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The majority of Americans (84%) say that consumer reviews influence their purchase decisions. Contrast this with how many have written reviews (28%) to see how much influence a few hold on this process. One-half of the 84% say they rely on these reviews during the first stage of the buying cycle.
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Overall, American adults (37%) say that TV offers the most helpful advertisements in deciding which products and services to buy. Newspapers come in at a distant second with 17%, followed by Internet search engine ads (14%), radio ads (3%), and Internet banner ads (1%). The following chart shows how age is a major factor in determining who responds to or ignores specific advertisements.
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Americans say they would most likely give up their subscription to television (44%) over their subscriptions to other media or devices. The chart below details findings.
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A significant percentage of Americans (42%) say the historic legacy of the Baby Boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964) will be that they ushered in an era of consumerism and self-indulgence. Twenty-seven percent said the legacy will be for bringing about change in social and cultural values and ending a war, and 11% say the generation will not leave a special legacy at all.
Black Americans (50%) are more likely to say that Boomers brought about social and cultural change, as opposed to 24% who say they gave rise to consumerism. Some 36% of Hispanics think the legacy will be consumerism, and 32% say social and cultural change.
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Among Americans who have wireless handheld devices – smartphones or PDAs – Blacks (58%) and Hispanics (53%) are more likely than Whites (33%) to use them to go online. The following chart shows the handheld device activities on a typical day.
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Americans aged 18-34 have the highest membership in social networking sites (77%), followed by 64% of those aged 35-44 and 48% of those aged 45-64. Some 42% of 35-44-year-olds have profiles on multiple sites, as do 23% of 54-64-year-olds.
The following chart shows the top web content accessed by age group.
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