Super Connected Consumers: An Influential Group Shaping Tomorrow

There is no doubt that the explosion of digital technology use is changing the world dramatically, and at a very rapid rate. The direction and speed of these innovations are sometimes hard to predict. What is certain, however, is that the online world has become a big part of consumers’ lives. It has changed the way consumers see their world and is at the root of a more demanding and savvy consumer.

Indeed, the GfK Roper Reports® Worldwide (RR®W) study reveals that an increasing number of consumers are moving to the next level of engagement with digital technology. We estimate that currently, 1 in 6 global consumers can be described as Super Connected.

Super Connected Consumers are early adopters and their behavior holds clues to the global consumer of the future: savvy, selective, self-directed and super-connected.

Crucially, Super Connected Consumers are influencers who use digital technology to offer and receive opinions. They are very vocal customers and they happily share their opinion (good or bad) of a brand or product online. This new balance of power forces businesses and companies to review their presence in the digital world and to adapt their communication and brand strategies accordingly.

American Airlines, for instance, has recently partnered with Klout, a leading social influence measurement service, to reach out to its most influential customers. Influencers with scores over 55 on Klout can visit 37 of the company’s Admirals Clubs in 22 different cities, regardless of whether they are flying American Airlines. Given the increasing influence of Super Connected Consumers, we expect to see many more examples of businesses trying to reach out to potential cheerleaders for their brands.

The Super Connected Consumer group is definitely worth investigating further, given the many opportunities it offers to brands and companies. We have analyzed their attitudes, values and behaviors in a detailed Need-To-Know report which is now available – please contact us for more information helen.barrow@gfk.com.