Consumer Experience and Research: November 2017

Monday 20 November 2017

Brands and Youth Consumers

iReach Insights Press Release

49% of youths reported clothes as the number one item they most commonly purchased.
70% of youths follow a brand on social media.
Almost all (93%) listed price as the most important factor when deciding what brands to purchase.
Two-fifths commonly purchase goods from Amazon.
According to 72% of youths, the number one essential item that every teenager must have is a phone.
One-third (33%) reported follow clothing brands on social media.

We are constantly surrounded by brands, both in person and online, taking the form of advertising, celebrity endorsement, and social media, as well as many others. Intentionally or not, this impacts perception of the people and goods represented. Therefore, brands can influence consumers’ decisions to purchase one item over another, and companies must be aware of their brand and what it conveys. This is especially true amongst youths, many of whom are active on social media, one of the major tools companies can use to create and maintain their brand.

In a recent survey, iReach Insights asked 16-24 year olds in Ireland about brands and the conditions which influence their decision to purchase goods.

The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between of 9^thof November and the 16^thof November and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

47% of these youths stated that their role model influences the brands they purchase or somewhat influences the brands they purchase. The most popular choice of role model is a parent or other family member at 35%. Nevertheless, 19% of respondents stated that a social media influencer such as a Blogger or Instagram personality acts as a role model for them, tied with a teacher.

The survey also shows that 70% follow a brand or personality on social media, with 37% following both. One-third (33%) specifically reported following clothing brands such as Nike, Oasis, or Cos. Nike, in particular, was reported by 19% of youths as their ultimate favourite brand. Other popular brands and personalities include social media personalities and Bloggers such as Lisa’s Lust List with 20% of youths following at least one and tech companies such as Apple and Google with a following of 13%.

In terms of the social media sites influencing youths, 49% state Instagram influences them and 47% say Facebook influences them. Interestingly Females (57%) are more influenced by Instagram than Males (31%). When it comes to Facebook, Males (62%) are much more interested than Females (40%).

We asked “When purchasing, what factors are most important to you when deciding what brands to purchase?” The majority of youths (93%) responded price. Although it was still the top factor for both genders, 12% more females stated price is one of the most important factors than males (97% compared to 85%). Additionally, 7 out of 10 youths reported quality as one of the most important factors and over half (56%) the appearance of the item. Factors which had less of an impact include whether the brand is worn by a celebrity or if it is worn by a social media influencer, although 7% of respondents did list whether the brand is worn by a social media influencer an important factor. None of the respondents listed whether the brand is worn by a celebrity, suggesting social media influencers have more of an effect on youths’ decision to purchase than celebrities.

In terms of purchasing goods, clothing is the number one item youths reported most commonly purchasing at 49%. Food followed next at 32%. When it comes to buying goods online, 4 in 10 reported using Amazon, while 30% listed Boohoo.com. Only 14% stated that they don’t online shop.

With 72% of youths naming their phone as the number one essential item that every teenager must have, social media and the online world is becoming more and more integrated into everyday life. Therefore, its influence on brands and public perception cannot be ignored.

For more information on these research findings please feel free to call iReach on 01-2143740 or email Oisin at oisin.byrne@ireachhq.com

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Monday 6 November 2017

Tattoos

iReach Insights Press Release

71% of people in Ireland think people are perceived differently if they have a tattoo.
27% of those aged 16-34 have at least one tattoo.
54% of adults in Ireland believe that tattoos still have negative connotations associated with them.
Of those who have a tattoo/tattoos, 43% got it in memory of someone or something.
32% of people got their tattoo when they were 18 years old or younger.
57% of adults in Ireland consider tattoos to be an art form.

Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular, especially with the younger age groups, and we want to find out if the negative connotations that used to be associated with tattoos, are still maintained in today’s modern society. In our recent survey, iReach Insights asked 1,000 adults across Ireland about their opinions on tattoos and their own tattoos.

The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between of 8^thof September and the 15^thof September and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

One in five adults in Ireland say they have at least one tattoo. This figure increases considerably with the younger age cohort. Over one in four (27%) aged 16-34 year olds have a tattoo, one in five (20%) 25-54-year olds do and Less that one in ten (7%) over those over 55+ have a tattoo. Despite that fact the more people are getting tattoos over half (54%) of adults in Ireland believe that tattoos still have negative connotations associated with them.

Of those who don’t have a tattoo (80%), we asked “Would you ever consider getting a tattoo?” The majority wouldn’t consider getting a tattoo (62%), but this number shifts depending on your age (16-34 year: 44%, 35-54: 63%, 55+:87%). 15% would consider it (more likely the younger you are) and 23% might consider it.

Of those (20%) who do have a tattoo, the top 3 reasons for getting inked are; 1. 47% of people like the look of them, 2. 43% got it in memory of someone or something and 3. 28% wanted to express creativity. And where do people like to get tattooed? The most popular parts of the body are; back (36%), shoulders (28%), ankle/foot (25%), wrist (21%) and arm (14%). These differ dramatically when it comes to gender – more females (35%) get tattooed on their ankle/foot than males (7%). Likewise, more females (43%) have tattoos on their back compared to males (28%). Males (19%) are more likely to get inked on their arms than females (10%).

Astonishingly, there is no legislations regulating tattooing in Ireland, meaning there is no legal minimum age. However, many tattoo parlours will refuse to tattoo people under the age of 18. Considering this we asked how old people were when they got their first tattoo. One third (32%) of people got their first tattoo when they were 18 or under, 59% of people got it between the ages of 19-35 and 9% of people got their first tattoo when they were 35 or older. Only 16% of people regret having a got a tattoo, interestingly more females (24%) regret it than males (7%).

To find out the Irish public’s view on tattoos and whether there is still a stigma around tattoos we asked some questions and looked to see what the Irish public think. Over two thirds (71%) of people think that people are perceived differently if they have a tattoo and 39% think tattoo make you look more common. However, 57% of adults in Ireland think tattoos are an art form and 33% think that people should not be free to display them in the workplace.

Although one in five people in Ireland have a tattoo, or many tattoos, there is still seems to be a stigma surrounding tattoos.
Having a tattoo/tattoos may be an art form and a way to express yourself and creativity, but there is no denying that there is still a negative social stigma associated with tattoos in Irish society.

For more information on these research findings please feel free to call iReach on 01-2143740 or email Oisin at oisin.byrne@ireachhq.com

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Thursday 2 November 2017

Vegan and Vegetarian 🥗🥕🍎

iReach Insights Press Release

8% of people in Ireland are Vegetarian or Vegan.
One in four (26%) Vegetarians choose this lifestyle due to health reasons.
Younger adults (44%) are more concerned about how eating meat effects the Environment than adults (10%).
27% of Vegans/Vegetarians admit that they have knowingly strayed from their diet.
On Holidays (43%) is the most difficult occasion for vegans and vegetarians to be tempted to stray from their diet.
Half (51%) of adults in Ireland think that vegetarians/vegans sometimes make people who eat meat feel guilty.

Yesterday 1^st November, was World Vegan Day and this is becoming more popular with an increasing number of celebrities promoting the vegan lifestyle, on social media and even through dedicated section of their personal website - Ellen DeGeneres dedicates an entire section of her website “Going vegan with Ellen”. Historically there was only the Vegetarian Society in which the section devoted to non-dairy vegetarianism has been developed, but now Veganism is becoming increasingly popular.

In light of this we conducted a survey conducted by iReach Insights, 1,000 adults were asked about being Vegan and Vegetarian. Vegetarianism or Veganism are life-styles that may be adopted for various reasons that space from animal rights, ethical motivations, religious beliefs and health related motivations. In iReach’s latest survey we want to gain an understanding why some people in Ireland have opted for this lifestyle, and also those who haven’t.

The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between of 24^thAugust and the 31st August and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

The majority (92%) of adults in Ireland state not to be vegetarian nor vegan, 6% of adults are Vegetarian and 2% are Vegan. When talking to those who follow a Vegan lifestyle, we asked “How long have you been vegan?” 67% have been Vegan for less than a year, 18% have been for 1-3 years, 7% for 4-10 years and 8% over 10 years. In relation to Vegetarians and it showed a lower “conversion ratio” in the last year; in fact 11% became vegetarian less than a year ago, 28% 1-3 years, 13% 4-10 years and 48% over 10 years ago. Although there are less Vegans (2%) in Ireland this lifestyle is becoming more popular year on year. Going deeper an interesting difference has emerged amongst men and women, more men (77%) went Vegan than women (47%) in the last twelve months, but the percentage of women (23%) that went vegan for 4 years or more is higher than men (12%). Similar scenario, in the last 3 years more men (61%) went Vegetarian than women (30%), but more women (70%) than men (40%) went “veggie” for 4 years or more. Females adopted these lifestyles earlier than males.

What reasons have led to people choosing this lifestyle? 61% of adults in Ireland indicate “Animal Rights/Welfare” as the main cause. 30% select “Environmental Reasons”, 30% “Don’t like meat” and lastly 26% “Health Reasons”. Of those have pointed out “Environmental Reasons” 44% is represented by adults aged 16-34 and 10% by adults aged 35-54; these figures show that younger adults are more concerned about the environmental effects that eating meat has.

The decision to follow a specific lifestyle, particularly in diet, means we have to pay a lot of attention to the quality of what we eat. Despite their caution, 40% of vegan/vegetarian adults in Ireland have accidentally eaten non-vegetarian / vegan food at least once, 15% admit they don’t know and 45% state that this has never happened to their knowledge. When asked “Do you knowingly ‘cheat’ on your vegetarian / vegan diet?” 27% have admitted that they have! Now the question is: on what occasions is more difficult not to be tempted? “On Holidays” (43%) is at the top of the list, At home with relatives or friends (34%) and at the Restaurants (20%). In terms of who is more tempted during holidays the figures show that more women (45%) than men (39%) are straying from their vegan / vegetarian diet.

What do people in Ireland think about this topic? In fact, half (51%) of adults think that vegetarians/vegans sometimes make people who eat meat feel guilty about it, 27% disagree with this statement and 22% are neutral. In addition, 21% of people think the idea of being vegetarian/vegan is ridiculous, 34% are neutral and 45% don’t think this is ridiculous. The Irish public opinion is quite fragmented about the choice of being vegan or vegetarian which emerged through further questions. In fact, 36% of adults think Veganism is more about being trendy than being healthy, 35% is neutral and 29% believe it is more about a healthier lifestyle choice.

Would vegans/vegetarians’ behaviours effect on make our world a better and cleaner place? One in four (25%) think the world would be a better and cleaner place if more people were vegetarian/vegan. Even if the public opinion is not so convinced about the positive effects of being vegan/vegetarian on our society, 59% of adults believe that always more and more people will decide to live two lifestyles, a number that is constantly increasing over time.

For more information on these research findings please feel free to call iReach on 01-2143740 or email Oisin at oisin.byrne@ireachhq.com

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