Senior-level executives around the world are increasingly using all forms of technology in their homes.
This was just one of the many findings revealed in the sixth annual Decision Dynamics study, which looks at the technology habits of over 300 senior executives worldwide. The study is a joint effort between the Financial Times and Doremus, the global business communications agency.
Three kinds of tech users
Among senior-level executives, there are three groups of technology users. A group called the “Tech Savvy” represents 55 percent of the participants in the study.
“Luddites,”
Technophiles are highly functional with technology and account for only 15 percent of the entire group. However, their ranks are steadily growing.
While Technophiles skew a little younger overall, they are still well-represented in the 45-54 age group, tend to work for larger companies or for public companies and are more likely to be found in the US, with significantly less representation in the UK.
Other good reasons for tech marketers to keep an eye on the Technophiles are:
• Technophiles own an average of 8.7 of the electronics products asked about in the survey, as compared with 5.3 for the Tech Savvy and 2.5 for the Luddites.
• Eight in ten use a PDA/Blackberry at work, versus half of the others.
• 84 percent use an MP3 player regularly at home, and 55 percent use video gaming systems.
• 65 percent of Technophiles use professional net marketing sites (versus 51 percent for the Tech Savvy and 39 percent for the Luddites).
• 41 percent contribute to blogs or post responses, twice as many as among the other segments.
• Technophiles are twice as likely as the other two segments to use mobile devices to bank and shop. But the adoption of mobile banking is slightly higher among senior executives in Asia, where only 22 percent of the respondents said they did their banking on their mobiles.
• Even among Technophiles, however, only 39 percent say that the Internet meets all their information needs.
• When Technophiles read print, they are more likely to save it for reading on weekends or when traveling.
Technology use: % using regularly
Ray Manna, Doremus Director of Interactive Strategy, commented: “Senior-level decision-makers are at varying degrees of Internet technology adoption, depending on culture, growth rate or how pervasive innovation and technology are within their own circle. Over the next few years, the consensus will grow around mobile and IP technologies with regard to efficiencies gained (time savings, productivity, enhancement, etc.). Other factors impacting adoption rates are the recession and waiting for later releases to take advantage of price reductions.”
For further information, please contact:
Marianne Flatley
Public Relations Director
Doremus
T: +1 212-366-3682
E: mflatley@doremus.com
Tom Glover
Deputy Director of Communications
Financial Times
T: +44 (0)20 7775 6840
E: tom.glover@ft.com
About the Financial Times:
The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organizations, is recognized internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 432,944 (ABC figures, January 2009) and a readership of 1.3 million people worldwide. FT.com is the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 7.1 million unique users, generating 72 million page views (ABCe figures, March 2008) and has over one million registered users.
About Doremus:
Doremus is a specialist in a world of generalists. With offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong and Singapore, it specializes in business communications, helping companies align communications with their business objectives. It does this by leveraging a unique understanding of the industries and the audiences clients need to reach.
Doremus is a part of the Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.
