When it comes to shopping online and sharing information, New research from Epiphany has delved into the attitudes of various generations.
32% of the 18-24 year olds surveyed use social websites for study with the intent to purchase, in contrast to 13 percent of 45-54 year olds.
25 percent of 18-24 year olds reported using video articles on websites like YouTube for comprehensive product and service study.
“The research has uncovered some interesting behavioural topics that I expect we’ll see develop and come to the fore for entrepreneurs within another few years,” said Tom Salmon, MD at Epiphany.
“Certainly, the move towards younger generations exploring and buying on social websites provides a valuable opportunity for brands to look beyond search, and assess their priority of this channel as a revenue driver.”
Younger respondents showed a openness to click on ads, with 35. This compared to 20 percent of 45-54 year olds. 10 percent of younger individuals reported after clicking on a Facebook ad making a purchase, while just 6% of older respondents claimed to have done so.
More intuitive search
The study also revealed that a substantial percentage (20 percent) of respondents desire search to learn about their lifestyles and extend them more relevant results.
The desire for this, however, is generationally dependent. 25% of 18-24 desired search, compared to 15% of those aged 45-54 and 21 percent of 35-44 year olds.
19% of 18-24 year olds are willing to share private data while just 11 percent of 45-54 year olds agreed to permit for marketing.
Generations particularly are searching for innovations in search. 46% would like image search (research by pointing out a camera) and 23% would prefer some form of mood search.
“Probably, the tendency towards camera lookup and mood hunt is being predominantly driven by the proliferation of cellular as consumers’ device of decision to go online,” Salmon continued.
“For manufacturers, a takeaway from this study would be to prepare for the shift in consumer online behaviour. It all comes back to having the ability reevaluate and to monitor where your audience is spending their time and what for. Only then, can a brand successfully and effectively reach them.”
