Digital Diaries: Buying a Smartphone

DIGITAL DIARIES BUYING A SMARTPHONE The Consumer EVALUATE Decision Journey start CONSIDER BUY BOND Not only are smartphones more complex – the purchase journey is complex as well. ADVOCATE EXPERIENCE We asked 85 people from around the world to keep a diary about their smartphone buying experience. USA BRAZIL U.K. FRANCE GERMANY CHINA HONG KONG JAPAN We didn't set out to be scientific. We were looking for some interesting stories and habits about how consumers buy smartphones. Here's what we found. CONSIDERATION The phase in which buyers decide whether or not they need a new phone, and what improvements they will seek on what they already have. Primary Features Buyers Considered Camera Battery Life Ease of Use Speed Email / Text Color/Style Plans In China and Japan, phone buyers list the high social status of the iPhone and choice of color and style as critical factors. DIARY QUOTES E I need something to fit basic 11 I need a personal assistant. The service provider is important. needs without a big investment. Size and design matter. EVALUATION The phase in which buyers weigh the pros and cons of all of their options. Top Four Sources of Information 68% Consulted friends 60% Read online product reviews and forums 12% Watched video product reviews Used information from brand advertisements Buyers who already had an Apple product tended to skip this stage. Other buyers typically evaluated 3 to 6 different phones. DIARY QUOTES EE I was most influenced by my friends, social media (client reviews), tech blogs like I looked very carefully at websites detailing specifications about the phones and their plans. Online gossip about what phones were arriving was TechCrunch. the next most important factor. PURCHASE The phase in which buyers commit to a single choice out of multiple options and search for cheap, quick, and painless methods of getting a smartphone in-hand. Method of Purchase In-store Online 50% 50% 18% Reported looking at phones in-store and then buying online ("showrooming" in action) Buyers in Brazil and China have friends in other countries purchase phones on their behalf because they are expensive or unavailable in the home market. This means that they also tend to buy equipment and service contracts separately. DIARY QUOTES 11 I'm waiting for prices to go down during the Chinese New Year promotion period. EXPERIENCE The phase in which buyers experience using and living with the phone they selected, discovering how the product compares to the expectations prior to purchase. Reactions After Purchase No. of Negative No. of Positive Camera Quality 17 Speed Touchscreen Usability 2 Battery Life 10 Provider/Contracts 10 DIARY QUOTES 11 Just as expected. I had a great experience using my phone; great speed. It's great to be online all day Getting used to touchscreen [Company] withholds info about newer models to make their customers buy Underwhelmed because very similar to last [model] ... still checking out other phones upgrades right away 87% of purchasers were either likely or very likely to recommend the smartphone they bought to others 60% of those who bought online were satisfied or extremely satisfied 77% of those who bought in a store were moderately or extremely satisfied with the experience McKinsey's Consumer & Shopper Insights csi.mckinsey.com Source: Consumer & Shopper Insights, Digital Diaries Project