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CES 2015

Just a quick note from Argus Insights to give some hints as to what we have cooking for 2015. 2014 has been a year of expansion and growth for Argus Insights. Not only has our coverage of Consumer Products expanded to include Wearables, Appliances, and Internet of Things devices, but we are also pulling consumer data globally from Chinese smartphone users, and Indian and German Consumer Electronic consumers.

Our ability to beat Wall Street Analysts on where consumer markets are headed continues to be validated with accurate predictions on Apple, Best Buy and other brands during 2014. We have also expanded our analysis of consumer behavior in social media to include B2B categories such as Software Defined Networks, Embedded Vision, Network Function Virtualization, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and more. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

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Can Sprint Cut Out the Competition by Cutting Bills in Half?

Sprint’s ‘Cut Your Bill in Half’ promotion offers AT&T or Verizon customers the opportunity to switch to Sprint and, you guessed it, cut their bill in half. The graph below compares consumer review buzz and delight from the weeks before and the weeks after the promotion began. Though this promotion was designed by Sprint to steal the competitor’s consumers, as of its start on December 5, Sprint has seen no gains in perception according to consumer reviews.

The deal has only been available for a couple weeks, but Sprint’s plan to gain customers has failed to work so far. Since the start of their ‘Cut Your Bill in Half’ promotion, both Sprint and Verizon have seen less promoters and less happy customers, while only AT&T saw improvement. Only time will tell if this promotion will lure customers to switch carriers.

Looking to conversation on Social Media, however, tells a different story. While the data from consumer reviews displayed in the graph above represents the reaction of actual consumers who have used and reviewed the carriers, the social data displayed below is more representative of branding and general awareness. The volume of conversation increased to a small peak on the day of the launch then steadily fell back down. This trend demonstrates an initial lack of interest which helps explain the limited interest shown through reviews. By tracking both consumer reviews and social media conversation, Argus Insights can compare branding to reality to paint a comprehensive picture of consumer engagement. In this case, lack of social engagement prior to the promotion was a precursor to limited adoption.

For an in depth look at how consumer demand is effecting the Smartphone Market, check out our November Consumer Demand Reports. For personalized consolation, custom reports, or access to our data, please contact us.

Are People Still Using Smartphones as Phones?

Smartphones now come with so many features that the original calling function is often overlooked. With texting, email, facetime, snapchat, and several other ways to communicate, the modest phone call has become an antiquated practice. While there are several different ways to communicate on a smartphone, users are still concerned with making calls, and their feedback is predominantly negative. Despite all the other capabilities, a smartphone is ultimately still a phone, and consumers are not satisfied with this primary function.

This shift in usage is happening across all smartphone brands, but negative feedback is more prominent for less popular brands like Kyocera, Sharp, and ZTE, since users are willing to overlook poor call quality in favor of other features from more popular brands like Apple, Sony, and Samsung.

We drill down into specific complaints and consumer sentiment about phone usage by brand in our Peek and Focus November Smartphone Consumer Demand Report.

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Argus Insights tracks consumer behavior in several markets. Reports are also available for the Wearables and Home Automation markets. If you are interested in custom reports, consultation, or gaining access to our data, please contact us.

Moto 360 is the Wearable Product to Watch: Learn More in Our Consumer Demand Report

Since its release on September 5th, early Moto 360 smartwatch adopters have been delighted. Delight scores soared throughout the month of October, demonstrating persisting consumer satisfaction. In fact, the initial success of the Moto 360 drove Motorola to be the most loved wearables brand of October. The praise for the style and design of this round smartwatch overpowered complaints of performance and battery life to drive overall consumer satisfaction. The reasons behind the positive consumer reception and subsequent success of the Moto 360 launch are examined in detail in the Product Deep Dive section of Argus Insights’ October Wearables Peek Report.

For more details about why the Moto 360 experienced such a successful launch, check out our October Peek Report. Motorola was October’s ‘Brand to Watch,’ so Argus Insights drilled into the consumer experience to pinpoint specific reasons for the Moto 360’s success. In addition to the deep dive on the launch and reception of the Moto 360, our October Wearables Report provides a close look at why consumers are adopting certain brands and products in the Wearables Market and examines the effect the anticipation of the Apple Watch is having on the entire market. The report includes brand and retailer rankings based on consumer reviews, with a detailed look at the reasons behind consumer adoption to determine what brands are doing right, and where there is room for improvement. The customer is always right, and Argus Insights is here to listen for you to deliver detailed, actionable insights. Purchase our October Consumer Demand Report for the Wearables, Home Automation, or Smartphone market today!

Please contact us with inquiries about specific brands or products, custom reports, consultation, or to gain access to our data.

For just a Wink of Insights to keep you informed between reports and blogs, sign up for our free weekly newsletters.

Separating the Buzz From the Delight: Which Products Should Consumers Really Want this Holiday Season?

With Black Friday just around the corner, it’s time to start compiling shopping lists. Argus Insights wants to help separate the hype of the deals from the reality of product quality to clearly define consumer intentions. In addition to our free Consumers Beware: Black Friday webinar this Monday, November 17^th, we analyzed consumer reviews from the past week to determine which products are truly delighting users, and which are just getting their attention. The ‘most popular’ products netted the most consumer reviews, while the ‘most delightful’ products received the most positive feedback.

In the smartphone market, interest in Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices has endured, as these devices remained top of mind for the week of November 2-9^th. While Apple phones grabbed mindshare, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Note 3 won the hearts of consumers, as they sandwiched the Sony Xperia Z3 in the list of most delightful phones for the week.

Fitbit products had a majority of the mindshare in the wearables market, but only their Fitbit Zip made it onto the list of the most delightful devices. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch produces the happiest users, followed by Garmin’s more fitness minded devices and the lower end Pebble Smartwatch.

None of the most popular Home Automation products made it onto the list of the most delightful. Nest’s Learning Thermostat received the most attention from consumers, but the most delightful product was the little discussed Rachio Iro Smart Sprinkler Controller.

Argus Insights tracks consumer perception of several products across different sectors year round. For more insights, you can sign up for our Free Black Friday Webinar or our Free Weekly Newsletters. Please contact us with any specific questions regarding custom reports, monthly reports, consulting, or access to our data.

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