Findings and insights about the purchasing process with Verizon wireless.

After the catalyst to buy a new phone (broken/worn, out of date, desire for tech, etc) the desicion process usually •begins online with a status update on Facebook or Twitter which receives suggestions from friends about what phone to buy. These suggestions leave an impression for what they are going to look for at the store.

The trip to the store is usually not alone when looking at phones. The employees •at the store serve as a fountain of information, but can become overwhelming and drown the potential consumer.

After playing with and looking at the possible phones the customer leaves •thestorewithenoughknowledgetofinishtheirdecisiononline.

This desicion is re-enforced or weakened online during this time after •visiting the store. Comments, reviews, articles, and other social elements caninfluencethebuyerspositionontheproduct.

Afterrefiningtheirdecisiontoafinalpoint,therearetwooptions,eitherbuyonlineorin-store.Eitheroptionis•possible, but fueled by different reasons.

Howarepeoplecombiningofflineandonlineexperiences to make decisions about phones?

Most often the phone is bought in-store, for several reasons. It’s instant; there is no waiting for your phone to arrive. •In-store service activation is also instant and care free.

Warranty is guaranteed to be effective, no dealing with •3rd party fee’s and replace plans.

Dealing with Verizon’s 611 phone customer support is a •nightmare, so customers prefer to be in store and talk to a person to get things done and questions answered.

Peoplechooseofflineoronlineresearchfortheirnew•phone based on the information they want to know. In-store visit helps people make sure the physical needs, such as design, color, size, interface, and comfort. Some people would like to have features that they might need in 1-2 years in the future, so the opinions from the colleagues and friends with the same lifestyle is one of the resources for reference.

Online research such as user or critics reviews, forums, auction websites, and blogs would be used a lot for the •information about feature, quality, performance, and phone comparison.

Courtesy text messages and direct mailers are sent to existing customers when their contracts are up for renewal, •complete with discounts on various phones pending contract length.

Howarepeoplecombiningofflineandonlineexperiences to make decisions about phones?

Selection begins on Verizonwireless.com, after receiving suggestions and ideas about what they want from friends or •family.

ThentheprocesstravelsfromonlinetoofflineattheVerizonstore,wheretheyaskemployeesabouttheirphone•prospects they decided on online.

Thisin-storeexperienceisthentakenbackonline,outsideofthestore,wherethefinalselectionprocesshappens,an•intensive WOM test.

QuestionsareaskedonYahoo!Answers,phonescoop.com,howardforums.comoronsocialnetworksfor•compatibility and feature information.

Comparison shopping available on verizonwireless.com, allowing the interested party the ability to virtually explore •the phones themselves, feature sets, size, weight, dimensions.

Where is the selection process happening?

The manufacturer site serves as a place to see all other competing models, along with the entire list of features and •functions.

There often is a tour and in-depth experience around the phone models. •

Consumers are smart though, they know looks and presentation can fool, branded sites are seen as somewhat •biased information.

Peoplewhohavespecificbrandpreferenceusuallyspendlesstimeondoingresearching.Forsomepeoplewhobuy•cellphonebasedonwhattheyneed,thefinaldecisionusuallywillbemadebywordofmouth.

How does the manufacturer / phone brand impact the selection process?

Initial need for phone; broken, worn, out of date, keeping up with friends, desire for new functions. •

In-store; tweeting, FB updates, texting, mobile browsing. •

Post in-store scouting; searching online at home, suggestions from friends at school, events, home, and online after •seeing comment’s/status.

Finaldecisionday(s);Oncecustomermakesfirmdecisiononphone,theywillupdatetheirdigitalstatusto“picking•up new phone today or tomorrow.” This is the last intersection before purchase.

Post purchase; Reviewing phone themselves from user •experience, blogging/ status updating/ tweeting about new phone and how awesome (or lack thereof) it is.

Wheredoonlineandofflineintersect?

After visiting the store in person, the customer retreats home to make final decision. During this time is when an • online buying guide could in a sense, “hold the hand of the prospective purchaser”, by enabling them to directly read, review, link and ask their friends through the guide, which can create a better overall impression of the phone versus uncontrollable opinions revealed through search.

An online buying guide will help retain prospective customers by concentrating the good, instead of losing them to • biased opinions that work against their favor.

Many people are influenced by family plans that force them to have a narrower range of choice among phones, • customers should see this range clearly to make the right purchase decision.

Often current carrier subscribers upgrade to new phone which will replace their older usually damaged phone. This • is done through the “repair and replace” plan, where they can purchase an upgraded phone model for a reduced price. An online buying guide can help the potential customer to find the best model to upgrade for their preferences and plan.

Online buying guide can help people boil down the options based on what they need. (From the people that I talked • to) The biggest problem when people choose the right phone is battle of what they really need and what they want. An online buying guide will help people get the best suggestions before they go to carrier stores to let a carrier salesperson pressure them into buying an expensive handset.

How could the online buying guide be helpful to people looking to buy a new phone?

Based on our experiences / research.

Tio

1 Motorola Droid•#2 Samsung Rogue•#3 RIM Blackberry Storm 2•#4 HTC Droid Eris•#5 HTC Imagio•#6 Samsung Omnia 2•#7 LG enV Touch•#8 LG Chocolate Touch•#9 RIM Blackberry Tour•#10 Verizon Wireless Touch Pro2•

What are the top sellingVerizon phones?

#1 Features and Functionality•#2 Carrier•#3 Cost of phone•#4 Looks and Design•

Most important priorities when selectiong a phone.

What is the MOST important factor in deciding what is the right new phone for customers?

Features and functionality are number one. When customers are deciding on a new phone they want “The Best” phone that they can get. A good phone is socially accepted and seen as a long term investment (you get what you pay for mentality). Testing features and functionality is imperative for a positive feeling about the phone, it can easily weigh an in store decision. Cell phone is not made to order. There is no perfect cell phone for individual. When the buying process turns into the final decision, people need to sacrifice some bonus features for the features they need for their lives. The most important factor that will leads to the final decision is how the cell phone can make their lives easier.

Where is it digital chatter occurring?

Twitter•Amazon reviews•Phonescoop•Yahoo! Answers•Howard Forums•CNet•engadget•phonedog•boygeniusreport•

13 to 49 year old individuals, primarily 18-34. Primarily •make enough money to purchase any desired phone. Specificdemographicsdependonthedestinationinwhichthe digital chatter is embedded. Howardforums,amobileresourceforumhasmoreaffluence•towards older (35-49) males who are college educated and make around 60k-100k yearly.Twitter and social networks such as Facebook generate •chatter from a much younger audience, ranging 18-34 years old that make less money and are usually dependent on parents or family plan.

Who is creating this digital chatter?

Announcing the getting of the phone today/now.

Harmeston: Going to get my new phone now.Indasky408: Getting a new phone today!MsStrawberrie21: New Phone tomorrow...OH Yeah VZW 3Gbaby! I’ll Let ya Know what phone i got wooot!!! :)

Questioning and Suggesting

SingleGirlnSD: @Natalie_A_Cole if u have new service it should be cheaper for a new phone right?john_thebarber: I just got the new tour blackberry from verizon.. This phone just might be better than the I phone..Nothing like bbm.. The best kept secrect“elvisofdallas: @heavygrinder uh-oh. what’s the new phone choice going to be?”SuzyRobertson: @davvvid So Tito what kind of new phone did you get? I’m phone shopping and need to know what to stay away from...lol” “gloria64: .....BAYLEN CHECK ABOUT THE PHONE I TOLD YOU ABOUT PLEASE????? IS THE NEW TMOBILE BLK CURVE!!!!!!! THANK YOU....CALL ME!!!!”

Playing with phones, in store“sladex17: in verizon wireless demoing the new Droid by Motorola”

What is the digital chatter?

Opinion of service“Vanessa8425: WOW I CANT STAND VERIZON.. THE GUY ON THE PHONE IS AN AIR HEAD.. I JUST WANT MY NEW PHONE!!! AHH”“NICCICISFLY: So maybe it was a good thing my sister lost her phone. She got a new one and OUR PHONES GOT INSURED! Thank God!”“dcjoeycrack: *** fizzelsticks*** how are u going to offer me a new phone and dont have in stock....Shat!”“hclarkk: just left verizon, they won’t give me a new phone. fml.”iamreece: oh Verizon Wireless, you make me really happy.

Need for a Phone“bourbonml: Debating on if i should get a new phone or keep the one that i have *Mathew*” “ENY_SUAVE: My phone fell in the toilet smfh now I gotta get a new phone”“andyjjones: Why is when someone gets a new phone you start thinking I want a new phone >:(”“leeann1221: i broke the screen on my phone last night so no text messaging for me :( hopefully my new phone will come tomorrow”

What is the digital chatter?

Thank you.