MUMBAI: Television and personal computer (PC) ownership and usage varies significantly across cultural groups in America, according to new findings from Knowledge Networks (KN).
The company states that the difference in usage and ownership of these technologies – considered along with demographic and household income data – offers a decision-making context to advertisers and marketers attempting to reach these audiences.
According to the just-released Spring 2005 Ownership And Trend Report from The Home Technology Monitor, African American households have more TVs and larger sets, compared to Hispanics and whites. In addition, the medium plays a more important social role among both African American and Hispanic households. The data also shows striking contrasts in personal computer ownership.
White households own more PCs and pay more for high-speed Internet connectivity. Knowledge Networks/SRI VP David C Trice says, “Each household’s choice of how to spend its budget for entertainment and education impacts how and whether marketers will be able to reach that household. And a deeper understanding of ownership and usage points toward opportunities for reaching these important groups more effectively.”
62 per cent of African American households were found to have more than two TVs, as compared to nearly 51 per cent among whites and 44 per cent among Hispanics. And roughly half (49 per cent) of African American homes have large (30 inches or bigger) TV sets, versus 44 per cent for whites and 41 per cent for Hispanics.
In the KN report, almost 57 per cent of Hispanic respondents and an equal proportion of African American respondents agreed that watching television was the household’s favorite way to relax, as compared to nearly 53 per cent of white households. More striking, 45 per cent of African American respondents and 50 per cent of Hispanic households said that “much” of their family time is spent with TV, versus 29 per cent of white households.
The KN study also shows that 70 per cent of the polled white households had a home computer, as compared to 55 percent for African Americans and 47 per cent for Hispanics. And while 30 per cent of white homes have broadband Internet connectivity, the same figure is 19 per cent for African American households and 16 per cent for Hispanics.
