Brand Strategy Key Findings – November/December 2011
| “Un-Liking” Companies on Facebook | TV Ownership Declines |
| American Fathers | Consumers Research Before Buying |
| Linking Pet Ownership to Career Path | Top Lead Generation Activities for B2B and B2C Companies |
“Un-Liking” Companies on Facebook
Almost two-thirds of online adults (65%) are currently active on Facebook, and 73% have created Facebook profiles at some point. Some 64% of Facebook users have chosen to be fans of at least one company on the site and 55% have “liked” a company and later decided they didn’t want to see their posts. The chart below lists the major reasons people “un-like” companies.
Reasons People Unlike Companies
American Fathers
The American population includes 70.1 million fathers, 36% of whom are married and have children younger than 18 living at home. Some 22% of married fathers have three or more children under 18.
Out of the 1.8 million single fathers, 46% are divorced, 30% have never been married, 19% are separated, and 6% are widowed. Single fathers account for 15% of single parents. One in 10 (9%) are raising three or more children and 39% have incomes of $50,000 or more.
During 2010, there were 154,000 U.S. stay-at-home dads, defined as married fathers with children under the age of 15 who have been out of the labor force for at least one year for the primary purpose of taking care of their children while their wives work outside the home.
Linking Pet Ownership to Career Path
A recent CareerBuilder survey asked workers what pets they have at home, how much they earn, and their level of job satisfaction. Findings included:
- Dog owners are more likely to have a senior management position (CEO, CFO, or VP)
- Workers who own snakes or reptiles are the most likely group to earn six-figure salaries
- Workers with birds report the most job satisfaction
Here is how pet owners clustered in specific professions:
- Bird owners: Advertising professionals, sales representatives, administrative positions and construction workers.
- Cat owners: Physicians, real estate agents, science and medical lab technicians, machine operators and personal caretakers.
- Dog owners: Professors, nurses, information technology professionals, military professionals and entertainers.
- Fish owners: Human resource workers, financial professionals, hotel and leisure workers, farming, fishing and forestry professionals and transportation workers.
- Snake and reptile owners: Engineers, social workers, marketing and public relations professionals, editors, writers and police officers.
TV Ownership Declines
The Nielsen Company estimates that in 2012, the total number of U.S. households with TV will decline for the first time since 1992. And, the number of households with no TV at all (3%) will reach its highest level since 1975.
Expected decline in TV ownership will be 114.7 million households in 2012, down from 115.9 million in 2011. This is a decline of almost 1% while the total number of U.S. households is growing.
Other changes in viewing and equipment:
- TV technologies rising in popularity include DVRs (these will be in 41% of homes in 2012), digital cable (51%) and HDTV (67%).
- The number of houses with three or more TV sets will reach 56%, up slightly from 55% in 2011.
- Time the average household spends in front of the tube or flat screen is now a record 59 hours and 28 minutes per week.
- Technologies losing popularity include the VCR which was in 90% of homes just seven years ago but has dropped to only 57% of households
- DVD player ownership is expected to decline slightly to 85% in 2012, down from a peak of 88% in 2009.
- Cable and satellite TV use remains steady in homes with TV (90% versus 10% of homes using rabbit ears).
Source: Nielsen Company
Consumers Research Before Buying
More than four in 10 U.S. consumers (43%) always perform research before making a purchase. Some 64% do research for consumer electronic purchases, followed by baby products (44%), fashion (39%), food/beverages (36%), and health/beauty aids (31%).
The majority of consumers (60%) make a buying decision within a few days of beginning their research; 24% buy the same day.
Five of the top 10 resources for product reviews are online as shown in the chart below.
Where Consumers Look for Product Reviews
Top Influences on Consumer Buying Decisions
Top Lead Generation Activities for B2B and B2C Companies
Search Engine Optimization is the top source of leads for both business-to-consumer (41%) and business-to-business marketers (57%). Other lead generating activities include social media marketing and pay-per-click marketing as shown below.
Overall, 60% of respondents plan to increase their budget for social media marketing in 2012; 53% plan to increase the budget for SEO and 40% for their PPC budget.
Which Makes the Biggest Impact on Your Lead Generation Goals?
Bullets
- Three-quarters of American online shoppers (74%) say finding a deal is always important and 29% say time constraints are always important to their online shopping.
- Two-thirds of 2-5 year olds (67%) know how to operate a computer mouse, 61% are able to play videogames, and 25% can make calls on a mobile phone.
- Some 40% of Americans say they have tried new retail stores, restaurants or hotels because they received gift cards for them. Seventy-two percent have returned to that venue.