2. INTRODUCTION
We all know that connectivity via technology is a tremendously important force in
contemporary culture. In this, our tenth Truth Study, we have explored the notion
of connectivity from some new and provocative angles. We’ve broached subjects like
whether mobility impacts fundamentals such as our motivations and personalities
and whether life lived through a screen gives us a different moral compass.
Most importantly, we’ve provided strategies for consumer brands, device manufacturers
and networks to navigate this brave new world of ubiquitous connectivity.
To find the Truth About Connected You, McCann Truth Central partnered with McCann’s
Global Telecom Practice. We conducted a 9,000 person online survey, representing the online
populations of nine countries: Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, South Africa, Spain,
the UK, and the USA. Data for this survey was collected by Harris Interactive on behalf of
McCann Truth Central. McCann was responsible for survey design and data analysis.
In addition, we conducted online discussion boards, garnering nearly 20,000 posts from
consumers in 14 countries: The nine above, plus Chile, Egypt, Norway, the Philippines,
and Sweden.
Finally, we had hundreds of submissions to a contest asking respondents to illustrate
and describe their “dream mobile device.”
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3. Combining all of this research, we uncovered five themes, which together reveal
the truth of how and why we connect with others through our mobile devices.
These themes are:
Teenage Dreaming
Figuring Out Relationships
Who Are We Really?
Smashing Stereotypes
Keeping the Magic in Mobile
5. A WORLD FULL OF MOBILE TEENAGERS
The truth is that we’ve entered our teenage years when it comes to our mobile lives.
Globally, the mean length of time that we have owned any mobile device is 12 years.
Some developed markets like the UK are a bit older (13.9 years) and some emerging
markets like India are younger (8.9 years). Since we’ve only had up to our early teens
to become accustomed to mobiles and figure out how we should behave, it’s no
surprise that our mobile behaviors are often fraught with inconsistencies.
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6. THE BEST AND WORST OF THE TEENAGE YEARS
Sometimes it seems we exhibit the best parts of teenagers when it comes to our mobile
lives. We love to experiment, and the average person has owned 6.4 devices, trying out a
new device every 22 months. We’re also feeling empowered to do things on our own.
58% globally feel that mobile devices have made them more independent in their lives.
On the flip side, we have also entered an age in
which we are susceptible to judgment and peer
pressure. 74% globally feel that their mobile
devices help them to fit in versus stand out.
55% also admit to judging others based on the
mobile devices that they own. As one Japanese
respondent stated, “There is a guy at work, who
has a rabbit as a cover, and I feel that type of
cover is for a student. I worry whether I can do
business with such guy.” And we judge not just
on devices, but also on behaviors. Said one
person in the UK, “You can tell how important
someone wants to feel by how often they check
their phone.”
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7. The good news for brands is that in this world of connected ‘teenagers’, nothing has
been set in stone. Relationships are forming but malleable. Brand loyalty and friendships
are up for grabs. The opportunity for marketers is outsized, as the globe’s mobile
teenagers move into their 20’s; mobile ad spend is expected to rise from $9 billion in
2013 to $24 billion in 2017.
Source: MAGNA Global (IPG Mediabrands)
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8. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BRANDS?
?
WHAT SORT OF GUIDANCE DO OUR
TEENAGE SELVES NEED?
What brands can do is help us overcome our teenage insecurities. When it comes to being
a teenager, we want to know what others have and how we measure up against them. After
all, who wants to be the last in line? To keep us ahead of the competition as trendsetters,
brands can show us what we are doing, downloading, and how it compares to other people
with similar profiles.
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9. Perhaps the best parts of growing up are the milestones that make our teenage years –
and subsequent decades – so memorable. Aside from counteracting our insecurities,
brands have the power to create mobile milestones and celebrate them. Can we
commemorate a person’s millionth text? Or congratulate someone on buying their first
house? How about creating a mobile device for someone who just had a baby or just retired?
Let’s create and celebrate mobile milestones
Can we turn getting your first phone
into as big a birthday as your 13th?
Should we celebrate a person’s
millionth tweet, txt, call?
What about creating new products for
somebody who just had their first baby?
11. AN INTENSE BFF RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PHONES
One of the most important things for a teenager to figure out is her or his relationships with
people. The same can be said for mobile technology, where for consumers, smartphones
take the place of archetypal characters from high school, such as the BFF, the boyfriend/
girlfriend, or the lab partner. Given images which represented specific types of relationships
between two people, 30% of global consumers chose an image of two friends to classify
their relationship with their smartphone. 18% viewed their relationship with their smartphone
as one of tight collaborators, working together to get a job done. Another 18% had a very
intense relationship, mirroring that of two lovers. Said one US consumer of her smartphone,
“We never part ways or leave each others’ side for too long.”
As mobile consumers “grow older”, they expect their relationships with their mobile devices
to intensify with time. 84% believe that in the future we will be even more connected
than we are today. The mobile device is at the center of this increased connectivity, so
much so that three-quarters of consumers say that their choice of mobile device is a very
important decision.
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12. MAKING THINGS EASIER
On the surface, this increased connection through devices seems to have had a positive
impact. Indeed, more than 80% of consumers feel that mobile technology has improved
both their social and family lives. Additionally, three-quarters of consumers say that
mobile technology has made their lives simpler.
BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
Globally, over a third of consumers say that their mobile devices distract them from what
matters most. Emerging markets like China and India are still the most enthusiastic about
their devices, and more than 80% of consumers in these markets feel that their devices
make them a better person. However, in more built-up markets like the UK, US, and Spain,
anywhere between 39% and 47% feel that mobile devices are more of a distraction than
something that makes them a better person. In Germany, 62% of consumers feel that their
devices are a distraction.
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13. YET DISCONNECTION IS NOT AN OPTION
Despite concerns that constant connectivity distracts us from what matters most, many
consumers don’t see disconnecting as a viable option; 47% believe that their personal
connections would suffer if they were to go without their mobile devices, even for a short
period of time. Despite their inability to disconnect, consumers understand that it might
be necessary at some time, as 63% say that the more connected we become,
the more we will need to spend time disconnecting.
Talking about an experiment where he had to wait an hour before responding to messages,
a Chinese consumer said, “I almost forgot to reply to my texts, which would be really bad!
I can’t live without my phone. Habits have formed because of work.”
ARE WE CELLULARLY CONFLICTED
ADOLESCENTS?
Furthermore, consumers recognize the effect that mobile technology has had on the
quality of their connections, and this has exacerbated discussions about when we should
put our devices away, or if this is even possible these days. While 72% agree that to be
connected to something or someone these days
requires technology, 72% also believe that
connections today are weaker than they were
in the past. Speaking of a bad experience
on a dinner date, one German consumer said,
“It’s a complete turn-off when my date
likes to chat more and talk less!”
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14. THE MOBILE MORAL COMPASS
Mobile connectivity has far-reaching effects beyond the relationships
we have with others. More than half of mobile technology users feel they
have difficulties knowing right from wrong on a mobile device, and 57% say they are
more likely to do things of questionable legality on a mobile device than on a computer.
Legal boundaries are not the only concern. Consumers seem to think that they operate in a
bubble when it comes to the way they use mobile technology. In today’s mobile environment,
61% believe that what they do on their mobile device has no effect on people around them and
another 52% agree that it’s more tempting to be rude to people when using a mobile device.
Despite the shakiness of their mobile moral compass, we asked consumers to select the
worst option from two potential transgressions:
What’s Worse?
Ignoring texts (27%) Ignoring calls (73%)
Breaking up with someone Breaking up with someone
via text (60%) at a crowded party (40%)
Not answering a message (37%) Phubbing (Phone snubbing) (63%)
Pretending to be someone you’re Pretending to be someone you’re
not online (44%) not over the phone (56%)
If there’s a split in the global mobile moral compass, it’s definitely an East vs. West divide.
Asian markets disagree with the global average, and Chinese, Japanese, and Indian
consumers all think it’s worse to break up with someone at a crowded party. Similarly,
Japanese consumers think it’s worse to ignore a message than a face-to-face conversational
partner, and they think faking an online identity is a worse tech transgression.
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15. THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF MOBILE!
Armed with this understanding of mobile moral pitfalls, we have codified
the Seven Deadly Sins of Mobile.
Lust – Sending or forwarding a sexually explicit text (or ‘sext’).
More than 1 in 10 say they have received a sext!
Gluttony – When your device addiction becomes excessive. 38% of people
are toilet talkers (they take their devices into the bathroom).
Greed – Downloading content illegally. 25% of people admit
to doing this and 49% admit to it in China.
Sloth – Screening calls and avoiding texts.
55% have purposely ignored a call.
Wrath – Littering your mobile messages with $#^&! words
and mofanities. 2 in 10 use curses in their texts.
Envy – Judging a man or woman by their home screen.
55% judge one another based on their mobile devices.
Pride – Living in your own
mobile bubble. 44% say they
have a right to do whatever
they want with their mobile
devices, even if it might
bother someone else.
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16. COMBATING HYPER-CONNECTIVITY AND THE
EROSION OF QUALITY CONNECTIONS
Yet as we navigate this mobile minefield of phubs and sins, there’s a strong belief that we
mobile teenagers are starting to figure out our relationships. Particularly when we look to the
future, we see the possibility of creating “priority lanes” to connect us with those we love
most. We’re also going to find new ways to combat tech with tech, using devices to create
times and spaces free of overconnection.
We collected hundreds of concepts for dream mobile devices, or devices that consumers
feel will be impactful on society in the future. Two in particular stand out and could prove
very effective in combating the erosion of emotional connections and the constant need to
be connected. They are the Circle of Love, which let’s you transmit the
humidity and feeling of a kiss to your partner, regardless of distance,
and the iHide, a piece of transportable tech which
blocks out all other tech in a surrounding area.
Brands could take the lead by reflecting these
kinds of innovations. Or at a simpler level,
they could endeavor to increase not just the
quantity of our connections but the quality of
our relationships. As the below concepts show,
there’s room for tech to give a ‘power up’
to our most important relationships.
19. Because brands are already spending more time talking to people in a mobile world,
there’s an important question that needs to be answered:
Are we sure we know who’s on the other side? Or are we playing a game of
phone- and text-tag with a wrong number and don’t know it? To that end,
we wondered if people’s behaviors and motivations, the basic layers of their personality,
are the same on mobile platforms as they are in face-to-face communication.
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20. A MOBILE PERSONALITY
To find out just how different we can be in face-to-face versus mobile communication,
McCann Truth Central and the McCann Global Telecom Practice created a short
assessment of consumer’s mobile thoughts and practices. We called this the McCann
Mobile Personality Profiler, and had our 9,000 online consumers complete the assessment.
We also had them answer questions about their general personality to compare and contrast.
What we found was that our mobile personalities can in fact be quite different from our
face-to-face personalities.
Based on non-mobile questions, we determined that 43% of our global respondents were
more ‘outgoing’ in their face-to-face communication, while the remainder (57%) were more
‘reserved.’ But as people transition to mobile, a significant number switch from reserved to
outgoing. In fact, on mobile nearly 2/3 (65%) of consumers were classified as outgoing,
and only 35% were reserved.
The biggest shifts were seen
in China, where 38% of people
switched from reserved in
face-to-face communication
to more outgoing on mobile.
South Africans were also much
more outgoing on mobile
(33% shifted). Germany was the
most consistent, with only a 7%
point shift to more outgoing.
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21. Most consumers felt that the filtering effect of the screens in mobile communication helped
them feel more comfortable about being talkative and provocative. One consumer in India
observed, “Some people sound more profound or funny on their mobiles than in real life.
Perhaps because they have the advantage of time and distance to compose themselves.”
Of course, while the majority of consumers were more outgoing on mobile, some of life’s
biggest extroverts found themselves retreating into their own mobile world, becoming more
reserved. A Brazilian participant observed this in his own behavior. He said, “When I am on
the phone, I get really anti-social, given that I get zoned out on the internet.”
Comparing the results of the Mobile Personality Profiler to questions about face-to-face
personalities, we also found that there’s a noticeable shift in how organized or dynamic
people become in a mobile context. Taking full advantage of their mobile’s tools – and
suffering from constant ringing reminders – 8% more consumers identified themselves
as organized in a mobile context, actually shifting the balance away from a dynamic and
flexible approach to scheduling exhibited in face-to-face behaviors.
Chinese consumers were the
most likely to switch towards
an organized mobile (42% point
increase) but UK consumers were
likely to become more dynamic
(2% point increase).
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22. WHAT’S YOUR MOBILE PERSONALITY?
We used the results of the Mobile
Personality Profiler to identify
distinct mobile personalities.
Curious to know what your
mobile personality is?
You can access the Personality
Profiler via your mobile device
using the QR code below or
you can visit the website
www.McCannTruthProfiler.Com
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23. THE MOBILE PERSONALITY CHARACTERS
The mobile personalities that we discovered vary based on a number of dimensions.
The most obvious driver of the different personalities is whether they are more outgoing
or reserved. Other influences also play a role, such as how much the personality takes
into account the feelings of others when deciding how to behave, or whether you prefer
to be a mobile device trendsetter or rely on reviews to get a tried and tested device.
Here are some of our characters, starting with the Ringtone Crowd (outgoing personality types):
Mobile Maître-D iChatty Wireless Warrior One Tech Pony Silicon Simon
This chatty group generally prefers to keep a ringtone on so they know when they’re
receiving various messages – and they like getting lots of messages. They prefer more
emotive means of communication, such as voice and video, to less emotional but faster
means like text.
Of course, there’s variance within the group. The Mobile Maître-D is hyper-organized, but
doesn’t like to upgrade or change devices too often because he or she hates disrupting
routines. Silicon Simon, on the other hand, is a bit more disorganized and loves having the
latest and greatest tech. iChatty is always worried about answering calls from her friends
so they don’t feel slighted, but the Wireless Warrior is going to put his or her clients’ calls
as top priority and may let friends and family linger in voicemail until the end of the day.
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24. We also have the cast that tends to be a bit more behind the scenes. Our more reserved
personalities may prefer to keep their devices on silent.
Here’s our Silent Crowd:
Linked Out Loyalist Mobile Missionary Techie Teddie Gadget Gary Plugged-in Professor
The more reserved silent crowd is equally enthusiastic about mobile devices – maybe even more
so – but they’re more selective about how, when, and with whom they use their mobile devices.
The Linked Out Loyalist loves her phone, but she mostly uses it to call her friends whom
she prefers to see in person. She’s also going to be loyal to a device model or brand,
because she loves how well it works for her. Gadget Gary, on the other hand, is probably
frequently seen surfing online or in store for the latest devices. He might be more into his
devices for their apps and tools than for calling up old friends. The Mobile Missionary also
loves his mobile, but might get preachy if he sees you texting during a date or hears your
ringer during a movie. And our Plugged-In Professor is so into mobile Twitter that she forgets
to put your number in her contacts and only knows how to reach you by your @ handle.
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25. A CREATIVE SPRINGBOARD
Brands should use these mobile personalities as a creative springboard
for coming up with new and innovative ways to engage consumers. For
example, a brand could create a safe way for the Mobile Maître-D to try
out new tech and apps, by offering up a monthly package of personalized
apps that help him connect with his favorite regulars.
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27. SHORTCUTS AND EMOTIONAL RANGE
Since we’re only teenagers in mobile years, we use shortcuts to form opinions. In the case
of network providers, price, speed, and coverage determine our loyalty to the brand. As one
respondent from Scandinavia explained, “If it (my network) works, that’s fine and if it doesn’t
work I’ll change to whoever can provide better coverage/higher speed.”
If we were to categorize our relationships with our devices, networks and mobile advertising
in terms of teenage emotions– ‘Love’, ‘Meh’ and ‘Argh’ – then the best is reserved for our
mobile devices. Mobile networks and advertisers, though, have an opportunity to win more
love from consumers.
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28. INJECTING FEELING INTO OUR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH NETWORKS
On the surface, our relationship with network providers is ‘Meh’ at best. When we asked
consumers to pick a visual representation of the interaction they have with their network, the
most frequently chosen visual was “no relationship”. Yet, when we asked consumers how
they thought the network saw the relationship, the top response was “waiter and patron”.
There’s clearly a tension here which needs to be resolved.
In actuality, network providers have the power to further their relationship with consumers.
80% globally say that their choice of the provider is a very important decision, and 75% say
that various network providers have different personalities. 52% go as far as saying that
their network provider should reflect their personality.
Network provider brands can take data and personalization to new levels, providing utility to
consumers. As one Spanish respondent said, “When you go to a bar for the first time they
don’t know you, but the more you go the more they know about what you like…same would
be desirable for a mobile network.” 49% globally want mobile network providers to use
their data to provide them with deals and services which are better suited to their needs,
in addition to billing them correctly.
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29. WINNING LOVE FOR MOBILE ADVERTISING
We love our devices and currently feel little towards our providers. But what about mobile
advertising? If we ask consumers, often times, their limited experience leads them to
believe they dislike mobile advertising.
The most common type of mobile ad consumers have seen is an SMS text (48% have
encountered this). So it’s no surprise that 63% wish that the advertising they saw on their
mobiles was more entertaining.
Fortunately, many of the best practices of great creative agencies also apply to mobile
advertising. The one key difference is that people seem to be holding mobile advertising to a
higher standard, and this is because unlike other mediums which people interact with, mobile
isn’t a thing, it is part of who we are. Below are the 5 P’s of successful mobile engagement:
FROM ADS, TO EXPERIENCES, 1. Personal – People expect the brands
that advertise through mobile to be better
informed about who they are.
TO WONDERMENT 2. Purposeful – It is easy to tune out a lot
of advertising… but when advertising has
During our online discussion boards, we asked meaning in our lives it is harder to ignore.
consumers to view a number of videos of 3. Private – While people are willing
mobile advertising experiences from various to share some data to get personalized
communications, their personal data must
brands. Seeing the full potential of mobile ads be protected.
was transformative for the majority of
4. Playful – Your mobile is a game system,
participants. One US consumer exclaimed, a chat machine, a camera, etc. People like
“After watching these previous ads, I would it when advertising lives up to its potential.
have to say that I’m more open to mobile
5. POW – The platform is young.
advertising. Especially not knowing what type The boredom factor is high.
of experience you might encounter with that People want to be wowed.
particular ad and brand.”
31. AS WE APPROACH OUR 20’S
For most people, one’s 20’s are a time of self-realization, progress, and reinvention.
We greet the world with burgeoning enthusiasm for endless opportunity and greatness to
come. The same can be hoped for in our mobile lives, as consumers are excited for the next
decade bringing devices with increased performance and utility. As we mature, we’re ready
for brands to surprise us with innovation, for them to keep the magic in mobile.
In fact, 40% of global consumers are looking forward to devices becoming faster and
38% want them to be smarter. Consumers are also hoping for devices to become more
streamlined, if not integrated into our bodies.
When asked potential parts of the body
where humans would choose for a
mobile device to be implanted,
49% say they would prefer their
hand and 24% say they would
prefer their ear.
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32. NEEDS AND DREAMS
As we explored the hundreds of dream mobile device submissions from consumers and
marketing professionals, we realized the amount of magic people are expecting in their mobile
futures. Their ideas and hopes revealed a distinct set of needs when it comes to our mobile
lives. Networks, device manufacturers, brands, and marketers alike can keep these needs in
mind as they develop practical, yet enthralling, solutions for tomorrow’s mobile consumers.
Mobile Needs Map
for a full explanation of these need-states and their implications for your brand,
please contact us at truthcentral.mccann.com
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33. WILL MOBILE BE THE SUPERHERO THAT
SAVES THE WORLD?
Consumer dreams for mobile extend beyond the individual – a sign that we’re maturing out
of our mobile teens? – and showcased a belief that mobile could play a key role in solving
the world’s problems. Quantitatively, this proved to be true as well. Presented with a myriad
of global concerns, 37% of global consumers say that mobile technology will help us find a
solution for crime in the future, 26% believe it will help us to stop terrorism, and 21% feel
it will help us prevent global economic crises.
Is this magic reserved only for the future? Or are mobiles already saving the world? As our
study’s findings reveal, we already see the profound changes mobile is having for our lives,
our relationships, our personalities, and our interaction with brands. Yet we’re reminded of
the power of technology to do global good, and many consumers realize that this is already
going on under our noses. Said one respondent from the Philippines, “Mobile devices can
help solve any dilemma. Actually our devices are helping us on similar problems now.
We just don’t notice it.” As we mature into mobile manhood and womanhood, one can only
imagine we’ll start noticing it more.
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