Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- Top takeaways
- Four segments showcase different communication styles and preferences
-
- Figure 1: Consumer segments of attitudes toward digital communication, August 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on digital communication
-
- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on digital communication, November 2020
- Opportunities and Challenges
- Now is the time to establish video chat dominance
-
- Figure 3: Video chat behaviors, September 2020
- Email is a diminishing form of communication for Gen Z
-
- Figure 4: Preferred methods of communication, by generation, September 2020
- Social media will remain a vibrant engagement opportunity to reach Millennials
-
- Figure 5: Attitudes toward digital communication – brands and social media, by generation, September 2020
The Market – Key Takeaways
-
- Increasing home and mobile internet access improves connectivity
- Plentiful mobile data reduces data rationing concerns
- Remote work expected to continue beyond COVID-19
- Pandemic sets the table for VR success (finally)
Market Indicators
-
- Widespread internet access means widespread digital reach
-
- Figure 6: Internet access, 2015-20
- Older consumers catching up on smartphone ownership
-
- Figure 7: Smartphone ownership, by age, 2015-20
-
- Figure 8: Smartphone ownership, by age, June 2019 – May 2020
- Mobile data increasingly available for consumers – keeps consumers connected at all times
-
- Figure 9: Type of mobile network data plan, 2015-20
- Impact of COVID-19 on connection and communication in a digital age
-
- Figure 10: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on digital communication, November 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
Market Factors
-
- Silicon Valley faces criticism from Congress over censorship
- Gen Z will establish new communication trends
- 5G connectivity should enable more data intensive forms of communication
- Remote work expected to continue past COVID-19
-
- Figure 11: Work commute since the COVID-19 pandemic, September 2020
- FCC reaffirms decision to repeal net neutrality rules in 3-2 vote
Market Opportunities
-
- Virtual reality should finally find its place in households in 2020
- White space for purpose-built video calling apps
- Third-party communication brands need to overcome Apple’s “walled garden” of services
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
-
- TikTok flourishes during the pandemic
- Zoom revenue skyrockets with workforce shift to remote functionality
- Facebook updates messenger for Instagram and Facebook platforms
Competitive Strategies
-
- TikTok nearly doubles daily users since COVID-19 pandemic
-
- Figure 12: Social media daily users, September 2019 – August 2020
-
- Figure 13: Social media daily users, by generation, August 2020
- Zoom is the belle of the pandemic ball for video chat software
-
- Figure 14: Zoom quarterly revenue, Q1 2018 – Q2 2020
- Instagram/Facebook introduces cross-platform messaging
-
- Figure 15: Instagram/Facebook messenger cross-platform messaging promotional video, September 2020
- Signal messaging app downloads increase as consumers seek privacy and encryption
- Facebook Portal finds commercial success amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
-
- Wellbeing and Experience Trend Drivers to play a big role in reemergence
- Text, calls and emails anchor primary communication methods
- Email languishes among Gen Z users
- Nearly half of consumers haven’t met anyone new in the past three months
- Two thirds of smartphone owners keep their phone on them at all times
- One in five consumers have a preferred video chat service
The Consumer: Trend Drivers
-
- COVID-19 will have long-lasting impact on communication behaviors
-
- Figure 16: Mintel Trend Drivers and supporting Pillars – Technology, Wellbeing, Experiences and Rights
- Access to and understanding of Technology drives consumer behavior
- Wellbeing and Experiences drives consumer motivations for connection
-
- Figure 17: Comfort in doing activities, July 2020 – November 2020
- Privacy continues to be at the forefront of consumer concerns in tech
Preferred Methods of Communication
-
- Texting, calling and emails remain the top form of communication
-
- Figure 18: Preferred methods of communication across all relationships, September 2020
- Is email dying among Gen Z?
-
- Figure 19: Preferred methods of communication across all relationships, by generation, September 2020
-
- Figure 20: Preferred methods of communication – work contacts, by generation, September 2020
- Video calling and social media communication skew toward multicultural groups
-
- Figure 21: Preferred methods of communication, by race and Hispanic origin, September 2020
- Text and calling the default for reaching the spouse
-
- Figure 22: Preferred methods of communication – spouse/significant other, September 2020
- Text messaging overwhelmingly preferred when reaching friends
-
- Figure 23: Preferred methods of communication – friends, September 2020
- Nearly a quarter of consumers prefer video chat to reach immediate family
-
- Figure 24: Preferred methods of communication – immediate family, September 2020
- Video chats and social media are popular tools to connect with extended family
-
- Figure 25: Preferred methods of communication – extended family, September 2020
- Employees don’t want to engage work contacts outside of standard communication methods
-
- Figure 26: Preferred methods of communication – work contacts, September 2020
-
- Figure 27: Preferred methods of communication – work contacts, by generation, September 2020
Meeting New People in the Past Three Months
-
- COVID-19 halting social lives for many
-
- Figure 28: Meeting new people in the past three months, September 2020
- Higher household income correlates to more opportunities to meet people
-
- Figure 29: Household income, by consumers who have/haven’t met new people in the past three months, September 2020
- Figure 30: Have met new people at work in the past three months, by household income, September 2020
- Younger consumers meeting new people in more venues than older consumers
-
- Figure 31: Have met someone new in the past three months, by age groups, September 2020
- Figure 32: Where people have met someone new in the past three months, by age, September 2020
Smartphone Communication Behaviors
-
- Keeping connected a priority for most smartphone owners
-
- Figure 33: Smartphone communication behaviors, September 2020
- Daily social media posters twice as likely to be social media communicators
-
- Figure 34: Preferred method of communication – social media posts, by consumers who post on social media daily, September 2020
-
- Figure 35: Generational breakdown of daily social media posters, by consumers who post on social media daily, September 2020
- Millennials most likely to ask Siri or Alexa to connect them
-
- Figure 36: Smartphone communication behaviors – digital voice assistants, by generation, September 2020
- Figure 37: Smartphone communication behaviors – digital voice assistants, by parental status, September 2020
- Younger consumers look to disconnect from smartphones
-
- Figure 38: Smartphone communication behaviors – do not disturb mode, by generation, September 2020
Smartphone Location Sharing Behaviors
-
- Minimal resistance to location-based apps
-
- Figure 39: Smartphone location sharing behavior, September 2020
- Younger consumers take a more active role in managing location and apps
-
- Figure 40: Smartphone location sharing behavior – apps, by age, September 2020
- Location tracking gives parents of teens peace of mind
-
- Figure 41: Smartphone location sharing behavior, by presence of children in the household, by age, September 2020
Video Chat Behaviors
-
- COVID-19 restrictions spurs video chat usage
-
- Figure 42: Video chat behaviors, September 2020
- The young and wealthy are driving video chat adoption
-
- Figure 43: Video chat behaviors, by age and household income, September 2020
- Zoom looks to give FaceTime a run for its money
-
- Figure 44: Preferred video chat app, September 2020
Attitudes toward Digital Communication
-
- Digital meetups can’t replace the real thing
-
- Figure 45: Attitudes toward digital communication, September 2020
- Millennials turn to social media to interact with brands
-
- Figure 46: Attitudes toward digital communication – brands and social media, by generation, September 2020
- Video chats more personal to Millennials, less awkward for Gen Z
-
- Figure 47: Attitudes toward digital communication – video chatting, by generation, September 2020
Consumer Segmentation – Attitudes toward Digital Communication
-
- Four segments of consumers identified based on attitudes toward digital communication
-
- Figure 48: Consumer segments of attitudes toward digital communication, August 2020
- Weak Connectors (20%)
- Characteristics
-
- Figure 49: Profile of Weak Connectors, September 2020
- Opportunities
- Traditional Communicators (32%)
- Characteristics
-
- Figure 50: Profile of Traditional Communicators, September 2020
- Opportunities
- New Video Chatters (22%)
-
- Figure 51: Profile of New Video Chatters, September 2020
-
- Figure 52: Attitudes toward digital communication – video chatting, by consumer segments, September 2020
- Opportunities
-
- Figure 53: Video chat behaviors, by consumer segments, September 2020
- Tech Comm Embracers (26%)
- Characteristics
-
- Figure 54: Profile of Tech Comm Embracers, September 2020
-
- Figure 55: Meeting new people in the past three months, by consumer segments, September 2020
- Opportunities
-
- Figure 56: Attitudes toward digital communication, by consumer segments, September 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
-
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Mintel Trend Drivers
-
-
- Figure 57: Mintel Consumer Trend Drivers and Pillars
-
Back to top