What TV-Type Are You? A Segmentation Based on TV and Technology Beliefs

With the abundance of new technologies available for the purpose of enhancing a consumers' television viewing experience and an ever-increasing mix of niche networks, it would be beneficial for networks, cable and satellite companies to identify the "innovators" who are the first to try TV technologies and new programming genres. By doing so, these more involved viewers will spread the word to the rest of the audience. In order to identify these viewers, Rockbridge Associates, Inc. developed a segmentation with US adults based on their beliefs about television and technology, using data from the National Technology Readiness Survey. The five resulting segments, TV Innovators, Convergence Viewers, Passive Viewers, Media Controllers and TV Skeptics, each demonstrate different attitudes towards watching television and using technology. Their viewing behavior, program preferences and demographics also vary markedly.

Methodology The National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS) fielded in December 2002 among 501 US adults. The NTRS is an annual tracking study that monitors technology usage and beliefs. In its third year of tracking, the NTRS 2002 included additional measures to gauge consumers' propensity to adopt new TV technologies. The study is authored Rockbridge Associates, Inc. and Professor A. Parasuraman of the University of Miami, and is co-sponsored by the University of Maryland Center for e-Service.

TV-TYPES SUMMARY

TV-Types Snapshot	Passive Viewers (13%) "Watching television is a good use of my time" (64%)
TV Innovators (24%) "Other people come to me for advice on new programs to watch on television" (51%)	Media Controllers (17%) "I desire good information on the content of TV programs so that I only watch things that I am comfortable with" (81%)
Convergence Viewers (23%) "Watching television can better equip me to be successful in achieving my goals in life" (46%) "I find new technologies to be mentally stimulating " (84%)	TV Skeptics (23%) "Watching a lot of television can have harmful effects on my mental and physical health" (92%)