Almost half (47%) of US adults own a connected/smart TV or streaming device, making these the most commonly owned devices of 9 emerging technologies tracked by the IAB in a recent report [pdf]. Among respondents aware of the various devices but not owning them, the TV devices again topped the list, this time for purchase intent.
The popularity of connected TVs and streaming devices helps explain why more premium digital video viewing time is migrating towards the TV screen. Recent data from FreeWheel demonstrates, for example, that Americans spend more time watching premium digital video on a TV screen than on a desktop.
Beyond connected TVs, wearable health trackers (24%) sport the highest adoption rate of the emerging technologies measured, followed by internet-enabled home control devices/systems (17%), connected cars (16%) and smart watches (13%).
As for wearables, eMarketer recently cut its growth forecast by more than half. Just a couple of months ago eMarketer expected wearables usage among US adults to grow by more than 60% this year, but that forecast has now been revised down to 24.7%. As such, it now predicts that wearables penetration will stand at 17.6% next year, compared to 15.8% this year. Penetration is defined as “individuals who wear accessories or clothing at least once per month that is embedded with electronics, software or sensors with the ability to connect to the internet (via built-in connectivity or tethering) and exchange data with a manufacturer, operator or other connected devices.”
Returning to the IAB study, connected cars are second on the list of devices in terms of purchase intent among those aware but not owning these various technologies. Smart glasses are last on the list of both penetration and purchase intent, suggesting that Snapchat’s Spectacles will have a tough road to navigate.
Looking at the top-cited attributes of the emerging technologies, the IAB finds that usefulness is the top description for the most-widely adopted devices, including internet-enabled home control devices. Newly-released research from Scripps Networks Interactive, meanwhile, suggests that safety and comfort are the main reasons why consumers buy smart home technology.
As for marketing these devices, IAB’s report indicates that roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of those owning or aware of the devices first heard about them from digital sources such as display ads, articles, video or social media. Among consumers aware of the various devices, though, word-of-mouth and TV commercials tend to be greater avenues for learning more about them than online articles.
The full IAB study – which contains a host of data – can be viewed here [pdf].
About the Data: The IAB survey was conducted by Maru/Matchbox among 1,200 US consumers representative of the US adult (18-74) population.
