Methodology

NPD’s Connected Intelligence service leverages multiple sources to provide a complete picture of the Connected Consumer. Fundamentally, the core deliverables are based on consumer panel research, but as we all know, panel data alone does not provide an accurate view of what is truly happening.

With this in mind, Connected Intelligence leverages five core sources to build a comprehensive view of the Connected Consumer, what they own and how they use these devices.

  • Consumer Panel: NPD owns and manages its own comprehensive consumer panel. The Connected Intelligence service makes full use of this asset with ongoing, repeatable surveys covering the four Practice areas of Mobility, Digital Distribution, Home Automation and Wearables, as well as additional coverage of interest such as Ecosystems.
  • Polling Service: Rapid response polling questions are often used to double check the results we see through the above panel services, as well as to gain additional insight where necessary. This provides a second, independent source of consumer insight to ensure a greater degree of accuracy in the panel data.
  • Sales Data: NPD is in the unique position of tracking sales data for consumer technology and other key categories in the U.S. market. The Connected Intelligence service leverages this underlying data to calibrate the results of the panel research, thus ensuring a level of accuracy in our ownership and usage numbers that is unparalleled. This sales data is key in ensuring that consumers do not over – or under – represent key consumer technology devices such as 4K TV. 
  • Mystery Shopping: Regular tracking of products (both online and instore), as well as app availability on key platforms such as TVs, helps to guide the consumer’s usage data, as well as providing the fundamentals of the reach of each platform – such as a TV app – based on a combination of device ownership and app availability data.
  • On device usage: The Connected Intelligence SmartMeter provides usage insight on smartphones and tablets, including data consumed, time used and frequency for apps. This provides mission critical information for smartphone use, as well as providing valuable cross-platform consumption data.

Layered on top of all these data sources is a deep understanding of each market by our Industry Analysts who have ongoing conversations with senior executives at the major companies in each industry. This provides additional perspective to complement the data sources, providing a rounded view of the current – and future – markets.