The Pew Internet & American Life Project has just released their first standalone study about smartphone ownership. I'll sum it up for you in two basic findings:
- People love their smartphones, and…
- …smartphone ownership crosses many demographic lines.
So no matter whether you program, sell, or own radio stations, this phenomenon touches your business in so many different ways.
And if you've seen our Techsurvey 7 presentation, you know that smartphones combine critical mass with out-and-out passion.
Here's a word cloud that depicts how cell phone owners describe their feelings for their devices:
If word clouds existed in 1975 and you asked consumers about how they felt about radio, it may have looked similar. But radio has always been about entertainment, and the best smartphones are only as good as the content they bring us. That's the challenge and the opportunity of the smartphone experience.
What groups have the greatest propensity to own a smartphone? Pew reports that the wealthy, those under 45, and African-Americans and Latinos are the most likely groups. And if that doesn't define diversity, I'm not sure what does. This suggests that smartphones touch everyone. While the better educated and deeper pocketed folks are more apt to lean toward iPhones, while the less well-heeled go for Android devices, there's no question that there's a smartphone for everyone.
Finally, Pew looks at the growing percentage of smartphone owners who access the Internet:
Having an app is not a mobile strategy. This space continues to be a tech and lifestyle phenomenon the likes of which we've never seen. As Google's Eric Schmidt reminds us in three words, "Think Mobile First." That's good advice for all of us.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
Leave a Reply