Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Over four in five consumers own a pair of headphones
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- Figure 1: Models of headphones owned, February 2015
- Consumers seek smartphone compatibility and quality of the experience
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- Figure 2: Features of headphones owned, February 2015
- Consumers use headphones at home, on-the-go and while training
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- Figure 3: Occasions of use of headphones owned, February 2015
- Brands need to prove their value
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards headphones, February 2015
- Secure fit is consumers’ biggest concern
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- Figure 5: Important features when buying new headphones, February 2015
Issues and Insights
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- Encouraging sports users to upgrade
- The facts
- The implications
- Appealing to Stylish Youths
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Bluetooth segment drives market growth in 2015
- Smartphone compatibility becomes market-wide standard
- Listening to music goes wireless
- Will smartwatches boost the Bluetooth segment?
- Co-branding brings design challenge to the next level
Market Size
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- Bluetooth segment drives market growth in 2015
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- Figure 6: Value of headphones sales, 2014 and 2015
- Figure 7: Breakdown of market value, by headphones type, 2014 and 2015
Market Drivers
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- Smartphone compatibility becomes market standard
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- Figure 8: Personal ownership of consumer technology products, June 2013 to April 2015
- Listening to music goes wireless
- Will smartwatches boost the Bluetooth segment?
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- Figure 9: PowerBeats2 Wireless headphones and Apple Watch in the Green Sport version, 2015
- Co-branding brings design challenge to the next level
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- Figure 10: Chanel x Monster Headphones, 2014
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- Figure 11: SMS Audio’s Star Wars Headphones Second Edition, 2015
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Mainstream brand exposure builds trust
- Innovation is key for audio specialists to stay competitive
- The headphones ad space becomes more competitive
- Celebrity endorsements drive brand image
- Consumer-centric innovation drives product launches
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 12: Attitudes towards and usage of selected technology brands, May 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 13: Key metrics for selected technology brands, May 2015
- Brand attitudes: Bose and Sennheiser’s audio specialism drives quality image
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- Figure 14: Attitudes, by brand, May 2015
- Brand personality: JVC and Philips struggle to create upbeat associations
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- Figure 15: Brand personality – Macro image, May 2015
- Apple and Beats by Dre share similar personality traits
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- Figure 16: Brand personality – Micro image, May 2015
- Brand analysis
- Samsung has advantage due to all-round brand image
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- Figure 17: User profile of Samsung, May 2015
- Sony similarly positioned to Samsung, but lacks same perception of performance
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- Figure 18: User profile of Sony, May 2015
- Apple uses innovation and style to stand out from the crowd
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- Figure 19: User profile of Apple, May 2015
- Bose has high quality association but prices and exclusivity limits penetration
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- Figure 20: User profile of Bose, May 2015
- Beats by Dre appears a good fit for Apple
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- Figure 21: User profile of Beats by Dre, May 2015
- Sennheiser lacks the same awareness, usage and strength of image as Bose
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- Figure 22: User profile of Sennheiser, May 2015
- Philips seen as more functional than other brands analysed
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- Figure 23: User profile of Philips, May 2015
- JVC seen as basic and outdated in a market full of innovation and dynamism
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- Figure 24: User profile of JVC, May 2015
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- The headphones ad space becomes more competitive
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- Figure 25: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on headphones, by media type, 2013 and 2014
- Top 3 advertisers account for almost 90% of adspend
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- Figure 26: Top 10 companies for recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on headphones, 2014
- Celebrity endorsements drive brand image
- Methodology and coverage
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Customisation goes modular
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- Figure 27: AIAIAI’s TMA-2 modular headphones, 2015
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- Figure 28: Axel Audio’s customisable headband inserts and speakers, 2015
- Headphones for all ages
- The 3D experience
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- Figure 29: Dashbon’s Mask headphones, 2015
- The next frontier of wireless listening
- Reconnect with the external world
- Switch on to switch off
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Over four in five consumers own a pair of headphones
- Consumers seek smartphone compatibility and quality of the experience
- Consumers use headphones at home, on-the-go and while training
- Brands need to prove their value
- Secure fit is consumers’ biggest concern
Headphones Models
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- Over four in five consumers own a pair of headphones
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- Figure 30: Models of headphones owned, February 2015
- Sound quality is important across generations
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- Figure 31: Models of headphones owned, by age, February 2015
- Consumers seek smartphone compatibility and quality of the experience
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- Figure 32: Features of headphones owned, February 2015
- Men more likely to care for quality of the listening experience
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- Figure 33: Models of headphones owned, by gender, February 2015
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- Figure 34: Features available on headphones owned, by gender, February 2015
Brand of Headphones
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- Smartphone manufacturers are the most popular
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- Figure 35: Brands of headphones owned, February 2015
- Consumers likely to have recently bought premium headphones
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- Figure 36: Brands of headphones bought in the last 12 months, February 2015
Frequency of Use
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- Three in four people use headphones at least once a week
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- Figure 37: Frequency of use of headphones owned, February 2015
- Almost three fifths of young men use headphones every day
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- Figure 38: Frequency of use of headphones owned, by age, February 2015
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- Figure 39: Frequency of use of headphones owned, by gender, February 2015
Occasions of Use
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- Consumers use headphones at home, on-the-go and while training
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- Figure 40: Occasions of use of headphones owned, February 2015
- Different models for different activities
Attitudes towards Headphones
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- Brands need to prove their value
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- Figure 41: Attitudes towards headphones, February 2015
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- Figure 42: Sony’s Waterproof Walkman, 2014
- Business partnerships as a way into people’s lives
- Know your audience
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- Figure 43: Target groups, February 2015
- Stylish Youths
- Quality Enthusiasts
- Casual Listeners
Purchase Intentions
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- Market growth unlikely to come from new adopters
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- Figure 44: Non-owners’ interest in buying headphones, February 2015
- Almost half of consumers wouldn’t spend more than £50 on new headphones
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- Figure 45: Willingness to spend on new headphones, February 2015
- Young men willing to spend the most
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- Figure 46: Willingness to spend on new headphones, by gender, February 2015
- Sports users ready to pay for superior performance
Important Features When Buying New Headphones
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- Secure fit is consumers’ biggest concern
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- Figure 47: Important features when buying new headphones, February 2015
- Try me to buy me
- Sound quality and design both key to success
- Men show higher levels of brand awareness
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Abbreviations
- Brand research
- Brand map
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