• by Aaron Baar , December 4, 2013

Although it’s only been out for a few months (and has a long way to go before catching over-the-top competitors Apple TV and Roku), Google's Chromecast has relatively high awareness among consumers. 

According to NPD Connected Intelligence, 33% of consumers said they were aware of the device, which allows people to watch streaming content on their television sets via a $35 fob. What's more, Google itself has been the primary source of the awareness, with 41% of consumers saying they learned about the device from Google's Web site. 

“The Google brand would factor into its higher awareness levels, and that is supported by their Web site being the primary source of awareness,” John Buffone, director of devices for NPD Connected Intelligence, tells Marketing Daily. “But promotions had an impact as well. Thirty-five percent of consumers who know about Chromecast already saw an online ad and 25% saw or heard a TV or radio ad.”

In stores, however, things are a bit different. Only 11% of consumers said they became aware of Chromecast in-store or on a retailer's Web site. Buffone says that's primarily because only two retailers -- Amazon and Best Buy -- were supporting the product. 

“Given the early success of Chromecast, you would expect additional retail partners to surface, which in turn will help more consumers discover the device. Retail discovery can be a key mechanism to drive continued consumer awareness.”

Of those aware of Chromecast, 48% said they were extremely, very or somewhat likely to use it, citing the product’s low price and promise of simplicity as the main drivers. Although the market is dominated by Apple and Roku, which control a combined 78% market share, Chromecast's appeal should remain strong, Buffone says.

“Sixty percent of Internet-enabled homes do not yet have a TV connected to the Internet representing a large market of prospective customers for Apple, Roku, Google and others,” Buffone says. “Further, consumers that do have a TV connected to the Internet typically have one or two additional TVs in their home that have yet to be connected offering even more room for this market to develop. Given these factors there is opportunity for Chromecast to support overall growth in the streaming media player category.”