Just about every dealer and integrator (and manufacturer, for that matter) is acutely aware of how popular streaming music is with their clients/customers. Now, new industry statistics, reported on by market researcher eMarketer, provides a dramatic indicator of just how popular streaming music has become. And it is likely much more popular than you could imagine.
Consumer Trends
Consumer Confidence Index at Lowest Level in 7 Months
The Conference Board released today its closely watched Consumer Confidence Index – a monthly reading on the sentiment of consumers about the economy. The reading for the month of November at 70.4 fell slightly from the October reading of 72.4. October, however, had fallen sharply from the September and the current reading is the lowest since April.
What’s dragging consumer confidence down at this critical holiday shopping season?… [Read more…] about Consumer Confidence Index at Lowest Level in 7 Months
Homebuilders Report the Next Great Home Add-On is Solar Panels Built-In – To the Roof & the Mortgage
Granite countertops – at one time considered an amenity – are now considered a standard option for most folks building new homes. Now, Bloomberg is reporting that the next granite countertops – is solar panels.
How hot are solar panels? According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, demand for systems that generate electricity at home will jump 56 percent nationwide this year. In fact, two communities in California have passed legislation mandating solar panels in all new construction.
See more on this rapidly growing green energy trend… [Read more…] about Homebuilders Report the Next Great Home Add-On is Solar Panels Built-In – To the Roof & the Mortgage
Praying at CEA’s Church of Data Dominion
CE Week kicked off last week with a Research Summit where the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) market research experts presented the latest market data, along with their assessment of its meaning – and their prognostications for the future. In past years, this was a presentation that was included as part of the Line Show – now it has been split off as a separate day-long event including not only raw data, but various discussion panels as well.
And the data did not disappoint… [Read more…] about Praying at CEA’s Church of Data Dominion
Gibson and Onkyo Go Wireless
The Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA) announced on Tuesday that it has signed up several new members and a couple caught our eye – Gibson Guitar Corp. (now Gibson Brands) and Onkyo Corporation. Also joining the organization are loudspeaker manufacturer Dali and Australian distributor Amber Technology who markets a line of speakers called Accent Digital.
Who is the WiSA and why would Onkyo and Gibson join? See more below… [Read more…] about Gibson and Onkyo Go Wireless
Strata-gee.com’s Ted Green Featured in Consumer Website Article on Home Automation
MyMove.com, a website and blog dedicated to any and all issues surrounding a homeowner’s moving, this week posted an article on home automation that featured three industry experts – Delia Hansen, Marketing Solutions Manager at Crestron; Michael Braithwaite, Chief Strategy Officer for ClearOne, manufacturer of the NetStream DigiLinx home control system; and Strata-gee.com’s very own Ted Green. Written by Dawn Allcot – principal of Allcot Media, the post was titled Whole-Home Automation: Convenience, Savings and Sustainability.
How did this story approach home automation…and what did Ted tell them? See more below… [Read more…] about Strata-gee.com’s Ted Green Featured in Consumer Website Article on Home Automation
Hey Consumers! How’s Your Holiday Shopping Going?
Reuters/Ipsos published a new poll seeking to answer the question of how holiday shoppers are progressing with their gift buying. After all, there’s less than 20 days left until Christmas – surely shoppers took advantage of the early Black Friday specials to get all of their gift shopping done at great prices…right?
See below to find out where shoppers REALLY stand…you may be surprised… [Read more…] about Hey Consumers! How’s Your Holiday Shopping Going?
Where Do Consumers Prefer to See Advertisements?
Think you know how the typical consumer – if there is such a thing – feels about advertising in our new digitally-enhanced world? You just might be surprised! For example, in today’s increasingly digital world…marketers are devoting more dollars to digital media such as websites, email marketing, paid search marketing, social media marketing, and more.
But how does traditional print and broadcast media fit into our new digital marketing world?… [Read more…] about Where Do Consumers Prefer to See Advertisements?
Consumer Reports Picks Top Ten Electronics of 2012; Their Choices May Surprise You
Consumer Reports, that venerable organization known for torture testing products, ranking their results, and offering advice to consumers on how to pick the right product for them, announced on Thursday their picks for the Top Ten Electronics products for 2012. The list of their picks will appear in the December issue which is its Annual Electronics Issue.
The company said it tested over 600 products for their December issue, but “only ten standout products made the short list for performance and innovation.”
What electronics did they pick? See more below… [Read more…] about Consumer Reports Picks Top Ten Electronics of 2012; Their Choices May Surprise You
Consumer Confidence Rises Again; Now at 4-Year High
Looking for more “green shoots” of economic recovery? The Conference Board released the latest data from their Consumer Confidence Index showing another monthly increase (it increased in September as well) in the overall level of confidence that consumers have in the economy. The Index’s reading for October was 72.2, a significant uptick from September’s level of 68.4, which was up over August.
