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SINGAPORE – October 3, 2013 – Consumers shed their "real-world" identities and assume digital personas when they go online, as revealed in a global study released today by MasterCard.
Just as there are personality types for offline behavior, there are also personality types that describe typical online consumer behavior.
“Nearly 2.5 billion people around the globe use the internet every day,” said Theodore Iacobuzio, Vice President of MasterCard’s Global Insights group, which produced the study.
“This research shows that regardless of who they are and where they live, they all share something in common when it comes to how they act and behave online – these five unique global personality types. It also shows us that when consumers go online, characteristics such as age, gender or nationality become secondary and they instead assume a sense of what we refer to as ‘social citizenship’.”
The Digital Sharing and Trust Project was conducted between November 2012 and March 2013 among 9,000 people in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, India, South Africa, the UAE, Brazil and Colombia. Respondents were grouped together based on their answers to questions across six dimensions: awareness of targeted marketing; social networking; online shopping; mobile sophistication; privacy management and; data as currency.
According to the study, consumers tend to assume one of five digital personas:
Open Sharers – The most digital of all, open sharers are comfortable divulging information online in exchange for a reward that comes with a purchase. These are the consumers who like to "check-in" at businesses, and are likely to be receptive to digital marketing efforts.
21 percent of online consumers fall into this category, with half of them going online over 10 times daily.
Simple Interactors – Although simple interactors are the ultimate social networkers, they are not all that tech-savvy. When it comes to online shopping, some 80 percent of simple interacts will research a product on the internet, but 63 percent still prefer to shop in person.
21 percent of online consumers fall under this category.
Solely Shoppers – The savviest online shoppers, solely shoppers know how to make the most of online shopping. 90 percent of these shoppers do smart product research before making a purchase.
21 percent of online consumers fall under this category.
Passive Users – These consumers are skeptics, and spend the least amount of time online. They are less frequently on social networks, and stick more to shopping offline.
20 percent of online consumers fall under this category.
Proactive Protectors – On the other end of the spectrum from open sharers, proactive protectors are very careful with their personal information. They are vigilant about knowing who has it and where it goes, and take active steps to avoid targeted marketing efforts.
17 percent of online consumers fall under this category.
Apart from the five digital personas, the study revealed that consumers know what they’re worth. "64 percent of consumers believe their personal data has value to merchants and advertisers," it said.
Consumers are also savvy with their privacy settings – 60 percent of consumers know how to change their web browser’s privacy settings. Also, 55 percent of consumers enjoy customized offers based on the information they share.
According to Iacobuzio, a variety of audiences, particularly retailers and marketers, can benefit from understanding the five personas. "By better understanding why consumers want to share their information online in the first place, companies can be better prepared to engage with them in more meaningful and relevant ways,” he said.
Consumers can find out their online personas through a brief quiz.
For more detailed findings, visit the interactive website and research report titled, “Around the World in Five Personas.” The report will be discussed during a panel session at the World Retail Congress in Paris on Monday, October 7, 2013 at 12.45 p.m. Central European Time.
