GfK is thinking BIG, and this means an improved way of talking with our clients.

We have moved to http://blog.gfk.com/blog/category/technology/  So we will no longer be communicating from this blog.

With most research focusing on high-involvement product categories (such as cutting-edge products and ‘sexy’ brands), managers of low-involving products often struggle to get their brands noticed; the same rules just don’t apply. This article explores the factors that may influence consumers’ purchase decisions in what could be seen as emotionless product categories. How can marketers begin to re-engage their audiences?    

What is a Low-Involvement Product Category?

Some products may not excite all consumers. For example, for me (and I believe a lot of others),  insurance and antivirus software aren’t particularly inspiring. When selecting products in categories of little interest, consumers are unlikely to spend time assessing which brand to buy because to them, their final purchase decision is of comparatively little importance.  Instead, they may act by habit or simply buy what is top of mind. Their lack of motivation to actively weigh up the pros and cons of the brands means that any actual feelings of like or dislike are often based on subconscious factors.

Tech brands inevitably want to understand what our future technologies might look like and what we might want of them.  As such, much of our time as market researchers is spent exploring how technology can meet consumer needs both from a shorter and longer-term perspective.  Of course, innovation is often developed incrementally. Much of the success of Apple, for example, is arguably based less on groundbreaking ideas and rather on the excellent execution of existing technologies.  Yet, as technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous and devices are less about specific functions and more about general enablers (think basic mobile device versus smartphone), the task of understanding how technology devices and services will be used in the future gets ever more complex.

Like most Londoners, I absolutely can’t wait for the 2012 Olympics, just around the corner from now. I can’t wait for the buzz, the thrill of watching talented athletes competing and setting new records. Aside from the throngs of even more tourists and a couple of weeks of hectic journeys to work, it’s going to be a hugely positive event of which the UK should be very proud.

But it’s not just the athletics that has us hooked. This Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, is consolidating the future of technology. Social media, mobile banking, 3D TV, NFC-enabled phones, live, multi-platform and high definition TV broadcasting, the site of Europe’s largest free Wi-Fi zone[1]* and extended network service, user-generated content and applications… the list goes on; London is setting the standard for a truly mobile and interactive Games.

The first 2012 edition of our magazine, TechTalk, is now out, exploring current trends, issues and market developments affecting technology organisations today. In this edition we take a closer look at the customer purchase journey for technology products, with a particular focus on retail (read it here).

Retail, both online and offline, represents the part of the customer journey where value is ultimately generated and money changes hands. Given the current tough trading environment technology brands are facing across markets worldwide, it is hardly surprising that there is so much interest in how retail is evolving. Retailers are feeling the effects of disruption as technology itself changes the way consumers shop for technology products. It is this which sets the topic for the lead article where we explore the nature of these changes and set out a vision for traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ stores through an omnichannel approach.

As a qual researcher in the tech sector, I’ve travelled the globe to meet consumers and understand how my clients can better address their needs. Reciting my anecdotes to family and friends, with only a soupçon of embellishment, I’m often greeted with the faintly amusing, yet all too familiar retort; ‘you really should write a book!’

Whilst I’m under no illusion that my stories of ‘branding in Brazil’ or ‘innovation in India’ are of even the merest significance to most people, I do believe they provide interesting observations to marketing professionals and tech enthusiasts.

When we watch and listen, we learn; the cultural nuances and socio-economic influences we see can often provide the most revealing insights of all.

Increased productivity, or increased stress?
New findings by GfK NOP show that, although modern workers are embracing technology right now, there is evidence that the pace of change is risking a divided workforce. This situation presents significant challenges for policy makers and business leaders, creating a need to ensure the workforce is adequately trained and can manage the increased pressure and stress levels of working in an ever-connected environment.

Teleconferencing, BlackBerries, smartphones and, now, tablet computers mean it has never been easier to be in contact with the office. As technological advances alter the way we work, a debate has emerged between those that stress the unhealthy blurring of the boundaries between work and personal lives, and those that see technology as empowering the modern worker to fit their career around other demands on their time.

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Consumer awareness and understanding of the concept of “net neutrality” is low. However, once the implications are made fully apparent, public reaction is very strong. It is therefore crucial that businesses and governments engage the public in a more open discussion.

Generally accepted to be one of the World Wide Web’s fundamental guiding principles, it appears that “Net Neutrality” may be under increasing threat from political, corporate and market forces. While debate continues as to its exact definition, “Net Neutrality” can be simply expressed as the view that “all internet traffic should be treated equally”; a principle that has resulted in freely available news and information, open digital platforms, globalised virtual communities, digital content sharing and the e-commerce revolution, amongst other things over the last two decades.

The FIFA World Cup is finally upon us and while football fans, vuvuzelas aside, have been enjoying the first week of games, employers have a difficult decision to make when it comes to England’s game against Slovenia on Wednesday 23 June at 3pm UK time. Passionate debates about football are all too common, but there is one debate that takes place every four years – namely whether employers should give their staff time off to watch their national team play in the World Cup.

GfK data shows that 5% of employees are going to be allowed time off or be granted flexible working hours to fit around England’s match against Slovenia (this includes GfK NOP). Although this seems fairly small it still shows that employers are willing to let their staff take time off because of a football fixture. Most companies will doubtless have already made their decision regarding their position on this matter, but for the few remaining who are yet to make an official announcement, we would urge that they give the go ahead to watch the match.

The future of 6 Music may be decided later this month; a recent survey suggests that keeping the station alive should form part of the BBC’s duty, regardless of whether recent publicity has engaged a sufficiently large enough audience to justify its existence to the number crunchers.

Over the last few months BBC 6 Music has successfully managed to do something it previously had not been notable for; namely commanding a significant share of radio listeners and attracting correspondingly high levels of media and public interest. (According to recently released RAJAR figures* the digital station was up 47% on the previous quarter and 50% on the year, bringing it to a total of 1.02m listeners in Q1 2010.)

The catalyst for this growth certainly appears to be the leak back in February that the BBC was considering shutting the station down, officially confirmed by a Mark Thompson announcement in March; a move which has resulted in public outcry, a protest outside Broadcasting House, with another planned for 22 May and huge media publicity.