How Millennial Moms research and make purchases with digital devices

American consumers have a lot of choices on how to access the internet these days with desktops, mobile phones, and tablets. A new study focused on how Millennial Moms, women who are between the ages 18-34 and have at least one child, navigate their digital devices in regards to research and purchasing. For the study’s purposes, it focused on the four categories: retail, consumer electronics, consumer goods, and automotive.

MediaPost reports that the new study was conducted by Millennial Media and commissioned by the agency Ansible.

Details released include that roughly 30% of responders stated that smartphones were used in the “inspiration” and research phases of shopping. Twenty one percent used smartphones to make a purchase.

Looking at tablets, 25% used the device for research, and 18% used it for purchasing.

PCs seem to get the biggest research time when the consumer is looking for a high consideration purchase, like a car. A bigger screen and other available shopping tools give desktops the advantage.

It is suggested that advertisers focus on the context that each screen reaches the Millennial Mom. Meaning, if that consumer is using a certain device at home, at work, or in a store, it’s important to make the advertising messages relevant to each location and device.

New study shows the ratio of viewer focus when in front of multiple screens

Be honest, do you ever watch television and work on a laptop, use your smartphone, or are on your tablet at the same time? Truthfully, you are not alone. eMarketer reported on a November 2013 survey conducted by TiVo. Good news for the television industry, even though there is competition with viewers’ eyes when they are multi-screening, viewers tend to focus the most on TV.

Results from the study: Devices operated simultaneously while watching television according to US TV viewers.

Smartphone:

-         24% “almost always” use the smartphone while watching TV

-         61% have “ever” used the smartphone while watching TV

Tablet:

-         19% “almost always”

-         37% “ever”

Laptop/netbook:

-         11% “almost always”

-         49% “ever”

Desktop computer:

-         6% “almost always”

-         18% “ever”

Portable game system:

-         1% “almost always”

-         6% “ever”

The study also showed that approximately 27% of surveyors used a second device to “search the internet for information” while watching television. The next highest ranking reason was to “use social media sites to read what people are saying” at 7%. Clearly, looking for information was the biggest reason.

Which device is used the most to access emails?

At some point, most advertisers have utilized email marketing in their arsenal of media platforms for a campaign. With smartphone and tablet capabilities and the growth of consumer adaptation to them, it can be beneficial to know which devices consumers are using to open emails. Knowing this can help a marketer tailor messaging to best fit the consumers’ needs.

According to eMarketer, the company Harland Clarke Digital did some research to see where emails are being opened. The standard desktop computer still holds the lion share of email opens with 55.2%. These opens include both the business to consumer and business to business messages. Following desktop, the smartphone boasts 25% of email opens with tablet earning 7.3%.

Interesting to note is the fact that smartphone and desktop behaviors tend to be more in line with one another than tablet. The study reports that most email opens occurred between 10 am and 4 pm for smartphones and desktops. In contrast, tablets see the most email usage between 4 pm and 10 pm. This can lead to a conclusion that desktop and smartphone usage peaks during the work day hours, and tablets are utilized more at home or at least, after work hours.

While smartphones and tablets are not the primary device in which a consumer accesses emails, both still have a foothold in the market. Therefore, it could behoove marketers to make sure an email blast translates well on desktop, smartphone and tablet formats.