Megan McManaman

Recent Posts

New Study: Consumers and the Race for Mobile Wallet

Posted by Megan McManaman

Mon, Apr 01, 2013

Mobile Wallet CMBYou’re about to step out your front door...

But wait just a moment! You can only take your phone or your wallet, which will it be?

Pre-smartphone there would be no contest, I’d take my wallet. But times have changed, and the balance has now tipped in favor of my beloved iPhone. Beyond checking email, I use my phone to deposit checks, see when the train is coming, read the news, record my ski stats, listen to music, and if I've also forgotten my lunch, I can use a mobile wallet app to buy a sandwich at the deli across the street.Of course there’s more to mobile wallets than the fate of my lunch, there are billions of dollars at stake for the banks, credit card companies, start-ups, tech giants and others who want to dominate, or just cash in on, the evolving relationship we have with our smartphones. In our latest Consumer Pulse, we surveyed 1,479 smartphone users about what they know about mobile wallets, what’s keeping them from using, what features they’d like to see, and who they'd trust to provide them.

First things first, half of respondents said they were familiar with mobile wallet technology (or proximity payments)—apps that let users swipe or tap their phone at the point of sale, rather than using credit cards or cash. When we asked this 50% to tell us about their experience and expectations for using mobile wallets most said they didn’t plan on adopting a mobile wallet…but nearly a quarter said they were planning to try out the technology in the next 6 months (TWEET THIS). That’s no small number considering smartphone ownership is nearly ubiquitous.

Now let’s consider our more reticent smartphone users, what’s keeping them from trying out the technology that’s already at their finger-tips? We weren’t surprised to find that security (73% called it a barrier to adoption)—particularly identity theft—was high on the list of what’s keeping people from giving up on cash and credit (TWEET THIS). The good news for mobile wallet providers is 79% said they’d be more likely to adopt if they were guaranteed 100% protection against fraud and theft. While many mobile wallet providers already offer this protection, the results show there’s a real opportunity to benefit from promoting this type of security measure (TWEET THIS).

If you’ve assuaged the fear of being scammed, stolen from, and over-charged (remember when people were afraid to shop online?) what’s next?  Aside from the novelty of scanning your phone, what’s the incentive behind using a mobile wallet over your, just as convenient, credit card? We found reward and loyalty points were very appealing, particularly when offered as additions to existing rewards people get with their credit cards—80% of non-adopters said they’d be more likely to adopt if offered these extra rewards (TWEET THIS). Of course people like rewards and points—you don’t need to be a marketer to understand that. But nearly as many (66%) said that getting the same rewards they got with their credit card would increase their likelihood to adopt—to which I say, c’mon people aim a little higher.

So yes, rewards are nice, but one of the best things about smartphones is the ability to look stuff up. Think of how many arguments have been nipped in the bud by a quick search of imdb.com or Wikipedia. That ability to find the information you want any time, any place, is just as compelling in a shopping context. Including location-based services like the ability to easily compare items in stores nearby increases likelihood to adopt among 78% of non-adopters (TWEET THIS). But we also found people were a little leery of getting too many alerts, both because they can be annoying and because they suck down battery life. Note to providers, offering people the choice of what alerts and discounts they receive could be a major draw as they decide who they’d like to provide their mobile wallet service.

The topic of mobile is rightly dominating the discussion in almost every industry, but the fact is, for most people mobile wallets are still incredibly new. Amid all the noise and growth, there’s still tremendous opportunity for providers who understand the concerns, goals, needs, and desires of the millions (billion?) of people with the technology right at their fingertips.

Mobile Moment ICON

Download the full report and learn more about what will drive (and block) adoption, and who has the advantage as we enter the next leg of the mobile wallet race.

 

 

 

Megan is CMB's Product Marketing Manager, she loves Alpine Replay, and longs for the day she can unlock the front door with her phone.

Topics: Technology, Financial Services Research, Mobile, Consumer Pulse, Retail

CMB Case Study: Inventing a Tour for the Travelers of the Future

Posted by Megan McManaman

Thu, Jan 03, 2013

A practical and innovative approach to new product development.

The Challenge

Tauck Case StudyTauck Worldwide, an industry leader with over 85 years experience in premium guided tours, wanted to create a new travel concept to meet the needs of a population increasingly comfortable with researching, planning, and traveling on their own. Tauck needed innovative thinking to define and build a new type of tour product – one that appealed to next gen customers, conveyed a unique brand identity while standing out from competitors in the crowded travel market space. What We Did

CMB and principals from South Street Strategy Group used a multi-method, multi-source approach to:

  • Select top opportunities on which to focus

  • Ideate across functions with executives and senior managers, leveraging insight and experience in the market

  • Research and assess the competitive landscape and baby boomer’s core  travel goals and needs – particularly un-met needs

  • Test alternatives to guide product development, pricing and identify target guests who are most interested in the new product line

  • Identify acquisition targets in the travel industry, new business models, and new product offerings, by leveraging core competencies, that would create significant value for the company and address baby boomer’s needs

  • Work with the CEO, CFO, and COO and the New Ventures Group to ensure recommendations were aligned with business constraints, addressed operational challenges and met business goals

How It Was Used

Tauck launched the Culturious brand as a totally new product line on time and with unanimous board approval. The new brand, which currently consists of 8 packages and destinations, meets customer needs by offering small-group tours geared toward active baby boomers with an interest in active, culturally engaging travel. The brand has won awards, including the 2010 Innovation prize from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnerships (CQIA).

To learn more about our approach to New Product and Service Development click here.

For more of our award winning case studies click here. 

Topics: Chadwick Martin Bailey, South Street Strategy Group, Product Development, Travel & Hospitality Research

CMB Voices 2012: A Few Favorites

Posted by Megan McManaman

Thu, Dec 27, 2012

We're looking forward to the New Year—new projects, new insights, and new ideas. But before we ring in 2013, let's take a look back at some of our favorite blogs from 2012:

2012Kristen Garvey talks brand loyalty, and why some brands have that certain something:
Creating a Brand Ritual Takes more than Points and Rewards

Andrew Wilson makes the case for Customer Experience research:
Is the Voice of the Customer the Death Knell of Innovation?

Diego Jimenez takes a delicious look at the importance of good questionnaire design:
One Sweet Approach to Questionnaire Design

A double header by Jeff McKenna, a practical look at Big Data:
How Target Knows You're Pregnant: A Predictive Analysis Perspective and "Big Data," Expert Systems, and the Future of the Market Researcher

Brant Cruz explains needs-state segmentation, and why people only seem to order tomato juice at 40,000 feet:
Why Boozers Become Juicers on Planes: Adventures in Segmentation

Thank you for a wonderful year. And, if you've got topics you'd like us to tackle in 2013, let us know in the comments!

 

Topics: Chadwick Martin Bailey

Join CMB at The Market Research Event

Posted by Megan McManaman

Wed, Oct 03, 2012

CMB at TMRE 2012This November we'll be in sunny Boca Raton, for The Market Research Event, presenting with our friends at The Atlantic City Alliance and SunTrust Bank.  We'll share findings, challenges, and insights from two very different segmentation studies:

Atlantic City: Building a Foundation for Future Growth

Track: Insight Driven Innovation Track
Time and Date:
Tuesday November 13th @ 2:00 pm
Presenters:
Judy Melanson, Vice President, Travel and Hospitality Practice, CMB and Rich Mirman, Consultant to the Atlantic City Alliance, Former CMO for Caesars Entertainment, The Mirman Group, LLC

While Atlantic City attracts over 30 million visitors a year, the popular tourist destination faces a number of challenges—including a recession and increased competition. Join us to hear how CMB and The Atlantic City Alliance took a foundational approach to segmentation—identifying and assessing Atlantic City's greatest growth opportunities to decide who to attract, and what to build.

SunTrust: Segmentation as a Change Agent

Track: Insights Leadership & Transformation Track
Time and Date:
Wednesday November 14th @ 11:15 am
Presenters:
Rich Schreuer, Senior Consultant, CMB; Mark Carr, Co-founder and Managing Partner, The South Street Strategy Group; Jeff VanDeVelde, SVP, Director of Client Experience and Loyalty, SunTrust Bank

Learn how CMB and The South Street Strategy Group partnered with SunTrust to develop and prioritize consumer segments based on goals and needs. This segmentation was central to  forming the foundation for SunTrust’s brand strategy, and helping the bank make the critical shift from a product-focused to a customer-centric organization.

We're excited to see you, click here to register, and enter CMB2012 to receive 25% off.

Check out one of our favorite moments from last year: TMRE Highlight: The Art of Choosing

Topics: Conference Insights

New Webinar: The New Age of Television on Wednesday 9/12 at Noon

Posted by Megan McManaman

Wed, Aug 29, 2012

New Age of TVJoin us Wednesday September 12 to discover the who, what, and how of the new rules of television viewing.

CMB's Chris Neal maps out the needs and priorities of different consumers to help forecast how they'll react to future technologies, platforms and service bundles as the industry continues to evolve.

Topics include:

• Online viewership of TV shows and movies among age segments.
• Device viewership scenarios.
• Preferred TV viewing device by occasion.
• Online viewing pain points and barriers.
• Needs analysis of new technology platforms.

Register here

New Age of TV CMBDownload our free Consumer Pulse report: The New Age of Television

 

 



Topics: Technology, Television, Webinar, Media & Entertainment Research