Overview
Connected Intelligence® tracks the connected consumer, complementing sales data by quantifying what happens after a device is purchased. Detail on device ownership and usage patterns among various consumer segments, augmented by our industry advisors’ expertise, informs product development strategy and content partnership decisions. The Wearables practice tracks activity trackers, smartwatches and the emerging category of VR headsets.
Connected Intelligence answers these questions:
- Awareness and Ownership: How have they changed over time?
- Demographics: How has the consumer profile changed over time?
- Brand Mix: What brands are consumers buying?
- Purchasing and Gifting: In which retail channels do consumers purchase? What role do gifts play in ownership and usage?
- Features: Which wearable devices and key features generate the most consumer interest?
- Engagement: How frequently do consumers use their wearables? For what types of activities?
- Consumer Segmentation: How does engagement differ by consumer type? (Casual fitness, athletically inclined, consumers who are more interested in the communications and productivity aspect of wearables)
- Cellular Connectivity: What are the ownership and usage trends for cellular- connected smartwatches? For which activities do consumers leave their phones behind?
- Satisfaction: How satisfied are consumers? Do they become disengaged? If so, after how long and why?
- Future Interest: How strong is future interest in traditional wrist wearables and newer form factors like smart shoes and clothing?
Recurring Reports
Wearable Marketplace Report (quarterly):
Tracks the availability of activity trackers and smartwatches in retail, including the price point and key features. Enables customers to get a sense of what is available for consumers to purchase.
Ownership Report (semiannual):
Based on a consumer survey fielded twice a year to track consumer choice in wearables (including VR headsets) such as purchase motivators, retailer choice. Consumer dynamics such as fitness levels and demographics are included, as well as future purchase intent.
Usage Report (semiannual):
Based on a consumer survey fielded twice a year this report looks at how consumers engage with their smartwatches, including health and fitness activities, cellular use via the watch, device abandonment (and reasons) and satisfaction levels. Importantly, this report looks beyond the standard health and fitness apps to consider the use – and opportunity – for third party apps beyond the fitness category.
Industry Overview and Forecast (annual):
This two-year, forward-looking quarterly forecast projects the growth of smartwatch and tracker ownership in the U.S. market.
Week in Review:
This weekly overview covers the latest wearables-market happenings and key initiatives.
About the Analyst: Eddie Hold
Eddie Hold is the president of Circana’s Connected Intelligence® practice area. In this role, Eddie is responsible for managing the Connected Intelligence team, and maintaining the direction, creation, and expansion of the content, as well as providing Thought Leadership to our clients. Eddie has been analyzing the connected mobile market – phones and connected devices – since the mid-1990s and is also an expert in the consumer adoption – and demand for – wearable technology and services.
Prior to joining Circana in 2010, Eddie was an executive at Current Analysis, where he launched and managed the company’s global consumer analyst services, including service and device coverage. He started his career in the U.K. as the editor-in-chief for two telecom magazines owned by The Economist Newspaper Group.