Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Every day, Americans use online tools to gather information, pay bills, communicate with friends, and conduct business. Intuit Health’s second annual Health Care Check-Up Survey shows that they want and expect that same connectivity and convenience from their doctor’s office. Seventy-three percent of Americans surveyed would use a secure online communication solution to make it easier to get lab results, request appointments, pay medical bills, and communicate with their doctor’s office. The convenience of anytime, anywhere access is so important that almost half would consider switching doctors for a practice that offered the ability to communicate and complete important health care tasks online. “Doctors who offer secure online solutions can meet this patient demand while increasing office efficiency and enhancing the doctor-patient relationship,” said Steve Malik, president and general manager of Intuit Health.

As spring approaches, consumers will be driving to garden centers and other retailers of outside equipment and supplies. One specific consumer group, homeowners, might be fixing up their lawns and gardens to improve their prospects of a real estate sale while others are just enjoying the renewed interest in gardening. Either way, marketers of lawn and garden products can appeal to consumers in a variety of ways to increase revenue.

According to new research from The Knot Inc., “brides remain committed to planning a luxurious, memorable event and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy,” said Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot Inc. “In fact, approximately 1 in 5 brides are spending more than $30,000 on their wedding, and 12% of brides are spending more than $40,000.” Destination weddings are becoming more popular, and brides are increasingly using online wedding planning tools to prepare for the big day. More brides are using social media to communicate wedding details (a 78% increase since 2008) and creating/sending save-the-dates or invitations online (a 40% increase since 2008) as well as using an online RSVP service (a 31% increase since 2008) or setting up personal wedding websites (a 23% increase since 2008).

According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, younger adults are leading the way in increased mobility, preferring laptops to desktops and using their cell phones for a variety of functions, including internet, email, music, games, and video. Cell phones are by far the most popular device among American adults, with 85% of adults owning cell phones, and 90% of all adults live in a household with at least one working cell phone. Though cell phones are now ubiquitous in American homes, the level of engagement with the phones does vary widely between generations. Almost half of adults own an iPod or other mp3 player, and 42% percent of all adults age 18 and older own a game console. However, Millennials are by far the most likely group not only to own most of the devices studied, but also to take advantage of a wider range of functions.

According to new research by Bold Software, a live-chat software vendor, 77% of e-retailers that use live chat considered it a critical communication method during the recent holiday shopping season, up from 69% of e-retailers who said the same thing in 2009. In addition, 23% of the e-commerce sites surveyed said that of those customers that engaged with them in a live chat, more than 40% converted to an active lead or sale, while 54% reported a conversion rate of 20% or more. And for those who used proactive chat over the holidays (where an e-retailer invites a chat with a customer based on his on-site behavior), 55% said that it yielded higher conversion rates than chats initiated by the website visitor. “These results further demonstrate that live chat is a highly effective communication channel that facilitates meaningful engagements between people, bolstering both sales and service efforts as a result,” said Steve Castro-Miller, president and CEO of Bold Software.

Consumers have a lot to consider when they’re on the hunt for a new car these days. But, according to Mintel research, it’s a hassle-free sales environment that really gets shoppers’ motors running, as 27% of consumers who have bought a new vehicle in the past three years say they were influenced by the stress-free sales floor. With the average age of cars and trucks on the road today at more than 10-years-old, industry analysts say Americans will need to replace their aging vehicles. Sales are expected to reach 12.9 million new cars and trucks sold in 2011, compared with 11.6 million light vehicles sold in 2010, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Factors expected to contribute to the sales gains include an abundance of new models and choices, low interest rates, and higher gas prices, which increase consumer demand for small cars, hybrid vehicles and diesels.