Owners of these digital devices are also more likely than the average adult to be heavy newspaper readers; Tablet and eReader owners are 54% and 63% more likely than the average U.S. adult, respectively, to be heavy newspaper readers. Not surprisingly, given the connectivity of eReaders and especially Tablets, their owners index high for Internet usage. Tablet owners are 79% more likely than the average adult to be a heavy Internet user, while eReader owners are 36% more likely to be a heavy Internet user.
Traditional Media Consumption by Tablet and eReader Owners | |||||
| Heavy Readership Index | ||||
Own | Magazine | Newspaper | Radio | TV | Internet |
Any Tablet | 166 | 154 | 92 | 63 | 179 |
Any eReader | 123 | 163 | 96 | 65 | 136 |
iPad | 160 | 156 | 88 | 63 | 171 |
Kindle | 125 | 166 | 90 | 58 | 143 |
Source: Gfk MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011 (Definitions: Heavy magazine: 13/mo; heavy newspaper; 25/mo; heavy Internet: 22.5 Hrs/week) |
In addition, a gender difference in terms of digital ownership has emerged. The report sas that women are 52% more likely than men to own an eReader and men are 24% more likely than women to own a Tablet. At the brand level, women are 63% more likely than men to own an Amazon Kindle and twice as likely to own a Barnes & Noble Nook, while men are 16% more likely to own an Apple iPad.
The report suggests that men's affinity for Tablets may be a reflection of the way they view ownership of technological gadgets with respect to their peers. For instance, men are much more likely than women to report: "I want others to say 'Wow!' when they see my electronics."
Gender Difference in eReader vs. Tablet Ownership | ||
Own | Index Women vs. Men | Index Men vs. Women |
Any eReader | 152 | 66 |
Kindle | 163 | 61 |
Nook | 202 | 50 |
Any tablet | 81 | 124 |
iPad | 86 | 116 |
Source: Gfk MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011 |
Books are still the medium of choice among eReader owners, with 87% having read a book on their device in the last six months. Magazines and newspapers trailed at 15% and 14%, respectively. The media consumption gap is narrower among owners of Tablets. 57% of Tablet owners, on average, read a book on their device in the last six months compared to 39% who read a magazine and 41% who read a newspaper.
Media Usage on Tablets and eReaders Among Owners | ||||
| Owners Of: | |||
Media Read Last 6 Mos | Any eReader | Any Tablet | iPad | Kindle |
Book | 87% | 57 | 57 | 87 |
Magazine | 15 | 39 | 41 | 12 |
Newspaper | 14 | 41 | 43 | 13 |
Source: Gfk MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011 |
Personal ownership of Tablets and eReaders skyrocketed after the 2010 Holiday gift-giving season, says the report. Average ownership of eReaders was 2.3% of the U.S. adult population in the four months prior to Christmas; that rose to 5.1% of adults, on average, in the four months after Christmas. The same growth curve is true for Tablets. Average Tablet ownership in the four months prior to Christmas 2010 was 1.8% of adults; after Christmas average ownership rose to 3.5% of U.S. adults.
Risa Becker, V.P. Research at GfK MRI, says that this study reinforces the fact "... that for a device that's been in the market for a little more than one year, Tablets have caught on in a big way... publishers will be encouraged to know that Tablet owners are devotees of both magazines and newspapers."
For additional information from GfK MRI, please visit here.
In addition to culling demographic info for targeting owners of e-readers, wouldn't it be cool to develop some sort of literary-based segmentation that leverages personal reading choices as an insight tool? For example, brands could pursue those with a penchant for historical fiction or comedy-based protagonists as a means of further aligning messaging with consumer behavior. You can read more about this idea here: http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/?p=4630
--Kimberly Conon, Luminosity Marketing