Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- Digital tech brands can be a part of the solution to COVID-19
- Apple and Samsung are the most owned mobile device brands
-
- Figure 1: Smartphone brand ownership, February 2020
- Amazon and Uber have leveraged tech into becoming dominant brands
-
- Figure 2: Online retailer purchases, February 2020
- Consumers have unique perceptions of leading digital brands
-
- Figure 3: Correspondence analysis – symmetrical map – brand characteristics, February 2020
- Brands strive to create loyalty using product ecosystems
-
- Figure 4: Attitudes towards brand loyalty, February 2020
- Mid-sized telecom brands differ greatly in consumer demographics
-
- Figure 5: Mobile network provider for smartphone, 18-24s vs over-25s, February 2020
- What it means
The Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Tech Brands
-
- Summary
-
- Figure 6: Short, medium and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on digital brands, May 2020
- Opportunities and Threats
- Stay-at-home measures are forcing trial of digital platforms and services
- Price could eclipse brand as a decision factor during a recession
-
- Figure 7: Smartphone and tablet brand ownership, February 2020
- Impact on the market
- Specific parts of the digital tech industry are seeing gains while others lose
- Digital tech will face supply issues
- Shifts in consumer behaviour
- New hygiene concerns could affect long-term demand for touchless tech
- How the crisis will affect key consumer segments
- Older consumers are familiarizing themselves with technology
- Future demand will be different for the employed vs unemployed
-
- Figure 8: Canadian unemployment rate, April 2005-2020
- Parents are dealing with unique challenges
-
- Figure 9: Norton Security Instagram post, May 2020
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the industry
- Economic downturn will shift tech from a toy to a tool
-
- Figure 10: Little things add up, April 2020
- Innovation opportunities for digital tech
- A chance for augmented reality to shine
-
- Figure 11: Warby Parker Twitter post, March 2020
- COVID-19: Canadian context
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Loyalty is established through consistent product quality
- Popularity of online shopping creates opportunity for digital brands
- New government regulations in the digital age
Market Factors
-
- Loyalty is established through consistent product quality
- Popularity of online shopping creates opportunity for digital brands
- New government regulations in the digital age
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- Tech brands are broadening their product portfolios
- Mergers and acquisitions are consolidating power in digital tech
- Marketing messages can sometimes look the same
- Brands will continue to diversify into new categories
- COVID-19 will force brands to change some messaging
What’s Working?
-
- Tech brands are broadening their product portfolios
-
- Figure 12: Samsung Mobile Instagram Post, March 2020
- Mergers and acquisitions are consolidating power in digital tech
Challenges
-
- Marketing messages can sometimes look the same
-
- Figure 13: Apple Instagram Post, February 2020
- Figure 14: Samsung Canada Instagram Post, July 2019
-
- Figure 15: Microsoft Store Instagram Post, December 2016
- Figure 16: Google Nest Hub | Help at home, October 2019
-
- Figure 17: Amazon Super Bowl Commercial 2020 – Ellen and Portia “Temperature” Teaser, January 2020
What’s Next?
-
- Brands will continue to diversify into new categories
-
- Figure 18: Apple TV Instagram Post, September 2019
- COVID-19 will force brands to change some messaging
-
- Figure 19: Amazon Instagram Post, March 2020
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Tech brand ownership
- Usage of competing online platforms
- Consumer perceptions of tech brands
- Brand loyalty and product ecosystems
- Brand competition in the telecom sector
- Evaluating techniques to build tech loyalty
Tech Brand Ownership
-
- Apple and Samsung are the clear leaders in smartphones
-
- Figure 20: Smartphone brand ownership, February 2020
-
- Figure 21: Smartphone brand ownership, by gender, February 2020
-
- Figure 22: Smartphone brand ownership, by age, February 2020
-
- Figure 23: Own an Apple iPhone, by age and household income, February 2020
- Cultural differences in Apple iPhone ownership
-
- Figure 24: Own an Apple iPhone, by region, February 2020
- Apple and Samsung also dominate the tablet market
- Demographic differences are similar to smartphones
-
- Figure 25: Tablet brand ownership, February 2020
-
- Figure 26: Tablet brand ownership, by age, February 2020
- Smartphone and tablet brand choices are closely connected
-
- Figure 27: Tablet brand ownership, by smartphone ownership, February 2020
- Smart speaker market is driven by Google and Amazon
-
- Figure 28: Smart speaker brand ownership, February 2020
-
- Figure 29: Made by Google Instagram Post, November 2018
- Figure 30: Made by Google Instagram Post, November 2018
-
- Figure 31: Amazon Alexa: Practice Hours, April 2019
Usage of Competing Online Platforms
-
- Amazon is dominating the online retailer market
-
- Figure 32: Online retailer purchases, February 2020
-
- Figure 33: Online shopping: Amazon vs Walmart, February 2020
- Uber is the clear leader in ridesharing
-
- Figure 34: Rideshare app usage, February 2020
-
- Figure 35: Rideshare app usage, by race, February 2020
- Food is going online in both foodservice and grocery
- McDonald’s and Starbucks are both building their app usage
-
- Figure 36: Mobile app ordering: McDonald’s vs Starbucks, February 2020
-
- Figure 37: Foodservice mobile app usage, by age, February 2020
-
- Figure 38: McCafé Mobile Order and Pay | Singing, March 2019
- Figure 39: Starbucks Canada Instagram Post, February 2020
- Online grocery orders are much slower to take off
-
- Figure 40: Online grocery orders, February 2020
Consumer Perceptions of Tech Brands
-
- Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have distinct brand positions
-
- Figure 41: Correspondence analysis – symmetrical map – brand characteristics, February 2020
-
- Figure 42: Microsoft Instagram Post, February 2020
- The Google brand has some contradictory meaning for consumers
- iPhone owners’ brand perceptions are similar to most consumers’
-
- Figure 43: Correspondence analysis – symmetrical map – brand characteristics, Apple iPhone owners, February 2020
- Younger consumers have some different opinions about brands
-
- Figure 44: Microsoft brand characteristics, by age, February 2020
-
- Figure 45: Google brand characteristics, by age, February 2020
Brand Loyalty and Product Ecosystems
-
- Many consumers want to have tech devices from the same brand
-
- Figure 46: Prefer to have tech devices all from the same brand, by smartphone brand, February 2020
-
- Figure 47: Prefer to have tech devices all from the same brand, by age, February 2020
- Most consumers think their smartphone brand is the best
-
- Figure 48: Think smartphone brand is the best on the market, by smartphone brand, February 2020
- Majority of consumers purchase their smartphone brand again
-
- Figure 49: Current smartphone is the same brand as previous one, by smartphone brand, February 2020
Brand Competition in the Telecom Sector
-
- Rogers, Bell and Telus all have similar market position
-
- Figure 50: Mobile network provider for smartphone, February 2020
-
- Figure 51: Mobile network provider for smartphone, by household income, February 2020
-
- Figure 52: Mobile network provider for smartphone (select), Chinese Canadians vs overall, February 2020
-
- Figure 53: Fido advertisement, February 2020
- Figure 54: Fido advertisement, November 2019
- Koodo, Virgin, Fido, Freedom and Vidéotron make up the next tier
-
- Figure 55: Mobile network provider for smartphone, Quebec vs rest of Canada, February 2020
-
- Figure 56: Mobile network provider for smartphone, 18-24s vs over-25s, February 2020
-
- Figure 57: Freedom Mobile advertisement, April 2018
- Consumers are loyal to their mobile network providers
Evaluating Techniques to Build Tech Loyalty
-
- Smart speaker promotions are used to create product ecosystems
-
- Figure 58: Have a smart speaker I did not pay full price for, by financial situation, February 2020
-
- Figure 59: Amazon Instagram Post, December 2019
- Four in five consumers have a Gmail account
-
- Figure 60: Smartphone brand ownership, by Gmail usage, February 2020
-
- Figure 61: Tablet brand ownership, by Gmail usage, February 2020
- Amazon Prime leverages free shipping to create brand loyalty
-
- Figure 62: Smart speaker brand ownership, by Amazon Prime subscription, February 2020
-
- Figure 63: Tablet brand ownership, by Amazon Prime membership, February 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
-
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Correspondence analysis
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Back to top