Nielsen has released its quarterly MediaTech Trender survey that tracks consumer perceptions of emerging devices and services. Among the findings, Nielsen reveals a close relationship between smart speakers and smartphones, as well as common motivations for streaming content.
The survey included Q1 responses from 2,000 US consumers aged 13 and above. Participants were asked about their relationship with technology in terms of preferences, motivations and habits.
Nielsen delivered some good news for social networks like Facebook and Twitter that have invested heavily in video. Over half of adult smartphone users said they viewed video from inside a social network site or app at least once a day, while just under half of tablet users said the same. These numbers jumped among younger adults between the ages of 18-34—72 percent said they watched video in this way on a smartphone and 57 percent on a tablet.
Streaming content is more readily viewed by all age groups if it hosts existing shows they’ve watched or listened to before. This is especially true among consumers between the ages of 18-34 (64 percent) and 35-49 (62 percent). Among persons aged 50-64, this behavior was only slightly less common at 59 percent.
That’s not to say that adults aren’t willing to explore new content. Just under half of all adults said they subscribing to video streaming services to gain access to video content they like and 42 percent said that they sign up for a specific program.
When it comes to smart speakers, non-white consumers are leading the way. Compared to the national average of 43 percent, Asian American, Black and Hispanic consumers have displayed more interest in using or subscribing to a streaming service at 55, 52 and 45 percent, respectively.
Consumers aren’t just buying one smart speaker, either. In fact, four out of 10 respondents own more than one, with the living room being the most popular location. These devices get put to work, with 90 percent of users saying they use smart speakers to listen to music at least once a week.
Just over half of consumers sync their smart speakers to a smartphone, with audio streaming and shopping apps being the most popular.
“Consumers are not only incredibly tech savvy—they’re voraciously plugged in,” says Peter Katsingris, SVP of audience insights at Nielsen. “With so many choices of media to consume and innovative products being introduced into the marketplace, gauging consumer sentiment towards them is crucial in understanding not only what’s ‘now’ but also what’s ‘next.’”
