Tag Archives: study

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Text Messaging Most Important for Cell Phone Buyers

Cell phones aren’t just used for talking anymore. In a survey conducted by Amplitude Research, buyers of new cell phones look at video capability (33%), music (34%), Internet access (61%), e-mail capabilities (63%), camera (67%), and text messaging (73%) as the most important features. For driving in the car, 62% said they would use Bluetooth, while 51% would use the hands-free microphones.

Forty-one percent said they send or check e-mails one to five times per day, while 28% said they do not use their cell phones for e-mail. Thirty percent said they use their cell phones for banking transactions. As these trends continue, agencies will want to learn how to communicate with their clients in multiple ways.

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112 million U.S. Adults Have Broadband at Home

The percentage of U.S. households with broadband Internet connections has grown from 12% in 2002 to 49% today, and 112 million U.S. adults now have high-speed Web access at home, according to a study by Scarborough Research.

The study, based on a panel of 220,000 adults 18 and older, found significant regional variation in broadband penetration. San Francisco topped the list, with 62% of adults living in households with broadband Web access, followed by Boston and San Diego at 61%. At the bottom of the list was Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va., at 29% and Charleston/Huntington, W.Va., at 33%. Most of the markets with low broadband penetration are in the South and Southwest.

Not surprisingly, adults with broadband access are more likely to use the Internet, including for shopping. For instance, 10% of those with broadband access have spent $2,500 or more online in the past year, compared with 8% of all adults. That means adults with broadband at home are 23% more likely to have spent at least $2,500 online in the past year. They are 20% more likely than average to have spent between $1,000 and $1,500 and 12% more likely to have spent between $500 and $1,000, the survey shows.

They also use the Internet in other ways, being 30% more likely than the average American to have downloaded podcasts during the past month, 29% more likely to have downloaded or watched TV programs, and 27% more likely to have downloaded or listened to audio clips.

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80% of Americans Concerned about Identity Theft

Bankrate, Inc. released the findings of a national poll that found that eight out of 10 Americans are concerned about their identity being stolen. Furthermore, more than one-third (34%) of Americans know someone who has been a victim of identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were approximately 800,000 consumer complaints filed in 2007. Of those complaints, 32% involved identity theft. The total dollar amount in reported fraud losses was more than $1.2 billion.

Respondents who reported being concerned about identity theft were more likely to shred documents (82%) versus those who are not concerned (52%). Notably, people who are uneasy about identity theft were much more likely to keep tabs on their credit reports. Fifty-three percent of concerned folks check their credit, versus 30% of the unconcerned. Women (83%) were significantly more likely to destroy sensitive information than men (69%).

The national random-digit-dialed phone study of 1,006 adults 18 or older was conducted for Bankrate by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. The surveys were conducted from April 4 through April 6, 2008. The sample was weighted by demographic factors including age, gender, race, education, and census region to ensure reliable and accurate representation of adults in U.S. households. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points.

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Hurricane Flood Threat Data Available to Public

The National Hurricane Center and Google are working together to create a map that homeowners can use to determine if their property is threatened by a dangerous hurricane storm surge.

Storm surge is considered one of the most destructive elements of a hurricane and the greatest threat to the lives of people who ignore evacuation orders in vulnerable coastal areas. Google will use storm surge data that meteorologists have used for years to determine the flooding threat from any category of storm.

People can plug in their addresses to see at what level they are at risk. The program should be available during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Hurricane forecasters use a computerized model called SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) that estimates storm surge heights by taking into account the size, internal pressure, forward speed, track, and wind strength of a hurricane.

Hurricane forecasters will also offer a new color-coded graphic on the NHC Web site this year that will indicate storm surge probabilities for threatened areas, similar to forecasts they now offer on wind-speed probabilities. The graphic will indicate the probability of the surge reaching or exceeding five feet within a given number of hours.

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Letters Are the Best Way to Get the Attention of Busy Senior Level Executives

An old-fashioned hard copy letter is still the most effective method for initiating a new relationship with a CEO, according to a new study completed by Gentle Rain Marketing. According to 82% of the executives surveyed, the one-page letter ranks number one among the top five methods for developing new relationships with senior-level decision makers. As an increasing number of businesses realize the importance of developing relationships with CEOs and other high-ranking decision makers, the question becomes, what’s the best way to get on their radar screen?

Senior level executives said that if the letter reflected an understanding of a specific key challenge they were facing, it would be read. But there’s a catch. Even if the letter got read, it’s unlikely the letter would motivate the executive to immediately agree to take a meeting. But, if the letter focused on an issue of real interest, and offered some additional information, the executives would be likely to take that next step and request a meeting. According to the report, the key to developing relationships with senior level decision makers is to orchestrate a series of small steps rather than trying to accomplish too much with a single communication.

Some other methods that work to build relationships with CEOs and other top decision makers include writing articles or books (62%). The more the books and articles provided practical ideas that the executives could use in solving real problems, the more this method was effective as a first step in building a relationship. Fifty-nine percent said that advertising was an effective method for building a relationship. Forty-four percent of the survey participants said that they initially developed a business relationship as a result of attending an event or seminar.