Media Influence on Telecom Purchases

IAB conducted a custom analysis of syndicated Prosper Insight data to look at the consumer purchase plans and media behaviors of US consumers around Telecommunications Services and Mobile Phones. The study compared the purchase plans and influence of various media types on US Adults 18 and older and compared them to Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans 18 and older. Some key implications are below.

Multicultural Consumers Shop Differently From the General Population

While there are some commonalities between multicultural consumers and the general population (like ranking Pricing as their #1 reason for switching and ranking ‘Trusted brand’ as a smartphone’s most important attribute), each group of consumers shops differently for a mobile phone or plan. Different multicultural groups prioritize the importance of phone features and mobile plans differently. For instance, while monthly contract plans are currently the most popular, there’s a growing interest in month by month contract-free plans with African Americans already intending to switch to this type of mobile plan. Knowledgeable marketers can use these differences to provide a more targeted and personal approach to more effectively sell mobile phones and services to multicultural groups.

Digital Media Influences Multicultural Consumers

Multicultural consumers are influenced differently by media. While all consumers rank the Internet as the #1 influence on their Electronics and Telco purchases, other media varies in how much it influences these groups’ purchases. Overall, digital formats are more influential in multicultural consumers’ Electronics and Telco purchases than in the general population.

Digital media varies in purchase influence among different multicultural consumer groups. For example, Email Advertising is much more influential among Asian Americans in their Electronics purchases, ranking #3, than it is for other groups. Similarly, Social Media at #5 ranks higher in purchase influence in Electronics and Telco for Hispanic and African Americans than it does for other groups.

Hispanic American, African American and Asian American consumers each differ from the general population in how they shop for products, how they consume media, how they’re influenced by media and even how they share product information with others. Understanding these differences provide opportunities for savvy marketers to reach these consumers in a relevant and meaningful way.

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