TV consumers say, “Show me the Picture Quality, not the money”  

There is no doubt that many consumers like to buy products based on price or “value for money”. Data from GfK’s ConsumerScope tracking service consistently show that money-related factors are the key product attributes driving consumer purchase behaviour. This is the case across nearly all product categories covered, with an average of 40-50% of all Digital Camera, PC, and Mobile Phone consumers, stating that price/value is one of the most important factors when buying these products.

The TV consumer, however, is an exception: the most important attribute being picture quality. Over 50% of TV consumers surveyed list picture quality as a critical product attribute in the decision making process, whilst only 30% rate price/value. Although this makes price/value the second most important product attribute, the drop from first to second is substantial (around 20%); especially compared to other product categories where the proportional difference between the top two responses is far more modest (generally less than 5%).

So what is it that makes TV consumers so different? The role of the retailers in consumer buying behaviour is crucial, and the category of TVs provides consumers with a unique opportunity to see their target product “in action”. In-store, consumers are generally not able to take photos, talk on mobiles, or use computer applications. They can, however, watch TV. Without the ability to assess what a product is actually designed to do, consumers must rely on the remaining factors that are available to compare and contrast (e.g. price). This could be why the TV consumer is more motivated by a quality-related attribute, rather than the almighty dollar.

As for what exactly constitutes “Picture Quality” … watch this space!

For further information, please contact:

Dr Morten Boyer                               GfK Australia                         02 9900 2842