Connected Consumers Essay

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 CONNECTED CONSUMERS

  GENERATION C

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  DANIELLA COSTA    

  APRIL 20TH, 2017

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INTRODUCTION

Internet advances, electronic devices and globalization have made consumers more connected than ever to the world around them. Connected consumers have become informed and empowered: they feel like all boundaries disappear when they are online. They can meet different people from all places through their social networks, buy products from the other side of the world and listen to music or watch foreign movies from the comfort of their home, on their smartphones and  computers.

Connectivity has also changed the rules of the game for today’s companies. If they want to succeed, they must pay attention to the tastes, desires and needs of their consumers. Companies should put consumers at the center of all their operations. They should also be aware and take advantage of the internet advances, if so they will be able to create an amazing long-term relationship between them and their connected consumers.

The purpose of this essay is to understand connected consumers’ minds, shopping habits and their interaction with companies around the world. This paper will explain who they are, what they do, how companies can manage them and the impact and effects of internet, social networks and connected devices.

WHO ARE THE CONNECTED CONSUMERS?

“Connected consumers are those who use connected devices such as media tablets, e-readers, portable navigation devices, media players, imaging devices and mobile gaming devices, to interact with and consume digital content.”.  1

Connected consumers, also known as Generation C, are people capable of taking advantage of the internet on their electronic devices to interact with others, buy online products and consume digital content.

Generation C is conformed by people of different generations, especially by Millennials and Gen Z. They are people of many cultures and races, cause they are from all around the world. They are men and women. Despite differences, they have something in common: connectedness. Connected consumers want to connect and interact in real time with companies and others.

Another thing that the connected consumers have in common is that they are  great at multitasking: they can be sharing a photo of their new shoes on instagram, at the same exact time that they are looking for a denim jacket on their favorite store and checking their email for new cars offers. This whole situation can happen at the same time and in the same place; in the comfort of home through a connected device. Connected consumers want to do as many things as possible, in just one place and in the shortest time.

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The image above highlights key qualities that define connected consumers:

• They listen to others opinions and reviews before buying a product or service.
• They also like sharing their own experiences and reviews with others. At the same time, they like to share feedback with the companies after they purchase a product or service.
• Connected consumers prefer retailers who personalize the shopping experience. They want to feel unique.
• They also want transparency. They want to trust in companies.

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CONNECTED CONSUMERS AND THE INTERNET

20 years ago people used to write letters and the whole  communication process took several days or even weeks. Nowadays the communication is  instantaneous and the main responsible for this is the Internet.

Internet also changed consumers’ shopping habits and the way they interact with local and worldwide companies. Online shopping is faster and easier. Now a consumer can compare different prices and offers, read online reviews, order a product and then receive it at the door of his house. Other benefits are that  there is no time restriction for online shopping and if something goes wrong with the purchase, the consumer can contact the company for help. Probably his going to have a quick response  by the company, offering a change, return or even a refund.

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SOME FACTS…3

In 2016, about 42% of internet users in the U.S. stated that they purchase items online at least once a month, and 24% said they bought items or services online once or twice per week. 30% of them spend at least 1 hour researching online products and reading online reviews in order to get the best deal possible.

Thanks to the internet, today's consumers feel more empowered than ever and so they want their voices to be heard: they want to share their opinions and experiences with each others and share their feedback with the companies.

Online reviews and opinions are relevant for connected consumers because it can influence their purchase decisions. Nowadays there are websites exclusively dedicated to this, like for example Tripadvisor. People visit the website www.tripadvisor.com to read reviews and experiences from previous customers and depending on how good or bad this reviews are they will or not but the service. [pic 8]

Companies should be aware of what their customers say about them. In case they notice bad reviews they must responde quickly and try to improve so they can reduce complaints and get better reviews in the future.

Thanks to the internet, people can share content on their social networks. Sharing content is also relevant for connected consumers, and so they are the social network.

Connected consumers enjoy sharing photos, videos or other in their social media platforms, such as Twitter or Facebook.

Companies also use their social network Pages to interact with their consumers and share their publicity and other relevant content.

Sometimes it happens that unhappy consumers share their bad experiences with a certain product or company on their social networks. If many people re-share this there is a risk of  becoming viral.