Tag Archives: focus groups

Mobile Devices Make Traveling Easier

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“Mobile is growing over 100 percent per year. Consumers are really moving toward mobile devices for all aspects of their lives, including travel.”  Chicago Tribune

With that in mind, popular travel site Orbitz.com is preparing to beef up its mobile offerings for your iPad, iPhone and Android devices. All of the normal searching, comparing and booking of flights, motels and rental cars you do at home on your desktop will now be done on the run. The mobile address is m.orbitz.com

They will also have mobile-only discounts, called Mobile Steals, for last-minute bookings. Orbitz claims that 65% of their mobile bookings are for same-day travel needs.

So, have you used your mobile device for travel bookings? Is it convenient? Do you trust it? Better or worse than the old way? Let us know!

Notes on Tomorrow’s Drawing!

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Tomorrow!!!

Anticipation! Yes, tomorrow we will hold our biggest giveaway ever, where 23 lucky MindFielders will split $2500, including a $1000 grand prize, two $500 prizes and twenty $25 prizes!  So here is how it will work…

We will make our random selections tomorrow, and then begin the process of verification, making sure the winners have met the giveaway requirements (see HERE.) Then, on Monday we will begin contacting the winners by email. Look for an email from “[email protected].”

When we have confirmed everyone, we will make an announcement here at the blog, as well as Facebook and Twitter. We will do a big splashy writeup here at the blog, so we would LOVE to use your name (first name, last initial) and a picture, as well as any personal info you wish to share…what you do, kids, grandkids, why you like MindField Online, etc. Why? Because it’s FUN! Also, it shows people that folks do win at these things!

So that’s the rundown. Good luck, and thanks again to the best panel in the business! XOXOX

Online Shopping, Credit Card Use On the Rise

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Extreme Online Shopping: It's RADICAL!

Black Friday is a time-honored shopping tradition. In recent years, Black Friday had a baby named Cyber Monday. And this year it was a BIG baby! This year…

Cyber Monday (was) the heaviest online spending day on record, with $1.25 billion in sales.  Tuesday and Wednesday followed with billion dollar spending days, helping Cyber Week reach a record weekly total of nearly $6 billion in spending.  Consumer Affairs

So far this season, we have spent almost $19 billion online, an increase of 15% over last year. So, great, we’re spending again – that’s got to be good news for the economy, right? Well, maybe and maybe not. It seems that we’re doing a lot of that spending using our credit cards. Credit card spending is up 7.4 %, while debit card use is up only 3.4%. Will we pay off those credit card purchases, or will we let ‘em ride? That’s the question! Paying them off is usually a sign of consumer confidence – which has been in short supply lately!

So, how about you? Have you increased your online buying this year? What makes you choose one retailer over another? Are you using more credit or debit? Let us know!

Black Friday Thankfulness

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A fun chart. Multiply by 1.55 to get Dollars

Here’s a little bit of good news for all you Holiday shoppers here in the States. Imagine reading THIS article in the UK Daily Mail that says the following:

  • An iPod Nano costs $175 in London and $135 in Boston
  • UGG boots: $269 London, $147 Boston
  • Elizabeth Arden 8-hr cream: $39 London, $18 Boston
  • Men’s Ralph Lauren pullover: $185 London, $95 Boston
  • Sesame Street Rockin’ Elmo: $130 London, $62 Boston

What would you do? Would you buy a plane ticket and do your Holiday shopping in the US of A? Due to a relatively weak Dollar, and HUGE UK taxes, thousands of Brits are doing exactly that this year!

So, as you watch the Wal-Mart credit-card swiper start to smoke and throw sparks as it adds up your purchases, take heart…it could be worse!

Consumer Trust Issues

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Monopoly Man Learns to Cope with Our Distrust

Homer Simpson once said, “People can come up with statistics to prove anything, and 14% of people know that.” So, with a grain of salt, let’s look at little statistical snapshot of consumer sentiment.

The question is, which industries do Americans trust these days? You might be surprised that the answer isn’t “none of them.” According to a new survey, the types of companies we trust from LEAST to MOST trusted are:

  • Health Insurance
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Banks
  • Energy
  • Food and Beverage
  • Large Retailers
  • Manufacturers
  • Technology Companies

Other statistical nuggets include the following:

  • 72% think the economy is in the crapper, and 31% think it will get worse.
  • 76% say that top execs earn too much money.
  • 84% don’t like it when companies move jobs overseas to take advantage of lower wages. 74% feel the same way even if it lowers prices of the things we buy.
  • 90% of us think favorably of small businesses.
  • 62% would rather do business with a small local company even if it charged somewhat higher prices.

Does this sound right to you?  Let us know!

Retailers Pushing Social Media for the Holidays

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Looks like Facebook is about to have its biggest Holiday season ever, with more retailers jumping into Social Media marketing, and existing marketers pushing even harder than before. And Facebook fans are paying attention:

 44% of consumers plan to use social media sites when holiday shopping, according to a recent survey. Of those who plan to use social media, 57% percent will seek discounts, 51% read reviews and 49% research gift ideas. Internet Retailer

So, which retailers are on the bandwagon, and what are they doing online?

  • Soap.com, Diapers.com and Wag.com are having a Battle of the Brands on Facebook. Customers vote on their favorite, and the winner will be discounted 30% on Black Friday weekend.
  •  Sears is doing a similar Battle on Facebook, but with weekly winners that will be discounted every weekend.
  •  Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Walgreen’s are publishing a sneak peek of their Black Friday circular on their Facebook page, 2 weeks in advance so you can plan ahead.

And on and on. How about you? Are you a Facebook fan of a big retailer? What are they doing online, and do you “LIKE” it? Let us know!

Older Folks and Online Security

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"Where do I slide the card through?"

Now, my 70-year-old mom happens to be one of the most computer-savvy people I know. But I actually knew a guy whose mom was worried that a virus in her PC could also make HER sick!

Older folks are catching up when it comes to the computer, but one thing they still aren’t sure about is the security of online shopping.

The survey found that 77% of consumers 55 and older say they worry about being a victim of online fraud. And 46% say they don’t feel secure that merchants are protecting their safety and security when shopping online. Internet Retailer

Their snot-nosed 18-25 year old kids and grandkids share these concerns, at a slightly lower rate: 62% worry about online fraud, and 27% think retailers aren’t doing enough about it.

The big difference seems to be what happens NEXT. The youngsters research a company more thoroughly, it seems. As a result, while older folks are more worried about fraud, they are also more likely to get ripped off: 46% have gotten scammed at some point, compared to only 35% of the younger folks.

So, caveat emptor*, y’all. And do your research! Do YOU worry about online fraud? Ever been scammed? Let us know!

* “Let the buyer beware.”

Over One Million Served!

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On TV shows it’s a really big deal: a woman walks into a store, sirens blare, balloons fall and a guy rushes out with a big cardboard check. You’re our 1-millionth customer!!

Real life is a little more subtle. In fact, if the Surv-o-Tron 2000® down at MindField Central hadn’t blown a gasket and started leaking coolant, we might not have noticed that the counter had turned over a million.

That’s right, one million survey responses. And who was number 1 million? THIS LADY!

This is Michelle from Maine. As you can see from her Facebook pic, she’s married and has two young kids. And to celebrate this milestone, MindField added FIFTY BUCKS to her payout.

This is just one example of the fun and surprises to be had here at MindField Online Internet Panels. So, thanks Michelle! Everybody else, stay tuned, our big $2500 drawing is just around the corner!

Mobile Consumption by the Numbers

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Yahoo has recently conducted a big study on the numbers and ways we are using our smartphones for entertainment, specifically how much time we watch mobile video. Check it out!

How many of us are using mobile web?

According to the Yahoo study, 54% are spending more time on mobile web than a year ago.

How are we using mobile web?

  • 38% of mobile consumers used the mobile Web to connect with other users.
  • 16% used mobile Web to search
  • 15% used it for entertainment

And the time spent watching video on mobile has increased nearly 30%

What kinds of entertainment?

  • 42% gaming video content
  • 34% movie clips and trailers
  • 33% full-length TV shows and movies or sports coverage
  • 32% celebrity, beauty or fashion video content on their devices
  • 14% political coverage

When?

The majority of time spent happens before 1 p.m.

Are we satisfied with what we are seeing?

Are you kidding? We’re AMERICANS! 60% of us are still looking for a better user experience and expect more!

So that’s the rundown. You’re welcome to check out the original article but, frankly, it’s a tough read! How about you? Are you using mobile web for entertainment? Has your use increased?

The Kitchen is Closed

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We all have a defunct restaurant from yesteryear that we miss – usually some mom and pop diner or local steak house. But who knew we would mourn Bennigan’s or Don Pablo’s? Well, it’s come to this, people.

 There is a school of thought that says the restaurant business is always a good business because people need to eat. A glance at the sales of many of America’s largest restaurant chains over the past decade quickly dispels that myth.             MSN Business.com

Here’s the deathwatch:

  1. Bennigan’s: This nationwide, Irish-themed casual-dining restaurant has 87% fewer locations than it did in 2001.
  2. Ground Round: This casual-dining burger and steak chain lost 81% of its locations in the last 10 years.
  3. Bakers Square: Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, but is best known for its pies. Has 70% fewer locations than 2001.
  4. Damon’s: I always knew it as a rib joint, but later became a sports bar. 72% decline.
  5. Don Pablo’s: Nationwide Tex-Mex chain. 70% decline.
  6. Gloria Jean’s Coffees. In its 30-year history, it has expanded to Australia, where it still thrives. Here? 73% decline.
  7. Big Boy. This one I don’t get. Frisch’s is the Big Boy chain back home in Ohio, and I have seen ZERO decline. Every one of the dilapidated shops from the 60’s has been renovated. But, the overall national chain is down 65%.
  8. Tony Roma’s. Tony still has a large international presence, but here at home is down 72%
  9. Country Kitchen. Buffet place, right? Down 74%.
  10. Black Angus Steakhouse. Primarily out west, there are 46 BA’s today, down from 107 in 2001 – a 57% drop.

So, any of your favorites on the list? Who did they miss? Let us know!