Motorola announced the initial results of a new study on
the influence and behaviors of the Millennial generation (young adults
ages 16-27) regarding consumer technology decisions and rich media
consumption habits. Motorola's study among 1,000 young adults found
that Millennials are not only looking for more rich media, they are
also greatly influencing the buying decisions for the services and
technologies in the home and on the go.
The study,
commissioned by Motorola's Home & Networks Mobility group, explores
how the preferences and habits of today's Millennials are shaping the
future of content consumption. By understanding the interests of end
users, Motorola will better help cable operators and service providers
customize their offerings to accelerate the delivery of personalized
media experiences to their current and future customers.
"With
the Millennial generation, connectivity is an absolute must-have, as
they've grown up with technology and the Internet," said Eduardo
Conrado, corporate vice president, global marketing and communications,
Motorola Inc. "Millennials are now looking to make their connectivity
more personalized and take experiences from 'primetime' to 'my time.'
This study provides a clear barometer to share with our customers that
shows the changes in demand and growth opportunities as these critical
users continue to increase their buying power."
Greater Expectations
Motorola's
findings pinpointed the differences in Millennials' expectations and
the influence that they are already exerting over buying decisions of
their parents for video and broadband products and services.
- 71
percent have influence over parental decisions about cable, DSL or
dish-satellite services, including young people who no longer live with
their parents. - 62 percent have influence over which HDTV set and programming package to buy.
- 70
percent feel their expectations and demands are far greater than their
parents' for rich media experiences (such as mobile TV or video) and
on-the-go broadband access.
High-Definition on My Own Time
Motorola's
research examined current adoption of products and services such as
cable TV and high-definition (HD) programming, finding that Millennials
are hungry for more control over when and where they access rich
content. The ability to time-shift with DVRs and have access to HD
programming were both highly desirable features. In fact, data from
Motorola's study demonstrates the growth opportunity for service
providers in bringing these services to Millennials who don't already
have them:
- While 85 percent of Millennials have cable
television or satellite television service, 42 percent of respondents
still would like a DVR to use along with it. - 64 percent of
Millennials with a DVR rely on DVR'd content for "quite a bit" to
"almost all" of the programs they watch, with almost half of DVR owners
using it for half of their TV watching. - 46 percent of Millennials already have HDTV, while 43 percent indicate they would like to have it.
- 73
percent of Millennials with HDTV access "love" current HD programming,
while 35 percent of those with HDTV are looking forward to having a
broader selection of HD programming offered in the future.
Millennials
further expressed their "on demand" mind-set, indicating they prefer to
watch programming or access content on their own terms and timeline,
regardless of where that content originated:
- 84 percent expressed interest in archived TV programs and movies available on demand.
- 87 percent would find it appealing to watch programming in areas of their home where they don't have TV.
- 86 percent have interest in being able to pause a TV program in one room and resume play in another room in the house.
- 83 percent have interest in the ability to download TV programs from a DVR to a memory device for use on mobile players.
"Our
research shows that Millennials want rich media experiences on their
own terms, and they are ready for operators and service providers to
deliver them now," said Ray Sokola, chief technology officer, Motorola
Home & Networks Mobility. "High demand for bandwidth-intensive HD
content and time- and place-shifting solutions represents the new
consumer landscape for operators. Motorola is delivering the
technologies our customers need to make these services possible today
and for the future of the Millennial generation."
About Motorola's Millennial Generation Study
Findings
are based on an online panel survey among 1,000 members of the
Millennial generation in the United States, ages 16-27, April 18-23,
2008. The sample included 500 men and 500 women. Millennials currently
account for 17 percent of the total U.S. population. For more
information regarding the study, please visit
http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter.