This document discusses drivers of online behavior and summarizes key findings from a report on digital consumers' activities and needs. [1] The most frequent online activities are social networking, email, news, sports and weather, which fall along an axis from entertainment to personal management. [2] Despite lower daily use than email, social networking attracts the highest total weekly usage. [3] Ecommerce interactions are seen as the least intrusive time for brands to contact consumers compared to social media or email.

1. Drivers of online behaviour
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2. “The internet is everywhere, but it is not everywhere in the
same way”
Ien Ang

3. Digital consumers needs sit along an axis between entertainment and
personal management with the most frequent activities of social networking,
email and news, sport, weather sitting along this axis.
Despite social networking and email being communication platforms, they
align to very different consumers needs which helps to explain how social
networking is able to drive a greater volume of use than email, but also why
consumers continue to use both platforms.
However, these platforms remain amongst the most intrusive for brands to
contact consumers in. By aligning to the shopping and browsing patterns of
consumers, brands stand a better chance of avoiding rejection.

4. A guide to the Digital life activities
Connecting and sharing with others Source general information & learn Planning & organising your life
online, uploading pictures to a photo online. Includes: ‘googling’ online online, including journey planners,
sharing site or internet dating encyclopaedias and self educating using maps services
online etc
Keeping up to date with current Using internet banking, paying or Specialty websites that help you
affairs, sports, culture and the checking your bills ,topping up pursue your personal interests &
weather mobile phone/travel cards, doing tax hobbies or a blog/forum you read
return etc or write
Personal email account. Checking Purchasing online, whether it be Games you play on or via the
inbox, writing and composing email groceries, cinema tickets, clothing, Internet, either single-player games
messages gifts, flights or even services or multi-player games (not via
a console)
Watching video, listening to music Browsing for things to buy online
or radio streaming or watching or offline; e.g. consumer reviews,
on-demand TV programs websites, search engines

5. Consumers needs span an axis between social entertainment and personal management
NeedScope profiling of activities.
Bases: All respondents 48804
SOCIAL: Sociable, friendly ENTERTAINMENT STIMULATION
EMAIL: Effective, effecient
KNOWLEDGE: Knowledgeable, informed
ORGANISE: Under control, on top of things
ADMIN: Under control, on top of things
CONNECTION EMPOWERMENT
SHOPPING: Fun, pleasure
BROWSING: Knowledgeable, informed
NEWS: Intelligent, thinking
INTEREST: A sense of freedom, escape
MULTIMEDIA: Amused, entertained
REASSURANCE MANAGEMENT
GAMING: Fun, pleasure

6. The most frequent activities span this axis
DAILY
EVER
% DOING ACTIVITY DAILY
I1: Frequency of online activities.
Bases: All respondents 48804
98
93 92
89 89
86 87
81 80
79
72
70
55
46 46
39
37
27
24
21
19
12

7. Despite much lower daily use than email, social networking attracts the highest volume of usage
% DOING ACTIVITY DAILY
NO. OF HOURS SPENT ON ACTIVITY PER WEEK
I3: Importance of online activities.
Bases: All respondents 48804
4.6
4.4
3.9
72 3.7
3.1 2.9
55 2.7
46 2.3 46
39
37
1.7 1.8
1.6
27
24
21
19
12

8. eCommerce is the least intrusive time to interact with consumers; target the path to purchase
% ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR BRANDS
% WHO FIND BRANDS INTRUSIVE
I4: Intrusiveness of brand contact.
Bases: All respondents 48804
49
46
39
37
35
33
29 29 29
26
22
12
15 16
17 18
19
22 23 22
26
28

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