Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Population changes open new opportunities
- Economic conditions garner more cost-saving behaviours
- The consumer
- Social networking sites are among the most commonly visited among Canadians
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- Figure 1: Website usage, March 2015
- Usage led by Facebook with YouTube close behind
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- Figure 2: Social media website usage, March 2015
- Laptops are the primary device used to access social media, smartphones play a more supplemental role
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- Figure 3: Device used to access social media websites (any device), March 2015
- Social media plays a role in the research process
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- Figure 4: Source of information, March 2015
- Just under half of networkers take purchase related actions on social media
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- Figure 5: Actions on social media, March 2015
- Social media posts by companies prompt half of networkers to take further action
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- Figure 6: Response to company posts, March 2015
- Younger networkers are more attuned to product/brand posts from family and friends and are actively interacting with brands on social media
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- Figure 7: Attitudes towards social media, March 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Brands need to be actively engaged as Millennials are using social media to make purchase decisions
- The facts
- The implications
- Gaining attention through the clutter
- The facts
- The implications
- Leveraging the personal connection to appeal to women
- The facts
- The implications
- Opportunities to reach the French speaking audience
- The facts
- The implications
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Demographic overview
- Canadian population count
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- Figure 8: Share of population of Canada, by territory/province, 2014
- Canada’s population is aging and will continue to do so in the coming years
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- Figure 9: Population aged 65 years and over in Canada, historical and projected (% of total), 1971-2061
- Immigration and ethnic diversity in Canada
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- Figure 10: Region of birth of immigrants, by period of immigration, Canada, 2011
- Economic overview
- Overall negative impact of lower oil prices on the Canadian economy
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- Figure 11: Canada’s GDP (% change), by quarter, Q4 2008-Q4 2014
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- Figure 12: Household disposable income and savings rate in Canada, Q4 2008-Q1 2014
- Wealth distribution in Canada
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- Figure 13: Canada median net worth, by province, 2012
- Household debt in Canada
- Consumer confidence wavers with falling oil prices
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- Figure 14: Consumer Confidence Index, monthly, January 2008-January 2015
Trend Application
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- Trend: Attention Economy
- Trend: Return to the Experts
- Trend: Access All Areas
Leading Companies and Notables
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- Major players
- YouTube
- Google+
- A new Canadian player
- Hubub
- Some notables in the industry
- Line
- Snapchat
- Venmo
- Whisper
Brands Leveraging Social Media
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- Social media to drive consumer awareness and engagement
- Using social media to change the conversation about product quality: A&W
- Increasing engagement through information and application of science: 3M
- Tapping into celebrity followers to gain consumer attention: Neutrogena
- Expanding boundaries with social media: Chris Hadfield
- Social media with a public focus
- Raising awareness of mental health issues: Bell
- Encouraging physical activity in the name of health: ParticipACTION
- Keeping the public informed: BC Ministry of Transportation
- Leveraging connections during major disasters: Facebook
The Consumer – Usage of Social Networking Sites
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- Key points
- Social networking sites are among the most commonly visited among Canadians
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- Figure 15: Website usage, March 2015
- Frequency of usage highlights popularity of social networking sites
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- Figure 16: Website usage, selected websites, by visitation frequency, March 2015
- Moms are the most likely segment to be heavy users of social media networks
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- Figure 17: Usage of social networking sites (those who visit multiple times per day), by gender and age, March 2015
The Consumer – Social Media Website Usage
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- Key points
- Usage led by Facebook with YouTube close behind
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- Figure 18: Social media website usage, March 2015
- Facebook usage drives visitation to social media pages
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- Figure 19: Social media website usage (selected websites), by frequency, March 2015
- The personal connection draws users to Facebook, particularly among Millennials, women and French speakers
- Usage skews towards 18-34s, women and French speaking homes
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- Figure 20: Percentage who visit Facebook daily, by gender and age, March 2015
- Facebook used primarily to connect family and friends first, then companies/brands
- Young men and parents drive daily usage of YouTube
- Young men are active across numerous social media platforms
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- Figure 21: Repertoire of social media websites used on a daily basis, March 2015
- Young women and parents are also highly active on social media
The Consumer – Devices used to Access Social Media Websites
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- Key points
- Laptops are the primary device used to access social media
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- Figure 22: Device used to access social media websites (any device), March 2015
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- Figure 23: Repertoire of any device used to access social media websites, March 2015
- Smartphones are more supplemental, with preference influenced by age
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- Figure 24: Device used to access social media websites (most often), March 2015
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- Figure 25: Device used to access social media websites (most often), by age, March 2015
The Consumer – Informing the Research Process
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- Key points
- Social media plays a role in the research process
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- Figure 26: Source of information, March 2015
- Women, parents and French speakers are most likely to turn to social media for opinions
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- Figure 27: Checked social media to see what other people thought, by gender, March 2015
- Women are more likely to seek customer reviews and online discounts
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- Figure 28: Source of information (select statements), by gender and age, March 2015
The Consumer – Product Discovery and Purchase Actions on Social Media
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- Key points
- Just under half of networkers take purchase related actions on social media
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- Figure 29: Actions on social media, March 2015
- Millennial women and parents take advantage of deals
- Social media contacts are influential for 18-34s and French speaking Canadians
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- Figure 30: Actions on social media (select statements), March 2015
- Young men are most likely to contact brands pre- and post-purchase
The Consumer – Responses to Company Social Media Posts
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- Key points
- Social media posts by companies prompts half of networkers to take further action
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- Figure 31: Response to company posts, March 2015
- Younger networkers, parents and immigrants will seek further information online
- Young men most likely to contact companies after seeing social media posts
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Brand Engagement on Social Media
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- Key points
- Summary of attitudes towards social media
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- Figure 32: Attitudes towards social media, March 2015
- Younger networkers are more attuned to product/brand posts from family and friends
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- Figure 33: Select attitudes towards social media, March 2015
- Millennials and parents enjoy sharing information
- Brand interaction on social media is practised among young networkers
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- Figure 34: Select attitudes towards social media, March 2015
- Millennials are most likely to be engaging with brands on social media
- Money saving opportunities from companies/organizations appeal to parents
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- Figure 35: Selected attitudes towards social media, March 2015
The Consumer – Social Media and Chinese Canadians
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- Key points
- Chinese Canadians are using a wider variety of social media platforms
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- Figure 36: Social media website usage (any frequency), Chinese Canadians versus overall population, March 2015
- Social media posts are more influential on Chinese Canadians
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- Figure 37: Actions on social media (select statements), Chinese Canadians versus overall population, March 2015
- Chinese Canadian networkers see social media as a resource
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- Figure 38: Agreement with attitudes towards social media (selected statements), Chinese Canadians versus overall population, March 2015
The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 39: Target groups for social media trends, March 2015
- Enthusiasts (36%)
- Quasi-engaged Boomers (27%)
- The Connectors (19%)
- Disengaged (18%)
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