Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
Last saved by: HTTP server

Digital Trends Spring - UK - April 2011

INTRODUCTION
Research methodology
Crown copyright
Abbreviations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Broadband penetration and device ownership
Digital divide persists
Figure 1: Broadband penetration, 2004-10
Ebooks grabbing the headlines, but much penetration remains low as yet
Figure 2: Electronic devices have at home, October 2010-December 2010
Internet usage
Figure 3: Activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, October 2010-December 2010
Browser wars
Mobile internet popularity on the rise
Christmas boost for e-tailers?
Innovation
Special focus – online dating
Figure 4: Participation in online dating, April 2009-December 2010
Figure 5: Words/phrases associated with online dating, April 2009-December 2010
What we think
WHO’S INNOVATING?
Key points
iPad 2 cements Apple’s grip on tablet market
iPlayer extends its reach beyond the BBC
LightRadio may boost mobile coverage
McDonald’s moves to pay and wave
Toshiba unveils no-glasses 3D TVs
Soul2Match automates online dating
BROADBAND PENETRATION
Key points
Penetration inches upward but some groups remain marginalised
Figure 6: Broadband penetration by demographics, 2004-10
Market share figures hide BT’s continuing huge influence
Figure 7: Market share of fixed broadband providers in the UK (estimated figures Q3 2010)
Broadband for all…?
Figure 8: Proportion of households, by region with sub 2 mbps lines, UK 2011
Broadband access key to economic success
Reaching the final third is the challenge
What is NGA superfast broadband?
Broadband speed – not all it is made out to be
Variation by technology
DEVICE OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS
Key points
Figure 9: Electronic devices have at home, April 2009-December 2010
iPhone being caught by Android
E-books in the ascendancy…
…and driving device sales
Can Nintendo continue to forge new markets?
HD comes of age as Sky updates EPG
INTERNET USAGE EXPERIENCES
Key points
Figure 10: Activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, April 2009-December 2010
Chrome taking IE market share to leave Firefox winner in Europe…
…as Google pursues Microsoft at every turn
‘Do not track’ protects privacy…
…as search undermines it
Social networking struggling to convince marketers
MOBILE USAGE EXPERIENCES
Key points
Figure 11: Sites visited in the last three months using a mobile phone, July 2009-December 2010
Hot spot access getting hotter
Android phones get another browser
Mobile payments taking off…
…as geolocation services add to mobile experience
Limitations of the mobile advertising medium exposed
Leg work taken out of on-the-spot price comparison
BBC iPlayer to boost watching video on mobile
BUYING BEHAVIOURS
Key points
Figure 12: Types of websites purchased from in the last three months, April 2009-December 2010
Impact of Christmas good – but not great…
…as snow takes the rap
Delivery and customer satisfaction moving to centre stage
The only way is multi-channel
Take VAT
Clothing benefits from Christmas and customer service…
…as does food
PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE DATING
Key points
Rise in online singles good for dating sites
Figure 13: Current personal situation, April 2009-December 2010
Internet undermining relationships…?
Those looking for love are young and wealthy
Figure 14: Current personal situation, by demographics, December 2010
Overall picture unchanged
Figure 15: Participation in online dating, April 2009-December 2010
Singles keen on a relationship most likely to be proficient in online dating
Figure 16: Participation in online dating, by current personal situation, December 2010
Romance not the best basis for finding an online partner?
PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE DATING
Key points
Unsafe, expensive, embarrassing, desperate – not the ideal image
Figure 17: Words/phrases associated with online dating, April 2009-December 2010
Safety a key driver for dating sites
Expense a key deterrent – beware Facebook?
Figure 18: Words/phrases associated with online dating, by current personal situation, December 2010
Even existing users see online dating as expensive – but fun and easy to use
Figure 19: Words/phrases associated with online dating, by participation in online dating, December 2010
Mobile apps present opportunities and challenges for existing operators
Lapsed users feel the stigma?
APPENDIX – DEVICE OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS
Figure 20: Most popular electronic devices have at home, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 21: Next most popular electronic devices have at home, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 22: Other electronic devices have at home, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 23: Least popular electronic devices have at home, by demographics, December 2010
APPENDIX – INTERNET USAGE ACTIVITIES
Figure 24: Most popular activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, December 2010
Figure 25: Next most popular activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, December 2010
Figure 26: Popular activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, December 2010
Figure 27: Other activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, December 2010
Figure 28: Least popular activities personally done on the internet at home in the last three months, December 2010
APPENDIX – MOBILE USAGE ACTIVITIES
Figure 29: Most popular sites visited in the last three months using a mobile phone, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 30: Next most popular sites visited in the last three months using a mobile phone, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 31: Other sites visited in the last three months using a mobile phone, by demographics, December 2010
APPENDIX – BUYING BEHAVIOURS
Figure 32: Most popular types of websites purchased from in the last three months, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 33: Next most popular types of websites purchased from in the last three months, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 34: Other types of websites purchased from in the last three months, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 35: Least popular types of websites purchased from in the last three months, by demographics, December 2010
APPENDIX – PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE DATING
Figure 36: Current personal situation, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 37: Participation in online dating, by demographics, December 2010
APPENDIX – PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE DATING
Figure 38: Most popular words/phrases associated with online dating, by demographics, December 2010
Figure 39: Next most popular words/phrases associated with online dating, by demographics, December 2010

This report is supplied in accordance with Mintel's terms and conditions.  
© Mintel Group Ltd.