April 6th, 2023, Kineree Shah
Buying a new phone can be a big purchase decision, and there’s a wealth of information available to aid in the purchase journey. But which mediums do consumers rely on the most? A recent YouGov Surveys (Serviced), spanning across 18 international markets, found that half of global consumers read written consumer reviews and consult with friends and family (47% each) before making a purchase. Two in five consumers check a brand's website (39%), and a third consult consumer video reviews (33%). Additionally, more than a quarter of global consumers speak to a sales executive (29%) or take into account the views of an expert (28%).
Consumers across different markets exhibit varying preferences. In Britain, more than half of consumers prefer written consumer reviews (55%) and speaking to friends and family (52%), while consulting the brand's website appeals to two in five consumers (42%). In comparison, fewer people rely on video reviews by members of the public (23%), speaking to sales executives (20%), or taking on the views of professional experts (28%).
US consumers are more likely to speak to family or friends (55%) compared to reading consumer views (49%). Nearly a quarter of Americans watch video reviews (23%), speak to sales executives (25%), and take into account professional experts' views (24%) before buying a phone.
In India, public video reviews (57%) and speaking to friends and family (50%) are favored by about half of the consumers. Reading consumer views (45%) and taking in the views of professional experts is also popular (40%), with two in five consumers relying on them. Consulting the brand's website (34%) and speaking to sales executives (30%) appeal to around one-third of consumers.
In the UAE, video reviews, speaking to friends and family (44% each) and written consumer views (40%) are preferred by nearly two in five consumers. Speaking to a sales executive (33%), consulting a brand’s website (34%) and taking in the views of professional experts (34%) are popular among one-third of consumers.
In Denmark and Sweden, speaking to friends and family is the most popular pre-purchase research method (50% and 47% respectively), with nearly half of consumers vouching for this option. A third of Danish and Swedish consumers will speak to a sales executive (34% and 32% respectively). Swedish consumers are more likely to check a brand’s website (44%) before purchasing a phone compared to Danes (35%).
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 17 markets with gamers’ sample sizes varying between 512 and 2034 for each market. All surveys were conducted online in February 2023. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.