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.
Black Friday has come and gone, and consumers have come out of it with countless technological goodies. But which brand won the most mindshare during this crucial retail weekend? According to our Social Media data, Fitbit! Fitbit saw the most conversation throughout the weekend, while Apple was discussed more on the day of Black Friday.
Apple’s buzz boost on Black Friday was primarily the result of conversation about a product that is not even on sale yet…the Apple Watch! Fitbit, on the other hand, generated conversation about fitness trackers that are currently on the market. Consumers discussed their delight derived from successful weight loss endeavors on boards and tweeted eBay deals and product review articles to fellow shoppers.
Fitbit’s fitness trackers saw enduring attention throughout the weekend, but Apple did receive the most Black Friday attention on social media. That attention was not related to immediate sales, but it does validate consumer eagerness to get their hands on the Apple Watch. Discussion of Fitbit drove conversation about products available to buy, which could be promising for adoption. Will Fitbit’s Black Friday push ensure success over the upcoming Apple Watch release? Argus Insights will continue to listen to the consumers and keep you updated throughout this wearables war. Sign up to get free weekly insights into the wearables market derived from consumer conversation on social media.
At Argus Insights, we are constantly tracking consumer reactions to brands and products across several types of consumer technology, smartphones, appliances, and more! For access to our data, personal consultation, or custom reports, please contact us. If you are interested in a specific market, check out our Consumer Demand Reports for the Smartphones, Wearables, and Home Automation markets.
Best Buy’s Q3 earnings will be announced were announced on Thursday, November 20th before the opening bell (much to the chagrin of the Argus Insights publishing schedule). Best Buy’s consumer review mindshare in Q3 of 2013 saw a sharp decline, while mindshare in Q3 of 2014 saw the opposite. After a slow summer, consumer review volumes shot up in August 2014 with continued growth throughout the entire quarter. Tablets, smartphones, and laptops received the most attention, but other sectors, like wearables, are beginning to contribute to the company’s increasing mindshare as well. Over the past year, Best Buy has been implementing ‘experience stores’ within their larger store, that are specifically focused on brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Intel. The targeted attention of these experience stores appears to be translating into increased consumer demand in Best Buy consumer electronics. Consumers were more interested in Best Buy products throughout the quarter, and this boost in attention will most likely translate to reported gains in Q3.
Comparing the trajectory of Best Buy’s consumer review volumes to that of Amazon further highlights Best Buy’s vast improvement in Q3 performance this year. Amazon saw higher volumes of reviews, but with a sustained trajectory. These shifts in relative review volumes are a key indicator of sales trends for retailers. Amazon’s growth is in large part due to the release of new Amazon Fire Tablets (yes, they dropped the Kindle assuming we’ve already ignited our interest in their products and do not require kindling) though even without tablets, we see Amazon’s growth over the same time period in 2013.
Best Buy saw a complete transformation in consumer engagement during Q3 of this year. This increased mindshare suggests that Best Buy will see sales growth for the quarter. (Editor note: Looks like we were right, they beat the street’s expectations). Amazon still has overall higher growth year to year, but Best Buy has reversed the downward spiral of last year, fending off rumors of “death by showrooming.” We will keep watching through Black Friday’s frenzy and the rest of the holiday season and update the market just before their earnings releases in February.
Argus Insights tracks several product categories across various retailers. Please contact us for custom reports, access to our data, or personal consultation. If you are interested in a monthly report on the effects of consumer demand within the Wearables or Smartphone Market, check out our Monthly Market Analysis Reports.
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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.
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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 17th, 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 2-9th. 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.