Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
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Digital Trends Spring - UK - March 2014
Introduction
 
Although often categorised as ‘mobile devices’, smartphones and tablets facilitate very different online behaviours, as the latter have quickly become the ‘home of entertainment’. 

However, whilst consumers look to ditch smartphones for tablets when watching streaming videos, reading news or playing games in the home, some consumers still have reservations about using tablets when it comes to shopping online or managing their finances. Though larger 7”+ screens negate the issue of screen size (a major barrier for smartphone users), older consumers are still particularly concerned about the perceived lack of security about submitting payment details on tablets.

This report examines the trends in consumer technology and digital media in the UK, looking at changes in device ownership over the past three months, consumers’ purchasing intentions and changes in online activity and analyses what industry developments are driving these changes.

It looks at digital advertising, investigating which forms of online adverts consumers are most likely to notice, click on and buy from, and examines consumers’ attitudes towards digital advertising.

The report also investigates online and mobile shopping habits over the past 12 months, looking at what types of product consumers have bought using different devices, and what may be influencing this choice of device. 

Digital Trends provides top-level comparisons of technology ownership and participation in online activities in the UK against that of consumers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. 

Definition 
In this report, laptops, netbooks, old-style tablet computers with swivel screens and physical keyboards, as well as Ultrabooks, have been broadly categorised as ‘laptops’. The term ‘desktop’ refers to computers intended for use at a single location and includes, but is not limited to, tower computers and all-in-one computers. 

Tablets are defined by Mintel as any portable touchscreen computing device with a screen size of 7” diagonally or above.

Hybrids – which are tablets sold with a detachable keyboard or base station with which they are designed to be used – are included in the definition of tablets. Some hybrid devices feature a laptop that can be rotated to become a tablet screen, but these non-detachable versions are not included in the Mintel definition of tablets.

Smart TV refers to internet-enabled television sets, which generally give access to apps (eg BBC iPlayer, LOVEFiLM, Skype) and a web browser when the television is connected directly to the internet.

The topic of digital advertising covers several forms of online and mobile advertising or promotion, such as banner, email and search engine advertising. For the purposes of this report, banner, display and pop-up ads have been jointly categorised as ‘online adverts’. Video adverts refer to all types of online video advertising, such as pre-roll ads on YouTube, or commercials shown on catch-up TV platforms (eg 4oD).

The phrase ‘ad clickers’ is used to describe the group of people who have clicked on any digital advert within the past three months, whilst the phrase ‘ad buyers’ is used to describe the group who have bought something directly after clicking on any digital advert included in Mintel’s survey.

Within the Online and Mobile Purchasing section of this report, the term mobile shopping is used to describe online purchases made using smartphones and tablets, unless specified otherwise.

Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland.

Abbreviations
3D | Three-Dimensional
B&B | Bed and Breakfast
BBC | British Broadcasting Corporation
CD | Compact Disc
CEO | Chief Executive Officer
CES | Consumer Electronics Show
CPC | Cost-per-click
DVD | Digital Versatile Disc
ERA | Entertainment Retailers Association
GMI | Global Market Insite
GPS | Global Positioning System
HD | High Definition
HP | Hewlett-Packard
IDC | International Data Corporation
IM | Instant Messaging
IMRG | Interactive Media in Retail Group
ITV | Independent Television
LCD | Liquid Crystal Display
MMIG | Massively Multiplayer Internet Game
OS | Operating System
PC | Personal Computer
PIN | Personal Identification Numbetr
PRISM | Planning Tool for Resource Integration, Synchronisation and Management
PS | PlayStation
TV | Television
UK | United Kingdom
US | United States
VoIP | Voice over Internet Protocol

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© Mintel Group Ltd.