<b>Vantage point:</b> Insights from cutting-edge research

Consumer recall of purchase critically linked to in-the-moment survey

Companies looking for insights into shopper satisfaction may err if they trust respondents to fall back on recall to describe in-store experiences. A comparative study, conducted by MFour Mobile Research, shows that timing truly matters. There’s a consistent difference between the truth shoppers tell about their experiences in the moment, and what they say after experiences have slipped into the recent past.

MFour fielded the same mobile survey to two demographically similar groups of 200 consumers. Using GeoLocation, members of the first group received a survey just as they left a store in one of five retailer categories. Respondents answered questions about shopping experiences in the previous three hours. The non-GeoLocated control group was asked about their most recent shopping experiences in the same store types — which may have been days earlier. In a key finding, none in the GeoLocated group failed to remember which categories they had purchased; but 28 per cent of the non-GeoLocated memory-dependent group failed to recall purchase categories.

Acceptance of connected home solutions limited to early adopters

Adoption of newer connected home solutions is still at the early adopter phase, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc. The survey, of nearly 10,000 online respondents in the US, the UK and Australia during the second half of 2016, found that only about 10 per cent of households currently have connected home solutions. Connected home solutions consist of a set of devices and services that are connected to each other and to the internet and can automatically respond to preset rules, be remotely accessed and managed by mobile apps or a browser, and send alerts or messages to the user(s).

“Although households in the developed world are beginning to embrace connected home solutions, providers must push beyond early adopter use,” said Amanda Sabia, principal research analyst at Gartner. “If they are to successfully widen the appeal of the connected home, providers will need to identify what will really motivates current users to inspire additional purchases.”

Discounts that go beyond the point of purchase impact connected consumers

Coupon use is holding steady with 90 per cent of consumers obtaining them from a variety of online and offline sources, says the annual 2K17 Coupon Intelligence Report of media firm Valassis. The finding is consistent across audiences, including generations and demographic segments such as millennials, multicultural consumers and parents. About 30 per cent coupon users have increased their use of paper coupons (either from the mail or newspaper coupon book) and 36 per cent have increased their use of paperless discounts. “It is important for marketers to understand that the shopper journey is not defined at one specific point — the consumer can be influenced before, during and after the point of purchase,” said Curtis Tingle, chief marketing officer, Valassis. “Our research indicates that there is an opportunity for brands to influence how shoppers plan, where they shop and the products they buy — which can be achieved by dynamically targeting the right audiences with a strategic combination of print and digital incentives.”