Tag Archives: consumers

Consumers, cars and common sense

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The role of gas prices in American automobile purchases

When consumers visit their friendly automobile dealer, they encounter a wide variety of options: sedans, SUVs, minis, convertibles, pickups, hybrids, luxury vehicles, and others, as well as the alternatives of new or used vehicles. They also face a choice among gas guzzlers that will incur high running costs, cars with high gas mileage that will cost less over the long term, and everything in between. That choice becomes particularly critical at a time like the present, when gasoline prices show great volatility.

via Consumers, Cars, and Common Sense – The role of gas prices in American automobile purchases.

Credit card debt could decline as people try to take control of finances

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The number of people facing debt problems because of overspending on a credit card may decline as consumers are turning to debit and prepaid cards instead.

According to Kevin Harrington, managing director at Global Prepaid Exchange, which offers services to the industry, credit card usage is declining.

via Credit card debt could decline as people try to take control of finances | Debt Management News | Debt Fixers.

UK consumers unconvinced by Facebook commerce

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Almost half of UK consumers are not interested in buying products via social commerce, such as Facebook stores, according to a study.

The study, conducted by Havas Media Social and Lightspeed Research, suggests that despite the retail industry hailing social commerce as the “next big thing”, 89% of people have not bought a single product through Facebook and 44% are not interested in doing so.

Retailers and brands including HMV, Asos, Bulldog and French Connection have all launched Facebook stores in recent months.

via UK consumers unconvinced by Facebook commerce | News | Marketing Week.

Smartphone users ignore mobile ads

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This is an interesting piece of research from Deloitte.

In the UK, 88% of consumers ignore adverts they receive on their mobiles and 36% automatically delete them. Just 9% of UK consumers take any further action once they view a mobile ad.

via Smartphone users ignore mobile ads | News | Marketing Week.

So, assuming you’ve read the whole article, what are your thoughts.

An advert doesn’t have the same weight when delivered by different carriers. Well no surprise there really. This could put a spanner in works of some technology based start-ups in the mobile sector.

Deloitte go on to say,

It may not be mobile advertising’s year in 2011 but the case for mobile advertising is likely to grow ever stronger with every year that passes.

Ha ha, that sounds a little like consultant speak and I’m not sure it really says anything.

M&S joins O2 for location based marketing

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It’s great to see that M&S are experimenting with location based communications with their consumers.

Marks & Spencer has signed up to O2’s geo-location based marketing service “You Are Here” to send targeted offers to shoppers near its stores.

via M&S joins O2 for location-based marketing | News | Marketing Week.

If this type of activity could be further enhanced by linking in money/spending power it would be enormously strong. Gift cards and voucher schemes, in fact many prepaid schemes, could benefit here; they know who has the money to spend and could user location based services to deliver that spending power to the retailer.

Moonpig and Mother’s Day

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On a quick, random, un-scientific survey I’ve discovered that over two-thirds of my acquaintances have unsubscribed from Moonpig newsletters. Why? Too many reminders to send Mother’s Day cards.

Why are they sending so many reminders? To be helpful? Trying to bump their revenue? Well we can only guess, but surely their mailing list is a major asset; if consumers are unsubscribing at any significant rate it is a disaster.