Survey compares international attitudes towards new technologies
Mobile phones, laptops and plasma televisions are considered the most indispensable technologies, according to a survey carried out by market research company Synovate. Some 45 per cent of the 5,500 respondents claimed that they would not be able to live without their mobile phones, while nine per cent described laptops as indispensable, and eight per cent felt the same way about their plasma/LCD television. The respondents were drawn from ten countries: Canada, China, France, Hungary, India, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Taiwan and Thailand. The Saudis came out as the most attached to technology. Some 68 per cent declared that they would not survive without the technology, and a massive 87 per cent declared that having the newest technological gadget is important. Saudi Arabia is followed by Romania (65 per cent) and India (60 per cent). Canadians were found to be the most blasé about technology, with 52 per cent claiming that they would be able to live without any of their high-tech gadgets. Senior Vice President at Synovate Toronto Robin Brown attributes this to a number of factors: 'The older population relative to some of the developing markets surveyed is one. The less significant role that these products play in showing status in Canada is another. We also tend to see later adoption of mobile technology among consumers across North America compared to Europe due to the history of our phone systems.' Respondents were fairly evenly split in terms of what is most important to them in a new technological device: price and ease of use were favoured by 28 per cent each, which brand name was cited by 27 per cent. Ease of use is of uppermost importance for Asian technophiles, while brand name is a precondition for purchase in India (54 per cent) and Romania (52 per cent). The French and Canadian respondents said that price is most important (43 and 42 per cent respectively). 'Saudi consumers in particular are eager to buy the latest technology, and most of them would not be concerned over prices. It is also interesting to note that only 0.3 per cent of Saudis answered 'don't know' when asked what brand they associate with high-tech products, which shows that they are extremely brand conscious,' said Andreas Gregoriou, Synovate's Managing Director for the Arabian Gulf. The survey also looked at attitudes towards new technology. Most respondents globally (49 per cent) said that while fascinated by technology, they are also cautious of it, while 29 per cent admitted that it is hard to keep up with the latest technologies. Thais and the Slovaks struggle to keep up the most, with 44 per cent of respondents. Least cautious were the Chinese. 'Relatively speaking, Chinese consumers now have a myriad of new choices - with technology being the best symbol of 'new' - and they exercise their right to choose with gusto,' according to Darryl Andrew, Managing Director of Synovate China. 'Another catalyst for this fascination is that mobile phones and the Internet help them, particularly teens and younger adults, bridge a social chasm brought about by the one-child family. This technology allows them to reach out and extend their social network beyond the immediate geography where they live, and beyond their constrained nuclear family.' When asked which brand name respondents associated with cutting-edge technology, Sony was cited by most respondents. Samsung, LG and Philips also scored highly.