Life Online 2009
An Amárach Research Report
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Life Online 2009 © Amárach Research, 2009

1. Ireland’s Recession:
is life online immune?
2. Reality Check:
the ‘5 Cs’ in 2009
3. The eRecovery:
will the web save us?
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Life Online 2009

1. Ireland’s Recession:
is life online immune?
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Life Online 2009

Wrong Way
Source: CSO (www.cso.ie) 4
Life Online 2009

Spooked Consumers …
5
Source: ESRI (www.esri.ie)
Life Online 2009

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Life Online 2009 Source: CSO, ESRI, Amárach calculations

All Together
Is the recession affecting you:
60% 56%
65+
55-64s
50%
ABC1s
35-44s
40%
ABC1s
30%
Dublin
30%
No significant differences for
Males
internet vs. non-internet users
20%
11%
10%
0%
More than it is affecting About the same as it is Less than it is affecting
other people affecting other people other people
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

Falling Behind
To what extent is your income:
45%
40%
40%
35%
15-24s
29% 28%
30% 35-44s
25% Munster
65+
20%
ABC1s
15% Males
No significant differences for
10% internet vs. non-internet users
3%
5%
0%
Rising faster than Keeping pace with Rising slower than Not rising at all
cost of living cost of living cost of living
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

Not Looking Forward
What effect will the recession have one you
in next few month?
60% 25-34s 53%
35-44s
50%
Males
Internet Users
40% 65+
Munster
28%
30%
ABC1s
20%
13%
10%
0%
A major effect A modest effect No effect
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

Not So Tough?
Incidence of personal borrowings and impact:
60%
53%
47%
50%
44%
39%
40%
15-24s
C2DEs
65+
30%
Dublin
55-64s
Males
ABC1s
20%
Non-Internet 12%
Users
10%
4%
0%
No Borrowings Column1 Easily Manageable A cause for A real
Borrowings manageable if careful concern problem
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

2. Reality Check:
the ‘5 Cs’ in 2009
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Life Online 2009

Here Comes Everybody
From Life Online 2008 Study
67%
February 2009
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Life Online 2009

del.icio.us
http://www.paulisakson.com/
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Life Online 2009

5 Cs: Content
% of Irish Internet Users who:
45%
39%
40% 36%
35%
30% Under 25s
24%
Males
25% 21%
C2DEs
20%
14%
15% 45-54s
10% Males
Vodafone
5%
0%
Watch Videos Read Irish Read Blogs Listen to Download
on YouTube Newspapers Internet Podcasts
Online Radio
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
- not comparable to 2008 survey which was online only
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Life Online 2009

Google Nation
% of Irish Internet Users who use Google:
40%
34%
35%
30%
25% 22% 22%
20%
Under 25s
13%
15%
Males
10% Billpay 7%
O2
5% 2%
0%
Several At least Several At least Less Often Never
times a day once a day times a once a
week week
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

5 Cs: Communication
% of Irish Internet Users who:
40% 37%
35% 32%
30%
Under 25s
23%
25% Females
Dublin
20%
15% Over 55s
Males
10%
Billpay
5%
0%
Send SMS from Use MSN Use Skype
Web Messenger
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

Home Economics
% of Irish Internet Users who have:
100%
86%
90%
80% 71% 70%
70%
60%
50% 55+
40% Male Under 25s
45-54s
Dublin
30% Males
Dublin
Billpay
20%
10%
0%
Broadband at home A Laptop for use at A Wireless Web
home Connection at home
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

5 Cs: Commerce
% of Irish Internet Users who:
90%
77% 75%
80%
70%
55%
60%
Under 25s
35-44s
50% 43% 42% C2DEs
Females
40% 32% Meteor
ABC1s 28%
30%
20%
20%
8%
10%
0%
Book Book Use Buy Pay Bills Use eBay Buy Buy from Order
Flights Hotels & Online Books, Online Clothes iTunes Groceries
Holidays Banking CDs, Online Online
DVDs
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

5 Cs: Commuting
% of Irish Internet Users who:
30% 27%
25% 24%
23% 23%
25%
20%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Access 45-54s ABC1s Dublin Billpay Meteor
Work
Computer
Remotely
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

eTools
% of Irish Internet Users who use:
40%
34%
35%
30%
25% 22%
Under 25s
20%
55+
15% Dublin 25-34s
9%
Males
10%
Munster
5%
0%
Google Documents Google Calendar Google Reader
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

5 Cs: Creation
% of Irish Internet Users who:
50%
43%
45%
40%
35%
30%
Under 25s
25%
Females
20% C2DEs
15%
10%
10%
5%
5%
0%
Use Bebo, Use Flickr Write Blog
Facebook etc
Source: Amárach Research Life Online 2009,
Telephone Survey, 1,000 adults, nationally representative sample, February 2009
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Life Online 2009

3. The eRecovery:
will the web save us?
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Life Online 2009

Recessions and
Recoveries have one
thing in common:
they are usually well
under way before
they show up in the
official statistics ...
Recessions are
macroeconomic
phenomena in the main
... whereas Recoveries
are microeconomic
phenomena.
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Life Online 2009

Recovery 2.0
Freelancing
Networking
Discovering
Innovating
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Life Online 2009

Ní neart go cur le chéile …
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Life Online 2009

Amárach Research
11 Kingswood Business Centre
Citywest Business Campus
Dublin 24
T. (01) 410 5200
E: gerard.oneill@amarach.com
gerard.oneill@
W: www.amarach.com
B: www.amarachresearch.blogspot.com
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Life Online 2009

Appendix: About Amárach
We are Ireland’s largest independent market
research agency, in business since 1989.
We focus on delivering two key benefits to our 3rd March 2009
Welcome to the latest edition of consumerforesight from Amárach Research. We
clients: have set out to make consumerforesight a more interactive and informative
research and planning tool for subscribers. Feel free to invite others to register
for our free eLetter on our home page.
1. Consumer Foresight
– using research to say ‘what next’. Two months gone, ten to go. Like Keith Richards, we’re all at the
stage of “it’s good to be here – it’s good to be anywhere”. But it
is tough out there. Against a background of industrial unrest
(even the Gardaí are protesting!), we shouldn’t be surprised if
2. Business Insight consumers are on something of a ‘go slow’ themselves.
– using research to make business decisions. But it won’t last. It’s too early for green shoots, but as time goes
by people will want to buy: especially those still in secure jobs
who are faced with extraordinary bargains in shops, hotels and
car showrooms. Irish consumers don’t really do hair shirts.
When we have money we can afford to spend then we’re usually
We provide the full array of market research inclined to spend it: assuming we’re getting good value and not
being ripped off.
services including: Don’t forget: for every person in Ireland with a mortgage,
loan or ‘maxed out’ credit card there is another person
without any debt (at all). W hat are you doing to tap the
‘worried well’ market?
- Quantitative: face-to-face, telephone, web
- Qualitative: focus groups, in-depths, ethnographic Before you embark on a new brand or Business is about passion: so for that matter is
- Field Only: for international & domestic agencies business just remember Seth Godin’s the economy – check out some wise words on the
three things you need read more role of passion in success read more
With the world all ‘a-twitter’ don’t forget How not to do food marketing: quite possibly the
the future is on the TV read more worst food in the world read more
Register for our free fortnightly eletter It’s all down to psychology – an Amárach Optimistic people are healthy and happy – even
presentation on how Irish consumers will when the economy is collapsing around them:
lead us to recovery read more what are you doing for optimism? read more
consumerforesight at: www.amarach.com
Read our daily blog: Amárach Research will present a paper on ‘Life Online 2009’ at Comreg’s ICT Research conference on 12th
www.amarachresearch.blogspot.com
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Life Online 2009