The global PC market continues to face an identity crisis as tablets increasingly dominate market share and shake-up traditional notions of brand perception.
The latest research from Effective Measure, a digital audience profiling and measurement solutions provider, has found that putting a finger on the pulse of the computer consumer market can make all the difference.
“For global high-end technology brands, taking a broad approach to brand perception and positioning can no longer cut it in an increasingly fragmented media market,” said Consumer Behaviour Specialist, John Davis.
Vendors are under intense pressure as competition in the tablet sector heats up, not only from rival brands but also from keeping up with widespread adoption of tablet devices.
The measure of success…
Effective Measure’s, ‘Computer Brand Perceptions, A Global Perspective Brand & Ad Positioning Study’, revealed that Windows based vendors such as Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo are suffering from consumer sentiment that they are not keeping up with the times.
Apple’s lead in market share is validated by the consumers’ obsessive affection for the brand.
“Marketers’ primary tools for shaping public opinion continue to be advertising forms with differentiation pivoting on media choice, timing, targeted distribution and most effectively the content of ads.”
“Brands need to start asking the right questions on brand perception and take deeper dives into the cultural terrain that stimulates brand adoption and sentiment,” Davis added.
The Effective Measure report also reveals that across all brands, in all countries,it is not unusual for one person to own more than one brand of computer.
The data also shows that major technology brands are perceived very differently across countries, demonstrating that brand positioning, does not always benefit from an understanding of consumers’ decision criteria in isolation.
In key findings the report discovered:
- Brand loyalty is tenuous in the PC category a
- Mobile advertising is the least noticed among all advertising platforms for PC brands. However, the UAE and South Africa are exceptions, giving greater attention to mobile ads.
- Quality, Modernity and Relevance are the significant predictors of brand usage and typically drive brand positioning in this category.
- Brands depending on a single message to serve across different countries are failing to optimise their brand and communicate its offerings.
“Media planners would like to think that the global consumer market is becoming homogenous but smart brand execution demands that marketers see their global markets as distinct. EM is helping marketers and brands shape their messaging in accordance with global audience demands with custom Brand/Ad Positioning research,” Davis said.
The global report was derived from a survey sample of over 7,000 demographically balanced respondents from across five chosen countries: Australia, Malaysia, India, UAE and South Africa.bal consumer market is becoming homogenous but smart brand execution demands that marketers see their global markets as distinct. EM is helping marketers and brands shape their messaging in accordance with global audience demands with custom Brand/Ad Positioning research,” Davis said.
Effective Measure explored consumer perceptions of five major brands of personal computers: Acer, Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Lenovo. The story told by responders helps personal computer advertisers approach these markets with clearer understanding of consumer thinking about the category.
Read the full report, right over here.
