Important to be Equipped with the Latest Technology

New York (January 11, 2021) — GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, today released new research that reveals that 1 in 2 (54.3%) of consumers believe it’s important to be equipped with the latest technology. Additionally, almost 82% of respondents believe that either they or a family member should be the only ones with access to health and fitness tracker data.

Conducted by GroupM’s LIVE Panel in December 2020, this original research looks at the importance of new technology in consumers’ lives. One thousand U.S. consumers were surveyed on their attitudes toward technology across six general categories: attitudes toward technology, information sharing and privacy, virtual reality-based devices and services, smart appliances, mobile devices and digital services, such as visual search, streaming audio and streaming video.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

1. Attitudes toward Technology: 54.3% of respondents agree with this statement: “It’s important my household is equipped with the latest technology.” Males, younger people and higher-income households all “completely agree” with a much higher propensity than other groups.
2. Information Sharing and Privacy for health and fitness trackers: 81.7% of respondents believe that either they or a family member should be the only ones with access to this data. On the other hand, only 6.9% of respondents believe the company that made the device or software should have access.
3. Virtual or Augmented Reality: the higher the income, the more likely a consumer would respond “yes” to having a “virtual travel experience” like visiting a museum or a foreign city—8% of the highest quintile, while only 24.7% of the lowest quintile. Overall, males across each age group showed a higher propensity to have accessed a “virtual” trip.
4. Smart Appliances: 48% agreed that they would like a home appliance to “automatically order replacements when I am running out of related products” (i.e.: a washing machine ordering new detergent or a refrigerator ordering food).
5. 5G Connected Devices: 51.5% of respondents said they have a 5G device such as a mobile phone that can connect to a 5G network. Among the half of the population without a 5G connected device, 59.6% of 35-54s said they expect to buy one in the next year, while 45.2% of 18-34s said the same.
6. Digital Services:

• Voice Assistance/Visual Search: 96.1% of respondents used an Amazon or Apple connected product to help with their shopping.
• Streaming audio services: the responses were significantly higher for females than males regarding YouTube Music (49.1% to 42.4%), Pandora (53.4% to 39.7%) and local online radio station (19.6% to 15.4%).
• Streaming Video: In order to maintain a lower monthly bill for streaming services, 66% of respondents said they would accept having to watch commercials.

“New technologies change the ways in which consumers engage with brands and introduce new ways to drive long-term growth,” said Brian Wieser, GroupM’s Global President of Business Intelligence. “Exploring the contours of new technology adoption laid out in this research is critical for marketers to better understand how to allocate their resources in 2021 and beyond.”