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Connection and Communication in a Digital Age: Incl Impact of COVID-19 - US - December 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
COVID-19: Market context
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

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