The Changing Pattern of Consumer Communications

October 27, 2016 2 Comments

For the past several years, we’ve been examining how U.S. consumers prefer to communicate with each other, analyzing their answers to the question, Which method would you most likely use to communicate with your friends?

As you can see in the figure below:

  • Text messages are on the rise (+8 points between 2012 and 2016), while home phones (-6 points) and email (-5 points) are on the decline.
  • Cell phones (increases with age) and text messages (decreases with age) are the most variable choice based on age group.
  • Text messages are the preferred channel for all ages below 45 years old.
  • Cell hones are the preferred channel for 45- to 74-year-olds.
  • Home phones are the preferred channel for people who are older than 74.
  • Online chat via Facebook has increased in preference (+4 points since 2012), and is most popular with 25- to 34-year-olds.

1609_preferredcommunications

The bottom line: More proof of a generational communications gap.

Filed under Customer experience

About Bruce Temkin, CCXP
I'm an experience (XM) management catalyst; helping organizations improve results by engaging the hearts and minds of their employees, customers, and partners. I enjoy researching and speaking about these topics. I lead the Qualtrics XM Institute, which is the world's best job. We're igniting a global community of XM Professionals who are inspired and empowered to radically improve the human experience. To achieve this goal, my team focuses on thought leadership, training, and community building. My work is driven by a set of fundamental beliefs: 1) Everything starts and ends with human beings, so you need to understand how people think, feel, and behave; 2) XM is a discipline that needs to be woven throughout an organization's entire operating fabric; and 3) Building the XM discipline requires a combination of culture, competency, and technology.

2 Responses to The Changing Pattern of Consumer Communications

  1. Mike Nickel says:
    October 30, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    Would love to see how this applies to “doing business” vs. just “communicating”.

    Reply

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