••• customer experience research
Consumers to brands: Stop trying to ‘surprise and delight’
A survey conducted by Toronto-based IntelliResponse found that while most consumer-facing companies tout goals around surprising and delighting customers, consumers prefer an efficient customer service experience as opposed to a personalized one. When 1,000 U.S. online consumers
were asked what type of relationship they want from the companies they buy from, 59 percent of respondents said they would like a transactional relationship where they receive efficient service and only 24 percent characterized their relationship as a friendship, where they get personalized service.
The survey also uncovered that 74 percent of consumers believe they should be able to get the same answers from a company’s Web site that they can get from speaking to one of the company’s call center workers. This is largely due to the expanding communication landscape, which now includes online portals, social media and mobile devices. It has become increasingly important for consumers to be able to find answers to their customer service questions online, especially given that 68 percent of survey respondents said a company’s Web site is the first place they go when looking for information regarding a product or service.
For Millennial consumers, efficiency now means mobility. According to the IntelliResponse survey, 61 percent of respondents age 18-24 and 60 percent of respondents age 25-34 said they would rather use a mobile app for a customer service question than call a contact center to speak to a live representative.
••• television research
Dramas dominate prime-time
From family feuds to office backstabbings to actual stabbings in the back, American viewers love to watch the drama unfold on their TVs. According to a recent Nielsen Advertising and Audiences report, there are more dramas on prime-time TV this season than any other genre – accounting for 37 percent of all programming across broadcast and cable. Meanwhile, the sports genre was a close second, making up nearly a third (31 percent) of all prime-time programming.
But prime time is just part of the drama genre’s dominance. Drama enthusiasts are also recording their favorite programming to enjoy at their leisure. The genre accounts for roughly two-thirds (62 percent) of prime-time time-shifted viewing, demonstrating that viewers are actively making a date with drama.
It’s not just programmers and viewers who are drawn to dramas – advertisers have taken note of the genre’s value too. And they’re investing in this trend, spending $12 billion in 2013 to reach viewers who are notoriously glued to their sets. This was the most spent among all TV genres last year, followed by general news ($9 billion) and sitcoms ($6 billion).
But what’s the value of drama’s captive audience for advertisers? As noted in the report, Nielsen TV Brand Effect data has shown that when viewers are engaged in the content they’re watching, they are also more engaged in the ads.