Parents’ Online Spending Habits

Recent research shows that Dad spends more than Mom for download music, games or movies from the Internet. See the chart below for details.

Male parents are also online with their children for more hours each week than moms. Among parents who own any type of online device, dads spent 4.5 hours on the Internet with their children, compared with 2.9 hours for moms.

A 2010 Yahoo! survey showed that fathers, versus childless men, make more purchase decisions in categories such as consumer packaged goods, personal care and apparel. However, 66% of dads say they felt ignored by child and baby product advertising and 57% felt alienated by those advertisements – even though 80% were either primary or shared decision-makers about such products.

Type of Online Content Paid for by U.S. Mom and Dad Internet Users, February 2011 (% of respondents)

Americans Falling Out of the Middle Class

According to the Pew Economic Mobility Project, 28% of people who grew up in the U.S. middle class eventually fell down the income ladder. The report was created from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth study, which looked at teenagers in 1979 and returned to review their economic status between 2004 and 2006.

While 21% of white men wind up falling out of the middle class (defined as making between the 30th and 70th percentile of the American income distribution), a much larger percentage (38%) of black men who grew up in the middle class slid down the ladder.

Men who are divorced, widowed or separated are 13% more likely to drop out of the middle class than are married men, and men who have never married are 6% to 10% more likely to fall than married men.

The report also shows that white, black and Hispanic women are equally likely to drop out of the middle class. Compared with married women, women who are divorced, widowed or separated are between 31% and 36% more likely to fall down the economic ladder. Never-married women are 16% to 19% more likely to fall than married women.

Popular Car Colors

White is the most popular vehicle color in the world, followed by black and silver, according to the car-paint supplier PPG Industries.

In North America, white came in first, making up 20% of the 2011-model-year cars. Silver was second at 19%, followed by black (18%), gray (15%), red and blue (tied at 9%), naturals such as brown, tan and gold (7%), green (2%) and other colors (1%).

Results varied in Europe and Asia, though both continents had the same three color choices on top.

PPG also reported that 48% of car buyers make choices based on color, and 31% are willing to pay extra for a vehicle that expresses their personality through color.

Continued Popularity of Social Media Dominated by Facebook

According to Nielsen, social media now accounts for 22.5% of the time that Americans spend online, compared with 9.8% for online games and 7.6% for e-mail.

Facebook is Americans’ most used social media brand, spending 53.5 billion minutes on facebook.com from computers at home and work during May 2011. This is up 6% from 50.6 billion minutes in May 2010. Other popular social media sites include Blogger (723.8 million minutes); Tumblr (623.5 million minutes); Twitter (565.2 million minutes); and LinkedIn (325.7 million minutes).

Facebook reaches 70% of active Internet users in the U.S.; 62% of Facebook visitors are female.

Measuring Customer Engagement

Successful marketing goes beyond making the sale; it’s a much longer and involved process called customer engagement. Customer engagement includes the interactions, experiences and context that create and nurture enduring, profitable customer relationships.

Leading Metrics Used by U.S. Marketing Executives to Assess Customer Engagement, April 2010 (% of respondents)

Social Media and Brands

A majority of Americans (86%) have interacted with a company or brand online. Some 38% use social networks to do so, 16% use message boards, and 13% use blogs. This is compared to 62% who use websites and 62% who use email. The most common reason consumers are enticed to follow a company or brand via social media is to access incentives such as coupons, discounts and free products or services (77%).

Social media users follow an average of five companies or brands on Facebook and Twitter. One-third (33%) do not follow any, and 8% follow 10 or more.

Mobile Shopping Technology, Small but Growing

Mobile purchases are growing faster than online sales, which are increasing about 10% percent per year. Total mobile commerce is expected to reach $6 billion this year, or 2% percent of overall e-commerce sales. By 2016, it could reach $31 billion.

Some 82 million smart phones are in use in the U.S. (one-third of people age 13 and older own one) and that number is expected to double by 2015. More and more smart phone users are using mobile applications: The average user spends 81 minutes a day using mobile apps.

Today, users spend most of their time playing games, checking social networks, taking videos, accessing maps, and getting sports scores, according to digital research firm comScore. Shopping currently ranks at number 13, engaged in by fewer than 7% of mobile users.

The biggest problems are buyers’ tedious chore of typing payment information into the small devices along with security worries over inputting their credit card numbers into their phones. In addition, fewer than one-third of retailers recently polled say they have a fully implemented a mobile strategy. Sales are difficult to come by when shoppers are required to zoom in and out of a site not yet oriented to the mobile screen.

Health Insurance Costs Rise Sharply

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the average annual premium for family coverage through an employer is $15,073 in 2011, an increase of 9% over the previous year. While the demand for health care appears to be growing relatively slowly, insurers and benefit consultants say prices for medical care continue to rise as prescription drug makers and hospitals charge more.

Over all, the cost of family coverage has about doubled since 2001, when premiums averaged $7,061, compared with only a 34% gain in wages over the same period.

The annual growth in premiums, according to the survey, had slowed in recent years to 5%, rising just 3% in 2010, in part due to the recession. After several years of double-digit increases, the moderate rise was a welcome change of pace.

Genetically Modified Foods Not Yet Labeled in U.S.

An estimated 80% of processed foods sold in the U.S. contain genetically modified organisms. However, GMO foods are not labeled as such even though 93% of Americans support mandatory labeling.

More than 40 countries around the world require labeling of foods that contain GMOs including Australia, Brazil, the European Union, Japan, Russian and China.

About one-third of Americans (35%) believe that GMO foods are safe to eat, with 52% saying they are unsafe, and an additional 13% saying they are unsure about them.

The following chart shows the disparity in image between GMO and organic foods. While only 5% of Americans say they’d be more likely to purchase a food labeled as genetically modified, 52% say they’d be more likely to purchase food that is labeled as having been raised organically.

Organic vs. GMO Foods

Source: ABCNEWS.com poll, June 2011

Hispanic Population Life Expectancy

The U.S. Hispanic population had the lowest median age (27.4 years) compared to other racial/ethnic groups in 2006 (the most recent data available). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this group will also live longer than other Americans as shown below.

Average Life Expectancy for American Men and Women, by Race/Ethnicity, 2010

 Websites Need Improvements

One goal of marketers is to effectively convert website visitors into buying prospects. However, 84% of U.S. B2B marketers say their ability to generate new sales leads using their website needs moderate to strong improvement. Other desired website improvements are listed in the following chart.

Ways Their Company Website Can Be Improved According to U.S. B2B Marketing and IT Professionals, May 2011 (% of respondents)

B2C and B2B Marketing Priorities

According to Focus Research, business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers are more likely to concentrate on improving client understanding and retention this year than their business-to-business (B2B) counterparts, who are placing a higher importance on filling the sales pipeline with leads.

The following chart shows the differences and similarities between B2B and B2C marketers’ efforts.

Highest Strategic Priorities of B2B and B2C Marketing Professionals Worldwide, May 2011 (% of respondents)

Emerging Majority Business Ownership Rising

There were 5.8 million emerging majority-owned businesses in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available. The number of emerging majority-owned businesses grew 45.6% between 2002 and 2007, compared an 18% increase in the number of U.S. businesses overall. Most of these emerging majority-owned businesses (5.0 million) did not have any employees besides the owner. The 0.8 million businesses with employees had a total of 5.9 million workers.

Public Transit

Some 69% of Americans say there are times when public transportation is more convenient than driving. The biggest motivators for using public transit are:

• High gas prices (29%)
• Convenience (29%)
• Avoiding traffic (10%)
• Environmental concerns (8%)
• Relaxing while traveling or getting things done (7%)
• Safer (4%)
• Because other people are using public transportation (1%)

Almost one-half (46%) of those with public transportation in their area say that local, state, and federal governments spend too little on public transportation, compared to only 11% who think government spending is too high.

Americans rank reduced congestion (28%) as the most valuable aspect of public transportation, followed by saves money (24%), protects the environment (13%), reduces stress (11%), supports the economy (9%), reduces dependence on foreign oil (9%), reduces travel time (4%), and other (3%).

Hospital Energy Management

A 2011 survey of U.S. hospitals (2011 Hospital Energy Management Survey) shows that a majority of organizations are not yet taking basic recommended steps such as performing regular energy audits, creating a strategic master energy plan, using commissioning of existing buildings or following the Green Guide for Health Care to monitor baseline energy performance. Below is a summary of survey findings:

1. Acute care hospitals are one of the biggest energy users, resulting in health care ranking second behind the food-service industry in total energy consumed per square foot among commercial buildings, according to the Department of Energy.
2. Most main hospital buildings – including those of 69% of the survey respondents – still are more than 20 years old. (The performance of energy-consuming systems degrades by as much as 30% in the first few years of operation, per the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.)
3. About 28% said they perform an energy audit in their acute care hospital at least annually, while another 25% said they do theirs every two to three years, results that were much like the 2006 survey. (Experts say the exact time between audits isn’t as important as doing them regularly and following up on the recommendations.)
4. Some 43% saw annual energy costs rise from the previous year, with the most common response (30%) being an increase of between one and five percent. However almost as many (40%) reported lower costs, likely derived from a combination of energy efficiency efforts and a reduction in rates in some areas.
5. At least 25% set an energy budget and performance targets, and monitor them annually (38%), and participate in Energy Star (29%, up from 14% in 2006).
6. Energy reduction strategies by at least 75% included preventive maintenance, light-emitting diode exit signs, and electronic ballast and energy-efficient lamps. Other efforts were buying Energy Star-certified products (55%), upgrading building control systems (53%) or implementing energy conservation programs (49%).
7. Energy saving strategies incorporated into health care renovation projects included using higher-efficiency HVAC equipment (51%) and retrocommissioning and/or reduced-lighting power density and occupancy controls (30%).
8. Two-thirds (66%) participate in a demand-response program, committing to run their emergency generators to alleviate load/stress on the grid.
9. Other energy-management strategies included HVAC/air handling improvements (37%), lighting system improvements (24%) and water heater, steam or heat recovery (13%).

Share of Energy Use by Appliances and Electronics Increases

Over the past three decades, the share of residential electricity used by appliances and electronics in U.S. homes almost doubled from 17% to 31%, rising from 1.77 quadrillion Btu (quads) to 3.25 quads. This rise has occurred while Federal energy efficiency standards were enacted on every major appliance, overall household energy consumption actually decreased from 10.58 quads to 10.55 quads, and energy use per household dropped 31%.

• The gains in appliance efficiencies were offset by a number of factors including:
• The number of U.S. households grew by 34.5 million from 1978 to 2009.
• Improved living standards resulted in more households buying and using major appliances.
• The share of households that have central air conditioning nearly tripled, from 23% in 1978 to 61% in 2009.
• The saturation, or percent of households with an appliance, of clothes washers increased from 74% to 82%
• The saturation of dishwashers increased from 35% to 59%
• In 1978, personal computers were expensive and not typically used by U.S. households. By 2009, 76% of U.S. homes had at least one computer and 35% had multiple computers.
• Most households had only one television in 1978. By 2009, the average household had 2.5 televisions.
• DVD players and Digital Video Recorders (DVR) did not exist in 1978. In 2009, 79% of homes had a DVD player, and 43% had a DVR. In addition, almost one-third of all households had at least four electronic devices, such as cell phones, plugged in and charging at home.

Source:  U.S. Energy Information Administration

Bullets

• When Americans go on vacation, most would rather see a sunset than a sunrise (66%), try new food than stick to their regular fare (66%), allow for spontaneity than stick to a structured schedule (60%), and get up early instead of sleeping in (55%).
• Most Americans think that these activities should be banned while driving: send a text (88%); read a text (80%); make a phone call without using a hands-free device (71%); and search for directions (63%).
• Almost 63% of restaurant goers think it is rude for diners to talk, text and tweet on their cell phones while at the table. However 83% say it is okay to take photos of food and friends.

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Inequities in CEO Compensation and Household Income

American CEOs’ annual compensation has skyrocketed compared to workers’ wages. In 1980, CEO pay equaled 42 times the average blue collar worker’s pay. By 2010, CEO pay had jumped to 343 times workers’ median pay – by far the widest gap in the world.

The median U.S. household income fell $3,719 from 2000 to 2010 (measured in 2010 dollars). In comparison, the average household income of the top 0.01% was $27 million.

Five Highest Paid CEOs

“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

Hispanic Young Adults Lack Health Insurance

Young Hispanic adults (ages 20-29) are less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to have health insurance. Some 54% of Hispanics in this age category were uninsured in 2009, compared to 34% of non-Hispanic Blacks and 24% of non-Hispanic Whites.

Most young adults with health insurance – whether private or through Medicaid – had regular doctors or other sources of routine medical care with little differences by race or ethnicity. Of the uninsured, Hispanics (33%) were less likely than non-Hispanic Blacks (40%) or Whites (47%) to have regular sources of medical care.

Overall, only 61% of Hispanic young adults had visited doctors at least once in the prior year, compared to 76% of both non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks.

Online Access to Doctors

The majority of U.S. adults (73%) say they would use a secure online communication portal to interact with their doctors’ offices. Half of these say they would change doctors to get this convenience: 29% of Boomers and 59% of Generation Y adults.

Patients say they want to interact online in a variety of ways. About one-half (51%) say they would use this communication to ask care-related questions, 81% want to make appointments, 68% would like to make prescription requests, 62% want to obtain lab results, 59% would complete medical forms, and 53% want to review and pay bills.

Retirement Outlook

Some 72% of Americans aged 25 to 69 say they expect to work during their retirement years. A higher percentage (39%) says they will work to make ends meet versus 33% who simply want to work.

20-Somethings

• 70% feel on track for retirement
• Only 31% are confident about the stock market as a source of investment gains
• 40% would invest in a certificate of deposit if given $5,000 to invest for retirement

30-Somethings

• 33% say their retirement plans will be affected by family needs
• Anticipate the cost of health care in retirement

40-Somethings

• 48% believe they will be able to save the amount they need for the retirement lifestyle they want, the fewest of any age group
• 47% believe inflation will affect their ability to retire
• 79% are trying to reduce debt, the most of any age group

50-and 60-Somethings

• 55% of those in their 50s and 59% of those in their 60s have a pension that will serve as a resource in retirement
• Most likely to be looking forward to retirement

Source: Wells Fargo

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?

Climate-responsible Companies

For the last five years, Climate Counts has published a scorecard showing the most climate-responsible companies. For 2011, they evaluated 136 of the largest companies by revenue in each industry, reviewing their efforts to address climate change, using 22 criteria and a 100-point scale. The criteria measure a company’s efforts to assess its climate footprint, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support progress on climate legislation, and communicate their efforts clearly and comprehensively to consumers. For 2011, there were 13 companies scoring 80 points or higher – more than triple the number in 2010. The following chart lists the top 10 companies.

2011 Climate Counts, Top 10 Companies

Business Tech Trends

While technology is constantly evolving, it’s important that companies not only stay informed, but that they stand on the front end and anticipate what’s coming their way. The following trends offer some insights.

Just-in-time training – Cloud-based technology is making just-in-time training possible because it allows people to use their cell phones, tablet computers and laptops to access training when and where they need it – right in the field. Trainees can use this for installation/repair issues, learning new software, product updgrades, new policies and procedures. At the touch of a button, the trainee can connect real time with a trainer.

Processing power on demand – Through cloud-based technology, people can turn their mobile devices into virtual super computers to perform advanced calculations and crunch different data streams together to produce real-time analytics.

Creative application of technology – Go beyond what your employees ask for technologically. Give them the ability to do what they currently cannot do but would want to do if they knew they could. For example, people didn’t ask for an iPhone or Android. The unspoken need was the ability to access email and the Internet without being tied to a desktop or laptop. Also, companies would do well to educate employees about unused tech capabilities in systems already in place. For example, Microsoft Word has literally thousands of features that users can select, but most people only use seven to 10 features. Knowing more allows employees to do more.

Electric Vehicles

Four in 10 drivers (42%) say they have never heard of or know very little about electric-only vehicles. Some 19% say they would consider buying one. Of those who would contemplate purchasing an electric vehicle, 30% say they would consider one that got less than 100 miles per charge (most get 50-100 miles). Four in 10 (40%) would pay 10% more for an electric vehicle than for a similar gas, diesel or hybrid vehicles.

The cost to retrofit their residence for charging an electric vehicle appears to be a major purchase barrier: only 13% of drivers are willing to spend $1,000 to do so.

Exporting U.S. Fossil Fuels

While many Americans are pushing for the U.S. to drill for oil on wild public lands, they may not realize that much of this oil and gas is not staying in the country. Much of the oil, gas, and coal that is drilled and mined in the U.S. are going to fuel cars and furnaces in places like Europe, China, and India.

• A recent report details just how high the exports have risen:
• The U.S. currently exports more than 690,000 barrels refined petroleum products per day like kerosene.
• Gasoline exports have more than doubled since 2007 and are on pace this year to exceed 150 million barrels, triple the amount in 2007 – even as gas prices remain high.
• In the first quarter of 2010, the United States exported more than 17.8 million short tons of coal. American coal exports increased by nearly 50% in the first quarter of 2011.
• Two permits for natural gas export terminals have been approved, with several more proposed to send gas from the Marcellus Shale (located in Eastern North America) overseas.

Source: Wilderness Society, Exporting America’s Heritage

Changes in U.S. Energy Consumption

Between 2006 and 2010, total natural gas consumption rose from 22% to 26%, while petroleum and coal dropped as a percentage of consumption. During that same time, biomass and wind energy grew as a percentage of the country’s renewable energy consumption.

Total U.S. Energy Consumption

Bullets

• Teens are more likely to say their mom is “cool” (63%) than their dad (47%).
• Baby Boomers – Americans born between 1946 and 1964 – began turning 65 at the start of 2011. They currently make up 26% of the population (79 million). Due to the aging of Boomers, the 65+ population is expected to increase 79% between 2010 and 2030.
• The content IPad owners consumed on their devices during 2010, included ebooks (70%), electronic magazines or journals (61%), network TV programs (51%) and paid-for content (13%).

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Cultural Influences in Annual Consumer Spending

Whites and Asians typically have the largest household incomes and therefore more disposable income than Hispanics or Blacks. However, Hispanics spend more on women’s apparel than Whites. Blacks spend more on sporting goods than Asians. The following chart provides further details on spending levels by race/ethnicity.

Annual Consumer Spending Report, by Product Category, by Race/Ethnicity

Online Spending: Women vs. Men

Today, women and men each account for 50% of the Internet audience. The majority of each (85% of women and 83% of men) visit retail sites, but their shopping habits vary as shown in the chart below.

Teens’ Cell Phone Use

Some 80% (17 million teens aged 13-19) have a cell phone, reflecting a 40% increase since 2004. Most (57%) say that their phone is the key to their social life, and 47% think their social life would end if they did not have the device. Some 42% claim they could text blindfolded. To most (52%) cell phones are a source of entertainment, with one-third using their devices to play games.

Eight in 10 (80%) say their phones give them a sense of security. They use it when they need a ride home (79%), to obtain important information (51%), or help someone out who is in trouble (35%).

What more do teens want from their cell phones?

• 81% want it to be shock proof and waterproof
• 80% want an unlimited power supply
• 80% want guaranteed secure data access only to the owner
• 66% want it to allow them opportunities to be educated anywhere in the world
• 66% want it to provide access to personal health records
• 58% want it to have a privacy screen

American Dream is Not Attainable

Most Americans say the “American Dream” is just an impossible imaginary goal – as opposed to a real achievable ideal. Majorities of Hispanics (76%), Blacks (75%), and Whites (68%) agree the dream is not attainable. However, majorities – including 84% of Blacks, 82% of Hispanics and 78% of Whites – also say that one of the best things about America is its cultural diversity.

America’s Standing in the World

The following chart shows how American’s feel about the country from a global perspective.

American Exceptionalism

Source: Pew Research Center, March 2011

Postal Mail vs. Email

About 53% of U.S. adults say they are more likely to pay close attention to information they receive by postal mail than email. Reasons they prefer postal mail to email include:

• Ability to read information whenever it is convenient for them (79%)
• Ability to refer back to information when needed (66%)
• Ability to take mail to different places to read (46%)
• Information is more private when sent via postal mail (36%)
• Think a lot of online information cannot be trusted (25%)
• Are simply more trusting of information sent by mail than email (20%)

How consumers Prefer to Receive Information, Postal Mail vs. Email

Sports Fans Favorite News Sources

More than two-thirds (68%) of sports fans say they are casual fans who follow sports from time to time, the other 32% are avid fans who try to stay as up-to-date as possible on sports scores and news. Some 74% of avid fans are male, with 26% female. Causal fans are 53% male and 48% female. Three in 10 sports fans (30%) say they are more likely to buy a product that is endorsed by their favorite team or player. Among avid fans, the percentage rises to 41%. The following chart shows sports fans’ favorite news sources.

Primary Medium That Sports Fans Use to Get Sports News and Information, 2010

Mobile Technology and Coupons

One in 10 cell phone owners (10%) have visited a store because they received a coupon on their mobile phone. For 18-34-year-olds, this proportion increases to 20%.

Almost one-half (45%) of shoppers say they prefer to receive mobile coupons via text message, compared to 28% who want to find coupons themselves via an app, and 27% who want coupons texted to them while they are in the store.

Male mobile shoppers are more likely than average to prefer to locate mobile coupons themselves via an app (51%) and to receive them via text while in the store (39%). They are also more likely than average to use mobile coupons in these locations:

• Clothing stores (35% of male mobile shoppers vs. 15% cell phone owners overall)
• Department stores (30% vs. 15%)
• Electronics stores (30% vs. 10%)
• Service locations (16% vs. 7%)

Medical and Productivity Losses Related to Smoking

The combined cost of medical spending and productivity losses caused by smoking in the U.S. is about $193 billion a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco use is responsible for 20% of U.S. deaths. Employers find that a smoker is 18% more expensive than a nonsmoker.

Because of these costs, many companies use incentives or insurance surcharges to encourage desired employee behavior. Companies such a Macy’s PepsiCo and Gannett make employee smokers pay hundreds of dollars in additional insurance each year. Others, such as Union Pacific and Scotts Miracle-Gro refuse to hire smokers.

The smoking rate is four times higher among teens not headed for college than for teens pursuing higher education. In 2009, almost 30% of adults with at most a high school education were current smokers compared with 22% of those with some college and just 9% of those with at least a bachelors’ degree.

Most state governments have an excise tax on cigarette sales to help discourage smoking and to raise revenue to pay for smoking-related health problems. These cigarette excise taxes range from around $0.17 per pack in Missouri to $4.25 in New York, with a state average tax of $1.45 per pack. A pack of cigarettes costs about $11 in New York, compared with a national average of $4.80.

Medical Tourism

According to Ypartnership, one-half of Americans are familiar with the term “medical tourism” (travel to other countries to undergo medical treatment). Of the 17% who say they would consider visiting another country for medical care, their reasons include:

•  Lower cost of care in other countries (84%)
• Comparable or better quality treatment or care (66%)
• The procedure they seek is not covered by insurance (43%)
• Shorter wait time to receive treatment (41%)
• Access to non-FDA approved treatment (22%)

Americans Would Choose Wealth Over Youth, Beauty

When given the choice, Americans say they would rather be richer (43%) than thinner (21%), smarter (14%), or younger (12%). About one in 10 (9%) say they would not choose any of these options.

Women (29%) are more than twice as likely as men (14%) to choose to be thinner, whereas men are more likely than women to choose to be richer (46% vs. 41%) and younger (16% vs. 8%). The following chart shows preferences by age.

Would Americans Rather be Richer, Thinner, Smarter, or Younger? By Age, 2010

Cloud Computing Gains Attention of CIOs

An IBM study of more than 3,000 global CIOs (Chief Information Officers) shows that 60% of organizations are ready to take up cloud computing over the next five years. This is almost double the number of CIOs who said they planned to utilize cloud computing when asked in IBM’s 2009 CIO study. The 2011 study revealed a large increase in the focus on cloud, specifically in media and entertainment (both grew to 73%), automotive (70%) and telecommunications (69%).

A review of specific countries shows that seven out of 10 CIOs in the U.S., Japan and South Korea, as well as 68% in China, currently identify cloud as a top priority. In 2009, CIO interest in cloud was only about 30% in each of these countries.

U.S. Income Disparity Reaches Great Depression Level

Since 1987, repeated surveys by the National Opinion Research Center have shown that 60% or more of Americans agree or strongly agree with the statement that “differences in income in America are too large.”

Income disparity in the U.S. has now reached levels not seen since the Great Depression. For example, in 2008, the top 0.1% of earners took in more than 10% of the personal income in the United States, including capital gains, and the top 1% took in more than 20%.

According to a 2010 landmark analysis of tax returns by economists Jon Bakija, Adam Cole and Bradley T. Heim, the largest chunk of the highest-income earners are executives and other managers in all types of businesses.

The top 0.1% of earners make approximately $1.7 million or more, including capital gains. Of those, 41% were executives, managers and supervisors at non-financial companies with nearly one-half of them deriving most of their income from their ownership in privately-held firms. An additional 18% were managers at financial firms or financial professionals at any sort of firm. The next largest group was lawyers with 6.2% and real estate professionals at 4.7%. Media and sports figures – who are often assumed to be a large portion of very high-income earners – collectively made up only 3%.

Most Workers Enjoy Their Jobs, While Open to Change

Most workers (95%) do not expect to work in the same job for the remaining years of their careers. Since the recession, 62% feel less secure in their jobs and 37% feel more negative about their job than they did before the recession. Some 53% have had to assume added responsibilities during the recession because coworkers were laid off. About 59% say they enjoy their job but would consider another one with better pay and/or benefits; 27% dislike their job and are actively looking for a new one; and 9% say they dislike their job but will wait until another opportunity presents itself or for things to improve before they look for a new job.

Capital vs. Labor Spending

Since the recession recovery began in mid 2009, U.S. companies’ spending on capital has grown much faster than spending on labor. For example, spending on equipment and software has jumped 25.6% in the last seven quarters, while companies’ aggregate spending on employees has grown only 2.2%.

Historical analysis shows that it’s typical for hiring to lag capital spending, but the gap in spending growth is significant this time around. In the seven quarters immediately following each of the last 10 recessions, equipment and software spending rose on average 15.6%, while labor spending rose on average 8.8%.

One reason hiring has been so sluggish is that equipment and software prices have been dropping quickly, while labor costs have been rising fast. The higher cost of labor is primarily being driven by rising benefits costs and, in particular, rising health insurance costs. For example since mid 2009, wage and salary costs have only grown about 2.8% while healthcare costs have risen almost twice as much. On the other hand, the cost of equipment and software dropped by about 2.5% during this period.

Building Owners Expect Rise in Energy Prices

Some 80% of building owners expect double-digit energy price increases over the next year, which has prompted them to set an average energy reduction target of 12%, according to Johnson Controls annual global energy efficiency survey of almost 4,000 building owners and operators around the world. The most popular energy efficiency improvements include lighting and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and controls improvements.

The main motivation for energy efficiency projects was energy cost savings. Government incentives and enhanced public image came in second and third in the survey. Greenhouse gas reduction, which was the second highest motivator in 2010, ranked fourth in 2011.

Access to funding was the top barrier for conducting energy efficiency projects for respondents in the U.S./Canada (38%) and Europe (30%). Still, some 77% of U.S./Canada building owners are planning to include green building elements in their facility plans over the next 12 months.

World Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions reached their highest point ever in 2010, which the International Energy Agency says will making it “extremely challenging” to prevent the global temperature from rising to dangerous levels.

The IEA reported that 30.6 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide were emitted in 2010, up 5% from 2008’s level of 29.3 Gt.  The 2009 emissions had dropped to 29.0 Gt due to the recession.

About three-quarters of the 2009-2010 emissions increase was from developing countries, although they only accounted for 60% of global emissions last year. Some 44% of the estimated CO2 emissions in 2010 came from coal, 36% from oil, and 20% from natural gas.

The IEA says that for a two degree increase in global temperature to be averted, worldwide energy-related emissions in 2020 must not be greater than 32 Gt. This means that over the next 10 years, emissions must rise by less than they did between 2009 and 2010.

Plastic Disclosure Project to Raise Awareness

About 300 million tons of plastic is produced globally each year. Only about 10% of that is recycled. Of the plastic that is trashed each year, an estimated seven million tons ends up in the sea. There, it breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments over the years and is eventually swallowed by marine life. (One study found that fish in the North Pacific ingest as much as 24,000 tons of plastic debris per year).

Plastic is light, cheap and durable – it does not “go away.” Over one-half a century’s plastic is now out there. To prevent plastic from getting into the environment, companies around the world are being asked by the Plastic Disclosure Project to voluntarily assess their plastic use. This effort is expected to raise worldwide awareness of the problem and highlight potential savings to be had through changes in plastic production and consumption practices.

Bullets

• Married women who earn 60% or more of their household income are 38% more likely than average to get divorced.
• Four in 10 American parents (41%) say that texting makes them closer to their children.
• Some 77% of women say they live by the philosophy “women empowering women.”

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Online Video Usage Through TV

Some 24% of American households have connected their TV sets to the Internet through a gaming system, Blu-ray player or directly to the Internet itself, but only 5% of these households use those devices to watch video from the Internet in an average week. Those watching from these devices include 16% of men aged 18 to 24, compared to 3% of the rest of the population.

Usage of online pay-for-video services also remains relatively low. For example, only 4% of households use Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” services weekly. Only 5% would be willing to pay $9.95 to access Hulu’s full video library. And, just 4% would strongly consider disconnecting their TV in favor of online video services.

Baby Boomers Still Matter

Spending by America?s 116 million Baby Boomers age 50 and older was $2.9 trillion last year, up 45% over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, the 182 million people younger than age 50 spent $3.3 trillion last year, up only 6% during the same decade.

Despite the stereotype of older consumers shying away from new things, Boomers are among the biggest buyers of new technology and new cars. For example, consumers ages 50 and older spent $87 billion on cars during 2010 compared with $70 billion by those under age 50, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Boomers are expected to get even more wealthier: Americans ages 50 and older will inherit an estimated $14 trillion to $20 trillion during the next 20 years.

Customer Service More Important During Recession

Some 61% of Americans say that customer service is more important to them during the recession than it was in prior years. They repay excellent service by spending an average of 9% more with those companies. Only 37% say that companies have taken notice of this change and improved their customer service. Some 28% say companies are actually paying less attention to the service they provide.

The greatest influences in consumers? choices of companies to do business with include personal experience (98%), the company’s reputation or brand (92%), and recommendations from friends and family (88%).

Email Use Dropping as Social Networking Picks Up

According to ComScore, email use dropped 59% among users aged 12-17, as well as 8% overall during 2010. Users between the ages of 18 and 54 are also sending/receiving email less, however, those 55 and older are actually using email more.

Instead of using email, young people in America are turning to social networks to communicate. Social networks account for 14% of time spent online in the U.S.  Specifically, Facebook accounts for 10% of page views and it enjoyed a 38% growth of American users to reach 153.9 million in 2010. Total time spent on the site went up 79% to 49.4 billion minutes.

Facebook is only one piece of the American social networking scene. Nine out of every 10 online users visited social networking sites by the end of 2010. LinkedIn grew by 30%  to 26.6 million users, while Twitter grew 18% to 23.6 million users, and Tumblr enjoyed 168% growth to 6.7 million users. However, MySpace saw a decrease of 26%, falling to 50 million users.

Computer Tablet Use

Most computer tablet users are finding it primarily a source of entertainment. Nearly seven in 10 tablet owners spend at least 1 hour per day using the device, including 38% who spend over two hours. While 28% consider it their primary computer, 77% report they are spending less time on their desktop or laptop PCs since they got a tablet.

Over 80% of tablet owners said they mostly use the device at home; just 11% use them primarily on the go.

Some 43% of tablet owners spend more time each day with their tablet than with a desktop or laptop computer. Other select media receiving less time due to tablet usage are detailed in the chart below.

U.S. Tablet Owners Who Spend More Time Each Day on Their Tablet Than with Select Media, March 2011 (% of respondents)

• 59% Paper book
• 52% Radio
• 43% Desktop/laptop
• 41% Smartphone
• 34% TV
• 11% None of the above

Source: AdMob

Emerging Majorities Response to Digital Advertising

Hispanics have a higher response rate to digital ads than Blacks or Whites. This includes banner ads and email promotions. Both Hispanics and Blacks are three times as likely as Whites to respond to pop-up ads.

Moms Want Email Promotional Messages

Women with children under the age of 12 (80%) say they look forward to checking their email, and 96% do so at least once per day. Some 80% want to receive email messages from their favorite brands, with 45% wanting these once a week. Seventy percent say they would provide information about their children if that allowed them to receive more tailored information and offers.

Moms are most interested in emails that include coupons (85%) and information about sales and promotions (73%). Some 78% say they would make special trip to a store after receiving a coupon via email; 63% have printed coupons for their next trip to the store for brands they use or would like to try.

Twitter Posts

The vast majority of messages posted on Twitter (91%) are from consumers, 8% are generated by companies or brands, and 1% are from celebrities.

Messages posted by consumers include mentioning brands (12%) and most commonly refer to social network brands (22%), entertainment brands (17%), and technology brands (17%). Messages about brands mostly share news or information about the brand (43%), refer to using the brand (35%), or share an opinion about the brand (21%).

Research shows that Twitter messages are most commonly conversational with 43% directed at a specific person, 24% are status updates or ritualistic, and 12% are news items. Some 92% of Twitter messages are viewable by the general public; only 8% are sent privately.

Bullets

• Some 34% of North Americans say they visit social networking sites because they receive an email to their personal address. In comparison, only 4% do so after getting an SMS text message, a direct mailing (2%), an email to their work account (2%), or a telephone call (1%).
• Almost one-half of adults (47%) have sent a text message while driving compared to 34% of teens aged 16-17.
• About 45% of people have blocked or defriended a person on a social network because of uncivil comments or behavior.

Read All Bullets

Who Uses Twitter

A recent Pew Research survey shows that 8% of online adults use Twitter, with 2% using it on a typical day. Some 74% of American adults are Internet users, which means that 6% of all American adults use Twitter.

Some of the groups notable for their relatively high levels of Twitter use include:

• Young adults: Internet users ages 18-29 are significantly more likely to use Twitter (14%) than are those ages 30-49 (7%); ages 50-64 (6%); and ages 65+ (4%).
• African-Americans and Latinos: Hispanics (18%) and African Americans (13%) are more than twice as likely to use Twitter as are White internet users (5%).
• Urbanites: Urban residents (11%) are roughly twice as likely to use Twitter as rural dwellers (5%). Some 8% of suburban dwellers use Twitter.

Sandwich Generations’ Concerns

The Sandwich Generation is defined as mid-life adults who have adult children (ages 23-28) and aging parents. About 16% provide some type of financial assistance to both a parent and an adult child. They express more concern about a child not becoming financially independent (11%) than with supporting their parents (1%).

Parents cite college debt (32%) and unemployment (31%) as the most common reasons their children are not supporting themselves. Other reasons include overspending (25%) and consumer debt (19%).

Online Bill Pay

So far, only a minority of Americans receive all of their household bills online. Online billing is most popular with the age group of 18-24-year-olds (45%). It is catching on as a standard practice with other age groups including 42% of 25-34-year-olds; 32% of 30-44-year-olds; 25% of 45-54-year-olds and 21% of those aged 55 and older.

One-third of Americans (32%) say they are in favor of companies automatically ceasing to send paper bills once they have viewed or paid a bill online, while 29% are neutral about this, and 39% are against it.

Cell Phone Usage: Talking Versus Texting

Americans are almost as likely to use their mobile phone for texting as for talking. Women spend an average of 14.3 hours a month talking, and send/receive an average of 601 text messages. Men spend an average of 11.1 hours talking and send/receive 447 text messages.

Young cell phone owners ages 18-24 years old text twice as much (1,299 per month) as those ages 25-34 years old (592 texts per month) while spending an almost equal amount of time talking. Those ages 18-24 years old spend 16.4 hours per month talking, compared to 15.9 hours for those ages 25-34 year old.

The chart below provides cell phone habits by race.

Source:  Nielson Company

Americans’ News Sources

A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that television is still the main source for Americans’ news about national and international issues. However, the Internet is gaining quickly with a jump of 17 percentage points since 2007.

Where Americans Get Most of Their News About National and International Issues

Shopping with a Smartphone

More than one-third (35%) of Americans who own a web-enabled phone used it to shop online in 2010, up from 31% in 2009. Among the activities, 13% made a purchase via their phone. The same percentage used it to check product availability (13%) and find sales and coupons (13%). Almost one-quarter (22%) researched product details or  specifications, and 21% checked or compared prices.

These shoppers are most commonly buying digital content for their phones (65%) as well as other items including:

• Consumer electronics, except computers (57%)
• Books (42%)
• Clothing (34%)
• Computers, laptops or related equipment (31%)
• Jewelry and watches (16%)

Source: “Smartphone Shopping Behavior,” PriceGrabber

Hispanic Women on Social Networking Sites

Most Hispanic women in the U.S. (85%) have accessed social networks, including 58% who do so daily. They mostly use Facebook (92%), MySpace (35%), Twitter (26%), LinkedIn (14%), and Classmates (11%).

Hispanic women say that social networks would be better if they provided a greater sense of the Latina community (38%), offered more content that is appealing to them (31%), and urged more Hispanic women to participate (29%).

Value of Facebook Fans

The average Facebook fan is worth $136.38 a year to brands. This value is based on past and projected consumer behaviors; their attitudes and actions based on their friends; as well as their family’s perceptions of their consumer behaviors relative to 20 top national brands.

Calculating the Value of a Facebook Fan, 2010

Americans’ Pantries, Then and Now

According to Whole Foods Market, organic and natural foods made up of 27% of Americans’ grocery shopping purchases in 2010, compared to 20% 2009.  According to Baby Boomers – who ran households 1980 and still so in 2010 – the most common items they had on hand in 2010 were:

• Fresh fruit (83%)
• Milk (82%)
• Fresh vegetables (79%)
• Wheat or whole-grain bread (77%)
• Canned or frozen vegetables (69%)

In 1980, the most common items on-hand were:

• Milk (89%)
• Canned or frozen vegetables (83%)
• White bread (74%)
• Soda/pop (74%)
• Iceberg lettuce (66%)

Employer Wellness Programs

Despite spending more on employee wellness programs in 2010, only 37% of U.S. employers say they measured their program’s effectiveness, according to Buck Consultants. Employers spent 35% more – about $220 – on each employee who participated in a wellness program in 2010 compared to 2009. Eleven percent of U.S. respondents spent more than $500 per employee per year on wellness incentive rewards, with the largest rewards reported at $3,000 per employee.

Employers’ say their goals for wellness programs are to reduce the cost of providing health care, improve worker productivity and reduce absenteeism. Of the 40% of U.S. employers who offered a program, 45% reported success in slowing health care cost increases, with a typical reduction of two to five percentage points per year.

Healthcare and the Aging Workplace

Each day during 2012, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 years old. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of older employees in the workforce will increase by at least 80% from 2010 to 2016. Aging adults typically face health issues like multiple chronic conditions, stress and depression, all of which can impact work performance and increase employer healthcare costs. In fact, the healthcare costs for someone 65 years old are typically about four times greater than those for a 40-year-old person.

Older Adults and Sex

More than one-quarter of adults aged and older (28%) had sex at least once a week during the prior six months, down from 38% om 1999, according to AARP. They are also less likely to kiss or hug (58%, down from 65%) and sexual touching or caressing (44%, down from 55%) compared to 1999. Over this same period, these practicing self-stimulating grew to 22% from 12%.

Complaints about Co-Workers

Only 13% of workers say they do not come across any pet peeves with their cohorts during the workday. The complaints they do have are detailed in the chart below.

While more than one-quarter choose not to deal with the situation, some 29% speak with the offending party to try and resolve the issues; 10% vent to a co-worker; 9% go to the boss or supervisor; and 1% leave an anonymous note.

Workers’ Complaints About Their Co-Workers’ Habits, 2010

The poor time management category is further broken down into those who complain about co-workers who take long breaks for lunch to smoke or surf online (22%); abuse sick days (11%), host meetings without structure or an agenda (11%), hold meetings that start late or run over (10%), are distracted by using their handheld mobile device (10%), and miss deadlines (9%).

Formula for a Great Corporate Blog

A recent survey of Fortune 1,000 companies shows that nearly one-quarter had a corporate blog. The blog was most often written by the marketing department, followed by a social media or blog specialist. When asked what makes a blog great, respondents said that having an engaged community is by far the most important attribute. Engagement is defined as blog posts which receive comments and evoke a lively discussion as opposed to just pushing content onto readers. The chart below shows other highly rated traits.

Attributes that Make a Great Corporate Blog According to CMOs at U.S. Fortune 1,000 Companies, December 2010

B2B Marketing Predictions for 2011

According to the B2B Marketing Insider Blog, these are the top business-to-business predictions for the upcoming year:

• Marketing automation and automated lead nurturing will become a foundational B2B marketing activity as we are expected to accelerate deals through our funnels.
• Customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention re-emerge as key metrics B2B marketers will use to measure the performance of their holistic marketing programs.
• Attribution modeling will become a hot topic as digital marketers begin to understand and recognize the real cost of  the “last click” problem where results of marketing activities are tied to the last tactic a lead touched.
• Marketing and sales alignment continues to be the #1 issue impeding marketing’s ability to be perceived as a major driver of B2B business value.
• The quality versus quantity of leads debate will rage on. (Hint: you have to do both).
• The ROI of social media programs will continue to be challenged by some executives. Too many marketers and business executives still question the value of social media (mostly in private), while the rest of us catch on to what works.
• Inbound marketing spend will grab more share of the marketing budget but will stay far from a majority in most B2B companies.
• The shortage of digital marketing talent will create a seller’s market for online, search and social marketers.
• Display media experiences a resurgence as advanced targeting, re-targeting and behavioral methods allow marketers to demonstrate real value in display.
• The brand is back, baby! We will remember that results improve when we balance awareness activity on top of effective consideration techniques and pay-for-performance demand generation.
• Colleagues and managers will start to treat their fellow employees with a little more respect as the economy turns around. We will re-discover that happy employees create loyal and satisfied customers who in turn improve profit margins.
• From the fading influence of newspapers for world news to newsletters for company news, traditional communication including email will have a tough time competing with the amazing rise of mobile devices usage for web surfing, texting and micro-blogging for consumer attention.
• The iPad and possibly other tablets will start to make laptops look soooo 2000-singles as more and more move 100% of their digital work and personal lives to these devices.

Source: B2B Marketing Insider by Michael Brenner

Electric Vehicles: Pros and Cons

Only one-third of American adults (32%) are familiar with hybrid vehicles, and fewer (25%) are familiar with electric-powered vehicles. Those who say they would consider purchasing an electric vehicle list these benefits and detractors:
strong>Benefits

• Being able to run without gasoline (78%)
• Less pollution from driving (67%)
• Lack of need for oil changes and tune-ups (60%)

Detractors

• Fear of running out of power on the road (71%)
• Lack of charging stations or not being able to recharge (66%)
• Limited mileage (59%)

Some 51% also say they would be less likely to buy an electric vehicle if they had to install special charging equipment in their garage.

Traffic Congestion Costs U.S.

Traffic congestion costs Americans $87.2 billion per year in wasted time and fuel, as of 2007, the latest year data are available. The delay which Americans experienced on roadways in 2007 was 4.2 billion hours, up from 0.8 billion hours in 1982. These numbers translate to an average of 36.1 hours of delay per traveler and 24 gallons of wasted gas in 2007, up from 14 hours of delay and nine gallons of wasted gas in 1982.

Average Time and Gas Wasted by a Driver in Traffic Congestion, by Size of Urban Area, 2007

Americans Across Political Lines Show Concern for Climate Change

A 2010 poll by Yale University and George Mason University showed that a majority of Americans support greater renewable energy research, regulating carbon dioxide, and expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Specific numbers from this poll include:

• 85% support funding more research on renewable energy
• 82% favor tax rebates for people buying fuel-efficient cars or solar panels
• 72% want to establish programs teaching Americans how to save energy
• 71% support regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) as a pollutant
• 70% want schools to teach kids about the causes, consequences and potential solutions to global warming; 60% thought there ought to be courses established to teach all Americans about global warming.
• 61% support the US signing an international treaty requiring the nation to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 90% by 2050.

Bullets

• By 2030, all of the Baby Boomer generation will be age 65 and older.
• Financial issues that married couples fight about include how much money to spend on various items (49%); how much debt to carry (33%); how much to keep in savings for emergencies (26%); how much to invest (15%); and how much or where to donate money (10%).
• The range of costs for Americans’ weddings in 2010 include: more than $10,000 (26%); $5,001 – $10,000 (19%); $1,001 to $5,000 (30%); $501 to $1,000 (5%); $1 to $500 (18%); and nothing (2%).

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Sunday Activities

Most Americans (83%) say they look forward to Sundays. Some 61% share that it is the day when they take care of the things that are most important to them.

Food ranks high in Sunday activities:

• 91% have breakfast at home
• 89% cook or prepare a meal
• 85% have dinner as a family at home
• 69% eat out at restaurants
• 59% entertain guests at their homes

Other routines on this day include doing laundry (76%), working in the garden (56%), and tackling home improvement projects (53%).

Most Americans make shopping trips on Sundays, as detailed in the chart below.

Types of Stores Americans Shop on Sundays, 2010

Black Americans and Technology

The U.S.’s Black population rose 10% from 2000 to 2008, while their buying power jumped 55% to reach over $913 billion. About one-third (31%) is spent on technology such as computers, cell phones and other electronics.

Blacks spend an average of 18 hours online each week, compared to 15 hours watching TV. Most go online via a personal computer (93%) with 76% using their cell phone to access the Internet. Some 50% regularly update or access a social network account.

Consumers Shop Online, Buy In Store

Some 78% of Americans use multiple channels – computer, mobile device, catalog, in-store – to research and make purchases. Three in 10 (30%) say they use three or more channels during the process, while 48% use two channels and 22% use only one channel.

Internet users (61%) research products online at least once per week, while only 37% browse in stores each week. However, buyers are more likely to make their purchase in a store (65%) than online (14%)

Women and Shopping

The average American woman spends 25,185 hours shopping in her lifetime – the equivalent of eight years. She makes 301 shopping trips each year which takes approximately 400 hours to complete:

• 84 food shopping trips; 95 hours
• 57 book shopping trips; 31 hours
• 51 window shopping trips; 49 hours
• 30 clothes shopping trips; 101 hours
• 27 toiletries shopping trips; 18 hours
• 19 gift shopping trips; 36 hours
• 18 gift shopping trips; 30 hours
• 15 shoe shopping trips; 41 hours

Source: OnePoll.com

Preferred Media: TV vs. Internet

Some 42% of Americans say the Internet is the most essential medium in their lives. This is followed by television (37%), radio (14%) and newspapers (5%). The chart below shows the results of whether Americans would prefer to live without Internet or TV, if given the choice.

Americans’ Preference for Eliminating TV or Internet Service by Age, 2010

On-Line Radio

Of those who listen to the radio online at least monthly, more say they prefer Internet-only radio stations (55%) over online streams of AM/FM stations (40%). Internet radio’s appeal includes the listener being able to control the music being played (20%); have more music variety (17%); have fewer commercials (14%); ability to listen to audio they cannot get elsewhere (14%); and the ability to get a clearer signal than over-the-air radio (12%).

E-Commerce Via Cell Phones

Total e-commerce spending reached $210 billion in 2009, down 2% from the prior year. Some 56% more people visited retail websites from their cell phones at least monthly; another 48% accessed shopping guides. The number of people visiting online auction sites from their phones grew 33%.

Consumers Who Access Retail Websites from Their Mobile Phone, December 2009 (in millions)

Marketing Advice Sources

Consumers ages 18-34 say they weigh advice from a variety of sources before making a purchase decision. The chart below shows that traditional media are still more influential than online media for this demographic group.

Most Influential Advice Sources, 18-34-Year-Olds, 2009

Injuries to Pet Owners

Cats and dogs are blamed for some 86,000 annual falling injuries that send humans to the emergency room. Dogs cause seven times more injuries than cats. The most frequent injury was from people tripping or falling over their dog (31% of injuries). Most injuries caused by cats (86%) were at home, with the most common happening when owners chased their cats (12% of injuries).

Situation During Which Falling Accidents Occurred, Involving Dogs Versus Cats, 2001-2006 (Annual Estimates)

Americans and Exercise

More than one-third of adults (35%) engaged in physical activity in the first three quarters of 2009, up from 32% over the same period in 2008. This level of activity is the highest proportion in over a decade, per the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Among all age groups, men (38%) were more likely to engage in physical activity than women (34%). See the following chart for details.

Leisure-time Physical Activity of Adults, by Age, Men Vs. Women, 2009

Americans Battle Obesity

Americans (12%) are more likely than people in other countries (5% global average) to weigh themselves each day.  When wanting to lose weight, Americans cut back on their food/calorie intake (57%), compared to a global average of 40%. More than one-half (53%) increase their physical activity, compared to a global average of 35%. Americans (26%) are more than twice as likely as the rest of the world (12%) to order smaller meals at restaurants.

Fast food is a problem for Americans’ battle with weight. Nearly one-half (49%) say they like fast food too much to give it up, compared to a global average of 29%. Some 47% like to eat junk food when they feel down, a habit of only 26% of other countries’ citizens.

Small Business Owners Optimistic About Economy

One-half of small business owners (51%) say their companies have already recovered or will have recovered from the recession by the end of 2010. This is in comparison to 54% who said they were “very concerned” about the impact of the down economy on their businesses during 2009.

This optimism is reflected in planned budget increases for staffing in 2010 (18%) versus 2009 (9%). Some 42% are planning to add to their marketing budgets and 30% say they will increase sales initiative budgets. In addition, 46% plan to expand their online presence and 36% want to grow their social media initiatives.

Power of Welcome Messages

Welcome e-mails – automatically sent in response to an online subscription – are opened nearly four times as often as other promotional mailings and have a click rate of 14.4%, compared with the bulk mailing average of 2.7%. Overall, welcome e-mails have a transaction rate of 0.94%, compared with 0.1% for other mailings. Revenues per e-mail were also significantly higher.

Note that bulk welcomes, sent at a fixed interval (e.g., once a week) to all new subscribers, perform much worse than messages sent immediately upon subscription. The chart below shows the power of real-time welcomes, including those sent with an offer.

Revenue per E-mail for Real-Time vs. Bulk Welcome Mailings, April 2010

Branding Via Social Media

Research on social media users who follow brands online indicated that there are various triggers for someone to become a fan of a specific brand. For example, 75% of Facebook users who had “liked” a brand, say it was by invitation from the brand; 59% said the brand had been recommended by a friend; and 49% found the brand through their own personal research.

The reasons that former fans give for unsubscribing from a brand on Facebook was declining interest in the brand (32%), information offered on fan pages was posted too often (27%), information posted was not interesting (22%), information was published by the brand that the subscriber didn’t like (12%), and information was not posted often enough (7%).

Military Seeking Alternative Fuel Solutions

The U.S. military, the single largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world, is seeking fuel alternatives due to the risks around fossil fuel prices and supply security. For example, as crude oil prices jumped in 2008, the Navy’s annual fuel costs skyrocketed to $5.1 billion that year, up from $1.2 billion in the prior year. The U.S. Navy is now planning to meet half of its energy needs for ships and planes with renewable energy sources by 2020, requiring some 8 million barrels of biofuel.

Solar Power Taking Off

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturers produced a record 10,700 megawatts of PV cells globally in 2009, reflecting a 51% increase from the year before. This growth was slower than the 89% expansion in 2008, but it continued the rapid rise of an industry that first reached 1,000 megawatts of annual production in 2004. By the end of 2009, almost 23,000 megawatts of PV had been installed worldwide, enough to power 4.6 million U.S. homes.

In the U.S., less than 1% of the electricity is solar powered. Despite the sluggish economy, 944 megawatts of solar electric capacity – composed of 866 megawatts of PV and 79 megawatts of CSP (concentrated solar power) – will be installed in the U.S. by the end of 2010. This is more than double the 441 megawatts of solar electric capacity added in 2009.

2011 Trends for Smart Grid

Smart grid technology involves power production, storage and delivery at “smart” times for maximum efficiency. The smart grid is important because it is a means to adapt the electrical infrastructure to help fight climate change and meet energy independence and security needs. The following chart shows the smart grid trends to watch for in the upcoming year.

Ten Smart Grid Trends to Watch in 2011

• Security will become the top smart grid concern
• Distribution Automation will rival AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) as the most visible smart grid application
• The “Bakersfield Effect” will continue, but some consumers will actually like the smart grid (The “Bakersfield Effect” is a term meaning consumers assume that a smart grid will cause a spike in their utility costs)
• Smart meter and AMI focus will shift toward Europe and China
• The “Year of the HAN (home area networks)” will not arrive…yet
• The Demand Response business transformation will accelerate
• The ARRA (American Recover and Reinvestment Act of 2009) smart grid “stimulus” will finally have a positive impact
• The standards “horse” will begin to catch the deployment “cart”
• Data management will be the next bottleneck to the smart grid benefits
• Existing data and telecom vendors will get serious about the smart grid

Source: Pike Research

Bullets

• Women own an average of 19 pairs of underwear; men own 16 pairs.
• More than four in 10 consumers (41%) are now using in-store or mall kiosks such as Redboxes to rent movies on DVD, compared to the 36% who rent from Blockbuster outlets and other physical stores.
• Two-thirds of women (67%) say that insulting their cooking for a holiday meal or special occasion is the same as insulting their character.

Read More

Climate-responsible Companies

For the last five years, Climate Counts has published a scorecard showing the most climate-responsible companies. For 2011, they evaluated 136 of the largest companies by revenue in each industry, reviewing their efforts to address climate change, using 22 criteria and a 100-point scale. The criteria measure a company’s efforts to assess its climate footprint, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support progress on climate legislation, and communicate their efforts clearly and comprehensively to consumers. For 2011, there were 13 companies scoring 80 points or higher – more than triple the number in 2010. The following chart lists the top 10 companies.

2011 Climate Counts, Top 10 Companies

Electric Vehicles

Four in 10 drivers (42%) say they have never heard of or know very little about electric-only vehicles. Some 19% say they would consider buying one. Of those who would contemplate purchasing an electric vehicle, 30% say they would consider one that got less than 100 miles per charge (most get 50-100 miles). Four in 10 (40%) would pay 10% more for an electric vehicle than for a similar gas, diesel or hybrid vehicles.

The cost to retrofit their residence for charging an electric vehicle appears to be a major purchase barrier: only 13% of drivers are willing to spend $1,000 to do so.

Exporting U.S. Fossil Fuels

While many Americans are pushing for the U.S. to drill for oil on wild public lands, they may not realize that much of this oil and gas is not staying in the country. Much of the oil, gas, and coal that is drilled and mined in the U.S. are going to fuel cars and furnaces in places like Europe, China, and India.

• A recent report details just how high the exports have risen:
• The U.S. currently exports more than 690,000 barrels refined petroleum products per day like kerosene.
• Gasoline exports have more than doubled since 2007 and are on pace this year to exceed 150 million barrels, triple the amount in 2007 – even as gas prices remain high.
• In the first quarter of 2010, the United States exported more than 17.8 million short tons of coal. American coal exports increased by nearly 50% in the first quarter of 2011.
• Two permits for natural gas export terminals have been approved, with several more proposed to send gas from the Marcellus Shale (located in Eastern North America) overseas.

Source: Wilderness Society, Exporting America’s Heritage

Changes in U.S. Energy Consumption

Between 2006 and 2010, total natural gas consumption rose from 22% to 26%, while petroleum and coal dropped as a percentage of consumption. During that same time, biomass and wind energy grew as a percentage of the country’s renewable energy consumption.

Total U.S. Energy Consumption

Bullets

• Only 43% of U.S. consumers say they trust companies to tell the truth about their environmental practices, down from 47% in 2008.
• Some economists predict that nanotechnology will have a $1 trillion global market for nanoproducts over the next 10 to 15 years. (One use is a nanoproduct paint-like substance for spraying onto rooftops to replace costly rooftop solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity.)
• Almost 70% of the jackup fleet in deepwater offshore drilling is considered old (25+ years) and inefficient like the BP drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

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“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

Retirement Outlook

Some 72% of Americans aged 25 to 69 say they expect to work during their retirement years. A higher percentage (39%) says they will work to make ends meet versus 33% who simply want to work.

20-Somethings

• 70% feel on track for retirement
• Only 31% are confident about the stock market as a source of investment gains
• 40% would invest in a certificate of deposit if given $5,000 to invest for retirement

30-Somethings

• 33% say their retirement plans will be affected by family needs
• Anticipate the cost of health care in retirement

40-Somethings

• 48% believe they will be able to save the amount they need for the retirement lifestyle they want, the fewest of any age group
• 47% believe inflation will affect their ability to retire
• 79% are trying to reduce debt, the most of any age group

50-and 60-Somethings

• 55% of those in their 50s and 59% of those in their 60s have a pension that will serve as a resource in retirement
• Most likely to be looking forward to retirement

Source: Wells Fargo

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?

Business Tech Trends

While technology is constantly evolving, it’s important that companies not only stay informed, but that they stand on the front end and anticipate what’s coming their way. The following trends offer some insights.

Just-in-time training – Cloud-based technology is making just-in-time training possible because it allows people to use their cell phones, tablet computers and laptops to access training when and where they need it – right in the field. Trainees can use this for installation/repair issues, learning new software, product updgrades, new policies and procedures. At the touch of a button, the trainee can connect real time with a trainer.

Processing power on demand – Through cloud-based technology, people can turn their mobile devices into virtual super computers to perform advanced calculations and crunch different data streams together to produce real-time analytics.

Creative application of technology – Go beyond what your employees ask for technologically. Give them the ability to do what they currently cannot do but would want to do if they knew they could. For example, people didn’t ask for an iPhone or Android. The unspoken need was the ability to access email and the Internet without being tied to a desktop or laptop. Also, companies would do well to educate employees about unused tech capabilities in systems already in place. For example, Microsoft Word has literally thousands of features that users can select, but most people only use seven to 10 features. Knowing more allows employees to do more.

Bullets

• For 70% of business-to-business sales, the sales cycle is longer than three months.
• The proportion of workers who habitually arrived at work late dropped from 20% in 2008 to 15% in 2010
• Up to 70% of a business’ buying decision is now made based on information he or she finds online, which is long before a salesperson has an opportunity to get involved.

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Online Video Usage Through TV

Some 24% of American households have connected their TV sets to the Internet through a gaming system, Blu-ray player or directly to the Internet itself, but only 5% of these households use those devices to watch video from the Internet in an average week. Those watching from these devices include 16% of men aged 18 to 24, compared to 3% of the rest of the population.

Usage of online pay-for-video services also remains relatively low. For example, only 4% of households use Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” services weekly. Only 5% would be willing to pay $9.95 to access Hulu’s full video library. And, just 4% would strongly consider disconnecting their TV in favor of online video services.

Baby Boomers Still Matter

Spending by America’s 116 million Baby Boomers age 50 and older was $2.9 trillion last year, up 45% over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, the 182 million people younger than age 50 spent $3.3 trillion last year, up only 6% during the same decade.

Despite the stereotype of older consumers shying away from new things, Boomers are among the biggest buyers of new technology and new cars. For example, consumers ages 50 and older spent $87 billion on cars during 2010 compared with $70 billion by those under age 50, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Boomers are expected to get even more wealthier: Americans ages 50 and older will inherit an estimated $14 trillion to $20 trillion during the next 20 years.

Customer Service More Important During Recession

Some 61% of Americans say that customer service is more important to them during the recession than it was in prior years. They repay excellent service by spending an average of 9% more with those companies. Only 37% say that companies have taken notice of this change and improved their customer service. Some 28% say companies are actually paying less attention to the service they provide.

The greatest influences in consumers’ choices of companies to do business with include personal experience (98%), the company’s reputation or brand (92%), and recommendations from friends and family (88%).

Email Use Dropping as Social Networking Picks Up

According to ComScore, email use dropped 59% among users aged 12-17, as well as 8% overall during 2010. Users between the ages of 18 and 54 are also sending/receiving email less, however, those 55 and older are actually using email more.

Instead of using email, young people in America are turning to social networks to communicate. Social networks account for 14% of time spent online in the U.S.  Specifically, Facebook accounts for 10% of page views and it enjoyed a 38% growth of American users to reach 153.9 million in 2010. Total time spent on the site went up 79% to 49.4 billion minutes.

Facebook is only one piece of the American social networking scene. Nine out of every 10 online users visited social networking sites by the end of 2010. LinkedIn grew by 30%  to 26.6 million users, while Twitter grew 18% to 23.6 million users, and Tumblr enjoyed 168% growth to 6.7 million users. However, MySpace saw a decrease of 26%, falling to 50 million users.

Computer Tablet Use

Most computer tablet users are finding it primarily a source of entertainment. Nearly seven in 10 tablet owners spend at least 1 hour per day using the device, including 38% who spend over two hours. While 28% consider it their primary computer, 77% report they are spending less time on their desktop or laptop PCs since they got a tablet.

Over 80% of tablet owners said they mostly use the device at home; just 11% use them primarily on the go.

Some 43% of tablet owners spend more time each day with their tablet than with a desktop or laptop computer. Other select media receiving less time due to tablet usage are detailed in the chart below.

U.S. Tablet Owners Who Spend More Time Each Day on Their Tablet Than with Select Media, March 2011 (% of respondents)

• 59% Paper book
• 52% Radio
• 43% Desktop/laptop
• 41% Smartphone
• 34% TV
• 11% None of the above

Source: AdMob

Emerging Majorities Response to Digital Advertising

Hispanics have a higher response rate to digital ads than Blacks or Whites. This includes banner ads and email promotions. Both Hispanics and Blacks are three times as likely as Whites to respond to pop-up ads.

Moms Want Email Promotional Messages

Women with children under the age of 12 (80%) say they look forward to checking their email, and 96% do so at least once per day. Some 80% want to receive email messages from their favorite brands, with 45% wanting these once a week. Seventy percent say they would provide information about their children if that allowed them to receive more tailored information and offers.

Moms are most interested in emails that include coupons (85%) and information about sales and promotions (73%). Some 78% say they would make special trip to a store after receiving a coupon via email; 63% have printed coupons for their next trip to the store for brands they use or would like to try.

Twitter Posts

The vast majority of messages posted on Twitter (91%) are from consumers, 8% are generated by companies or brands, and 1% are from celebrities.

Messages posted by consumers include mentioning brands (12%) and most commonly refer to social network brands (22%), entertainment brands (17%), and technology brands (17%). Messages about brands mostly share news or information about the brand (43%), refer to using the brand (35%), or share an opinion about the brand (21%).

Research shows that Twitter messages are most commonly conversational with 43% directed at a specific person, 24% are status updates or ritualistic, and 12% are news items. Some 92% of Twitter messages are viewable by the general public; only 8% are sent privately.

Americans’ Dental Insurance Coverage

One-quarter (26%) of the 172 million Americans who have private health insurance did not have dental insurance in 2008 (most recent data available), per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One-third (33%) have dental coverage through a  comprehensive health insurance plan, 26% get coverage through a single-service plan that only covers dental, and 14% use a combination of coverage through both comprehensive and single service plans.

Healthcare Costs Up, Usage Down

During 2010, about 52 million Americans went without health insurance, compared to 38 million in 2001. Seventy five million Americans skipped doctor visits all together, along with not getting prescriptions and recommended tests or treatments in 2010 because of costs, up from 47 million in 2001. Among people with insurance who have high deductibles, 31% percent went without care due to cost.

Another healthcare expense concern is the continued growth of out-of-pocket costs. The Commonwealth Fund reports that 49 million working adults spent 10% or more of their income on these costs and premiums in 2010, an increase from 31 million in 2001.

Electronic Medical Records

Some 20-30% of all primary care physicians in the U.S. currently use basic electronic health records.  Practices or physicians using electronic health records make an average of  $44,000 more in net income per year than those who do not, basically because electronic processes are set up to log all procedures performed, which triggers billing that might be missed using a paper method.

Recession Affecting Breaks at Work

One-third of American workers (32%) take less than a half hour for lunch, 5% take less than 15 minutes, and 10% never take a lunch break. Almost one in five (18%) typically do not leave their desk but eat in their office daily. Since the recession began, 47% have been packing lunch more often than they used to in order to save money or to eat healthier.

The recession has also caused changes for smokers: 44% say they are more likely to quit because of the cost of their habits. In addition, 21% are taking fewer smoke breaks during the work day, and 20% have quit completely.

To put that into perspective, the majority of smokers take three smoke breaks per day (70%) and another 12% say they take four or five breaks a day. Some 78% of all smokers say their smoke breaks last up to 10 minutes each.

Retirement Planning: Women vs. Men

Women are less confident than men when it comes to retirement planning. While 27% of men say they are doing a good job of preparing financially for retirement, only 18% of women claim the same. In addition, men are less concerned about having enough money to take care of basic expenses during retirement (32% of men versus 24% of women).

Women (68%) are more likely than men ( 52%) to be “very concerned” that Social Security payments will be reduced, and worry that the age at which they become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits will increase before they retire (54% of women versus 44% of men).  However, women seem to be more willing to rely on Social Security as a future source of income: 82% of women report that Social Security will be a source of income in retirement, compared to 72% of men.

Despite longer life expectancies, women are saving less for retirement than men. Women are more likely than men (35% vs. 26%) to think they will need less than $250,000 for retirement. Some 12% of women say they do not know how much they need to save, while only 5% of men said they were unsure of their savings needs. Men are also more likely to believe they need more than $1 million for retirement.

Workers’ Reason to Quit Jobs

Some workers return from their summer vacations with a new outlook on work, which often leads to thoughts of quitting. The chart below details the reasons.

Cell Phone Waste

Some 130 million cell phones enter landfills each year: over two million a week. That’s because the average life of cell phones is less than 18 months. Discarded cell phones account for 65,000 tons of toxic waste each year.

Consumers’ Energy Saving Behaviors

A survey by the Shelton Group found that 91% of consumers say they’ve changed their behavior to save energy at home (taking steps like washing clothes in cold water or adjusting their thermostat settings), up from 60% in 2010. Those who now unplug chargers and other electronics when not in use increased to 56% this year, up from 33% last year.

Americans’ reasons for conserving energy include “to save money” (32%), followed by “to protect our environment” (17%), “to preserve the quality of life for future generations” (15%) and “to be responsible and not waste resources” (10%).

When asked which of these behaviors was the easiest to do that would help reduce their utility bill the most, the top answer was “raise/lower thermostat settings” (18%), followed by “install extra insulation” (15%) and “unplug chargers, appliances and electronics when not in use” (13%). In comparison, Americans said the most difficult thing to do was to “purchase an ENERGY STAR® appliance” (24%), followed by “install extra insulation” (18%) and “unplug chargers, appliances and electronics when not in use” (12%).

Recycling Personal Computers Can Decrease Waste, Digital Divide

In today’s digital society, a home computer serves as the library, post office, tutor, bank, newspaper, employment agency, medical advisor, match maker and more. However, one in four U.S. homes – or 28 million households – lacks a personal computer.

On the other hand, U.S. businesses replace about 40 million computers every year – and about 75% of this equipment is four years old or less, meaning it has significant useful life remaining. Unfortunately, more than one-half is stored away in warehouses and closets or thrown away; only 3% is donated.

In addition to reducing e-waste, recycling personal computers through donating saves energy and cuts greenhouse gas emissions related to manufacturing new computers. For example, donating 1,000 computers saves enough energy to power 680 houses for a year, and reduces greenhouse gases equivalent to removing 480 cars from the road for a year.

Achieving 100% Renewable Energy by 2030

A report appearing in the journal Energy Policy describes how it is possible to achieve 100% renewable energy worldwide by 2030. Reaching this goal would mean building about four million 5 MW wind turbines, 1.7 billion 3 kW roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems, and around 90,000 300 MW solar power plants.

The authors excluded all fossil fuel sources of energy and concentrated only on wind, solar, waves and geothermal sources. Fossil fuels currently provide over 80% of the world’s energy supply. They also did not include biomass, currently the most widely used renewable energy source, because of concerns about pollution and land-use issues. Their calculations also left out nuclear power generation, which currently supplies around 14% of the world’s electricity.

Bullets

• Some 43% of shoppers say they always relay on a shopping list. Married shoppers (52%), women (46%), and Whites (46%) are more likely than the average American to shop with a list, while Hispanics (37%), singles (35%) and Millennials (32%) are less likely. One third (34%( make lists based on recipes and 31% use recommendations from family or friends.
• Some 34% of North Americans say they visit social networking sites because they receive an email to their personal address. In comparison, only 4% do so after getting an SMS text message, a direct mailing (2%), an email to their work account (2%), or a telephone call (1%).
• When on a road trip, 60% of moms say they sing songs with their children in the car to keep them occupied and entertained.

Read More

Customer Service More Important During Recession

Some 61% of Americans say that customer service is more important to them during the recession than it was in prior years. They repay excellent service by spending an average of 9% more with those companies. Only 37% say that companies have taken notice of this change and improved their customer service. Some 28% say companies are actually paying less attention to the service they provide.

The greatest influences in consumers’ choices of companies to do business with include personal experience (98%), the company’s reputation or brand (92%), and recommendations from friends and family (88%).

Email Use Dropping as Social Networking Picks Up

According to ComScore, email use dropped 59% among users aged 12-17, as well as 8% overall during 2010. Users between the ages of 18 and 54 are also sending/receiving email less, however, those 55 and older are actually using email more.

Instead of using email, young people in America are turning to social networks to communicate. Social networks account for 14% of time spent online in the U.S. Specifically, Facebook accounts for 10% of page views and it enjoyed a 38% growth of American users to reach 153.9 million in 2010. Total time spent on the site went up 79% to 49.4 billion minutes.

Facebook is only one piece of the American social networking scene. Nine out of every 10 online users visited social networking sites by the end of 2010. LinkedIn grew by 30% to 26.6 million users, while Twitter grew 18% to 23.6 million users, and Tumblr enjoyed 168% growth to 6.7 million users. However, MySpace saw a decrease of 26%, falling to 50 million users.

Computer Tablet Use

Most computer tablet users are finding it primarily a source of entertainment. Nearly seven in 10 tablet owners spend at least 1 hour per day using the device, including 38% who spend over two hours. While 28% consider it their primary computer, 77% report they are spending less time on their desktop or laptop PCs since they got a tablet.

Over 80% of tablet owners said they mostly use the device at home; just 11% use them primarily on the go.

Some 43% of tablet owners spend more time each day with their tablet than with a desktop or laptop computer. Other select media receiving less time due to tablet usage are detailed in the chart below.

The most common tablet activity is playing games. Other activities are detailed below.

U.S. Tablet Owners Who Spend More Time Each Day on Their Tablet Than with Select Media, March 2011 (% of respondents)

• 59% Paper book
• 52% Radio
• 43% Desktop/laptop
• 41% Smartphone
• 34% TV
• 11% None of the above

Source: AdMob

Electronic Medical Records

Some 20-30% of all primary care physicians in the U.S. currently use basic electronic health records.  Practices or physicians using electronic health records make an average of  $44,000 more in net income per year than those who do not, basically because electronic processes are set up to log all procedures performed, which triggers billing that might be missed using a paper method.

Recession Affecting Breaks at Work

One-third of American workers (32%) take less than a half hour for lunch, 5% take less than 15 minutes, and 10% never take a lunch break. Almost one in five (18%) typically do not leave their desk but eat in their office daily. Since the recession began, 47% have been packing lunch more often than they used to in order to save money or to eat healthier.

The recession has also caused changes for smokers: 44% say they are more likely to quit because of the cost of their habits. In addition, 21% are taking fewer smoke breaks during the work day, and 20% have quit completely.

To put that into perspective, the majority of smokers take three smoke breaks per day (70%) and another 12% say they take four or five breaks a day. Some 78% of all smokers say their smoke breaks last up to 10 minutes each.

Retirement Planning: Women vs. Men

Women are less confident than men when it comes to retirement planning. While 27% of men say they are doing a good job of preparing financially for retirement, only 18% of women claim the same. In addition, men are less concerned about having enough money to take care of basic expenses during retirement (32% of men versus 24% of women).

Women (68%) are more likely than men ( 52%) to be “very concerned” that Social Security payments will be reduced, and worry that the age at which they become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits will increase before they retire (54% of women versus 44% of men).  However, women seem to be more willing to rely on Social Security as a future source of income: 82% of women report that Social Security will be a source of income in retirement, compared to 72% of men.

Despite longer life expectancies, women are saving less for retirement than men. Women are more likely than men (35% vs. 26%) to think they will need less than $250,000 for retirement. Some 12% of women say they do not know how much they need to save, while only 5% of men said they were unsure of their savings needs. Men are also more likely to believe they need more than $1 million for retirement.

Workers’ Reasons to Quit Jobs

Some workers return from their summer vacations with a new outlook on work, which often leads to thoughts of quitting. The chart below details the reasons.

Reasons Workers Have Considered Quitting Their Jobs upon Returning From Summer Vacations, 2010.

Bullets

• Twitter users are more likely than average to write a blog (+506%); upload a video to a website (+451%); and post a comment or review on a blog, online forum or message board (+315%); They are also more likely to be a published author (+209%) and attend a political speech, rally or organized protest (+103%).
• Americans’ savings rate (as a percentage of disposable income) rose from 2.1% in October of 2007 to 5.7% in October of 2010.
• A weak handshake (cited by 26% of hiring managers) is less likely than poor eye contact (67%) or bad posture (33%) to adversely affect their decision to hire someone.

Read All Bullets