Demographics

Mother's Day spending outlooks are mixed, but generally positive, according to recent reports from the NRF, IBISWorld, and Brand Keys. The NRF forecast predicts that the average consumer will spend 11% more on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 12), for an average of $169, with total spending expected to reach $20.7 billion. Brand Key's survey results [pdf] are similar, with celebrants planning to spend an average of $171, for a total of $18.6 billion, which would be a 5% increase from last year. IBISWorld, though, sees total spending reaching a smaller total of $17.1 billion, just 0.2% higher than last year. Read more »

Online video attracts a significant audience, with 1 in 5 or more American adults watching a TV show online (23%), user-generated content (UGC - 31%), or originally produced online video (OPOV - 19%) on at least a monthly basis, per results from an IAB study [pdf] conducted by GfK. But who are these viewers? The study profiles the audience of each online video type, finding that they each skew male, but more so among OPOV viewers. Viewers of original online content also skew older than those who watch TV shows online. Read more »

QR code scanning - once the domain of the younger crowd - is becoming more evenly distributed across various age groups, according to [download page] data released by ScanBuy. The company, which says it processed a new high of 6.7 million scans via ScanLife in March, reveals that 57% of mobile barcode scanners were aged 35 and older in Q1, up from just 41% a year earlier. In particular, the 45-54 (18% share, from 12%) and 55 and older (14%, from 9%) groups represent rapidly growing proportions of scanners. Read more »

Asked which generation they relate most to, only 41% of Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1976) identified their own generation, according to survey results from MetLife. That's on par with the percentage who, combined, identify with Baby Boomers (28%) and Gen Yers (12%). In fact, respondents were as likely to say they don't like Gen X as a description for their generation as were to say they like it or like it somewhat (49% and 51%, respectively). The researchers suggest that "relating to a generational identity is more influenced by family, values, interests, abilities and personal experience than by age." Read more »

More than 80% of advertisers find audience targeting to be very (29%) or somewhat (55%) effective, and the vast majority of agencies agree, per results from an eXelate survey. Both groups point to 3rd party online data as their preferred data source for audience targeting, also ranking this source as their most effective for both direct response and branding campaigns, ahead of 1st-party CRM data. Read more »

Millennials (18-34) are getting somewhat comfortable with the idea of personal data sharing, at least when it comes with tangible benefits, according to survey results from the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future and Bovitz Inc. 51% of Millennials responding to the survey agreed that they're ok with sharing information with companies as long as they get something in return, compared to 40% of those aged 35 and older. That value-exchange is key: separately, 70% of Millennials (and 77% of the 35+ group) said that no-one should ever be allowed to have access to their personal data or web behavior. Read more »

44% of Americans say they share or like online content that others have posted on social media and other online sites, according to survey results from Ipsos. While that's right about the global average of 45%, certain segments of the population show a heightened tendency to share content. For example, within the US, women are about 56% more likely than men to say they share or like what others have posted (53% vs. 34%), while 18-34-year-olds are roughly 30% more likely than the average respondent to do so. Read more »

Although they watch less TV during the day, wealthy households (income of more than $100k per year) still make up more than one-fifth share of primetime viewing, virtually unchanged from last year (20.6%) and the year before (22.2%). The data is part of Nielsen's "Advertising & Audiences" report [download page], which analyzes the distribution of primetime TV viewing by income and education level, also finding that primetime viewing among homes headed by a college graduate remains steady at about one-quarter share. Read more »

Men appear to be more interested in using their mobile phones than women, according to data released by Kantar Media. In the US, 15.9% of men reported being interested in using their phone to make purchases, compared to 13.3% of women. In the UK, the gap is similar (12% vs. 10.3%), while it's narrower in Australia (9.5% vs. 9.2%) and wider in Germany (5% vs. 1.9%). A separate study released today by Jumio indicates that American men are also more likely to conduct financial activities on their devices than women. Read more »

49% of US consumers believe the best thing that retailers can do to improve the shopping experience is to better integrate in-store, online and mobile shopping channels, details a survey conducted by Accenture. That notion is shared by 48% of consumers in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Brazil, and 38% in China and Japan. The results point to a desire for an increasingly seamless cross-channel experience, where personalized experiences are provided across every engagement channel. Read more »