The new Apple 4GS iPhone is one of the fastest-selling devices of all time—they’re simply flying off the shelves at Apple Stores and other retailers. While it doesn’t look much different than the iPhone 4, the new iPhone has some significant differences that may make it a game changer for Boomers and the marketers who love them.
According to the Pew Research Center,
- 35% of American adults own a smartphone, but the ages are not distributed evenly.
- 52% of Americans between 18 and 29 own them.
- 24% of Americans between 50 and 64 own them (Baby Boomers).
- 11% of Americans 65 and over have made the leap.
Among cell phone owners, 42% own a smartphone as of May 2011. This means that 35% of all American adults own a smartphone.
There are a few reasons this new phone could start to move Boomers into the ranks of Apple iPhone devotees:
- iCloud and over-the-air updates makes them easier to use. No longer do you have to store vast amounts of music and video on your computer or be connected to iTunes to update. Also, the 4GS is available on multiple carriers and considered a “world phone.”
- The dual core process makes the 4GS as fast as web browsers at a time when more companies are creating mobile web sites to take advantage of the speed.
- An improved point-and-click camera – users can now combine the following devices into one: music/video player, phone, email, text, web browsing/content reader, GPS, camera and gaming device.
The biggest leap forward, however, is Siri, the voice-activated, artificial intelligence assistance that comes with the phone. Officially still in beta, there are still many kinks to work out but the potential is vast.
I have been testing it over the past few weeks, and it’s hit and miss when making commands and asking questions unrelated to your phone. It often defaults to a Google search, but because it doesn’t work as well as Google’s own native voice search app, those who are in it for the voice-driven searches are better off using Google’s app than Siri.
That being said, Siri works great when working with the iPhone’s functions. It was nearly flawless at sending emails and texts, calling contacts and creating and recalling calendar items. These tools are key when you’re in the car, or for those who have trouble typing and seeing on the relatively small screen. So, despite its flaws, it’s clear that it will improve over time and become a major component of the mobile user interface.
The addition of the upgraded camera, faster Internet access and Siri pushed my young Boomer wife over the edge to becoming a smartphone owner. And it’s only a matter of time before mobile commerce is within her sights. This is not to say that just because my wife made the switch, millions of others will, too. Hardly. That assumption can easily be made based on the clear trends emerging in the marketplace.
The updated iPhone is taking beyond its fair share of the overall smartphone market share. This means that carriers are aggressively selling Android phones and almost giving away the iPhone 3GS, which eliminates cost limitations that once existed. My prediction is that many Boomers will be upgrading from their feature phones over the next 12-15 months. And, the long-awaited iPhone 5 will likely be released during that general time period.
Of all implications for marketers, the most important is going to be the elimination of the excuse:
“My audience isn’t on mobile.”
Consider this your official warning. It’s time to brush up on mobile best practices for the iPhone and beyond.
As for Siri-specific implications? The most obvious are going to be search-related. Siri inevitably links into established databases like Yelp and Google. Basically, if your business isn’t there, you’ll be left out. Since this makes CPC ads and search ads less effective, you may consider reorganizing your search budget to parallel mobile usage by your audience. Additionally, marketers will really need to rethink their keyword and content strategies to make sure they appear high in Siri’s results. Users may go a few pages deep on a large desktop/notebook screen, but not so much on their phones.
Companies targeting Boomers need to jump into the mobile game now. Get a head start—you’ve got a year or so to get good at it. Consider both apps and mobile sites. Make sure they’re optimized and that they speak to your customers. And then address your search results and online listings. Be everywhere that Siri wants you to be. She will rule the mobile world very soon.
Boomers may be lagging a bit, but they are about to start catching up.
COMMENTARY: If you were born between 1946 and 1964, then you are officially in the Baby Boomer or Boomer age group. To be clear, if you were born in the year 1946 or 1964, or any year in between, then you are a Boomer. Therefore, during the year 2010, all Boomers will be turning 46 to 64 years old! Individuals 65 years and over have very simple tastes.
According to The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project's Spring Tracking Survey May 2011 survey, 78% of American adults use the internet.
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Here's Pew's internet users by demographics:
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According to Forrester Research's "The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2011, US report" released on November 3, 2011, here are a few interesting general insights that were uncovered:
- Gen Zers use the Internet wherever, whenever. Of course, for these 14.5 million US consumers, digital is the norm — they don’t know a world without mobiles or the Internet. More than four in five access the Internet outside the home, and two in three use the mobile Internet at least monthly.
- Gen Yers are the mobile generation.Gen Yers have the highest uptake of smartphones and are most likely to use the mobile Internet on their mobile. They use their mobiles for a wide range of activities, from playing games and listening to music to looking up directions. Two in three online Gen Yers fall into our SuperConnecteds Mobile Technographics segment.
- Gen Xers are comfortable with technology.Gen X is the largest generation, containing 52.3 million US adults, but it is the middle child in many ways. However, in many activities, Gen Xers closely rival or even surpass Gen Yers in adoption. For example, online Gen Xers lead in the ownership of entertainment-related devices like HDTVs, DVR devices and services, and 3D-capable HDTVs.
- Boomers embrace technology slowly but certainly.Although neither Younger nor Older Boomers are the first to embrace a new technology, they aren’t technophobes. About 60% of online Younger Boomers (those ages 46 to 55) access the Internet outside the home, and about a third own a smartphone. Also, about one in five online Older Boomers (those ages 56 to 66) uses the mobile Internet regularly, and about a quarter listen to the radio online.
- The Golden Generation is the generation that’s most left out.The Golden Generation consists of 16.6 million US consumers aged 67 or older and is the generation that’s slowest to adopt technology. But they will embrace technology when it’s relevant to them. For example, more than 60% of the online Golden Generation own a digital camera, 19% are SuperConnecteds (who use their mobile for a variety of activities), and 64% have purchased a product or service online in the past three months.
According to "The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2010, US report", Gen-Y and Gen-X are more active on social network than any other generational groups; however, of those Boomers who are using social media, a similar percentage has a Facebook account or a LinkedIn account as their younger counterparts. The younger generations are far more likely to have a Twitter or MySpace account, though.
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According to the "Pew Internet & American Life Project Spring Tracking" data for 2010, spending on technology is one area where boomers are ahead of their younger counterparts. The 46- to 64-year-old group now spends more money on technology than any other demographic, according to Forrester Research's annual benchmark tech study. That includes monthly telecom fees, gadget and device spending, and overall online purchases. They averaged around $650 spent in online shopping vs. Gen X ($581) and Gen Y ($429) over a three-month period.
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And adoption rates of the tech areas where they do lag are soaring. In 2000, baby boomers made up 28% of the internet population and accounted for just 24% of the traffic on a typical day, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project data. But by 2010, those percentages had climbed to 34% of the internet population and 32% of all traffic. Ten years ago, only a quarter of boomers went online every day; in 2010 that number jumped to 70%.
Courtesy of an article dated September 22, 2010 appearing in the Forrester Research Blog, an article dated October 11, 2011 appearing in Ad Age Digital, an article dated November 3, 2011 appearing in the Forrester Research Blog, an article dated December 1, 2011 appearing in MediaPost Publications Engage:Boomer
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Posted by: writer jobs | 12/08/2011 at 07:52 AM
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