Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A consumer survey reveals that 'geeks' are likely to spend more on the products they like and stay loyal to their favorite brands. 'Geeks' are also more susceptible to advertising ploys and buy more goods online.
The survey, undertaken on behalf of tech website Geeknet and market research agency Forrester Consulting and released July 27, was conducted across the United States, Britain and Germany. It divided respondents into three categories, 'IT Geeks,' 'tech geeks' and 'non-geeks.' 'IT geeks' were defined as working in information technology or other jobs involving hardware or software, while 'tech geeks' don't work in IT but agree that technology is important to them and is something they regularly follow.
The survey found 20 percent of 'geeks' from both categories agreed that advertisements helped them decide what to buy, compared to only 12 percent of 'non-geeks;' 25 percent of 'geeks' purchased the advertised product or service online whereas only 16 percent of 'non geeks' did the same.
As well as being more susceptible to advertising, 'geeks' were also more loyal to their favorite brands with 60 percent of 'geeks' vs. 17 percent of 'non-geeks' agreeing that when they found a brand they liked they "stuck to it." In addition to brand loyalty, geeks were also more likely to pay more for products they liked and 29 percent of 'geeks' agreed that "owning the best product is important to me," whereas only 14 percent of 'non-geeks' thought the same.
With viral advertising campaigns, online supermarkets and phone apps playing an increasingly important role in everyday life, technology is no longer the preserve of a knowledgeable few, but 'geeks' may still be the ones to ask about new innovations - 53 percent consider themselves "the person who knows more about an interesting trend," while only 22 percent of 'non-geeks' felt the same way.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments