People are experimenting with technology; learning how it works, pulling it apart and putting it back together in their own way. They’re learning how to code in their spare time and refashioning technology for their own specific needs. Kids who have grown up with digital are learning to code in after-school clubs, and even those who can’t program are learning small-scale hacks to make-do and mend. Consumers want to understand the inner workings of products and enjoy new experiences through the process of creating rather than merely consuming.

“Coding for me is a bit like drawing or sketching, or perhaps even more like Lego for grown-ups. It’s something I like to play around with, build things, or even create things that have a life of their own.” Early Adopter interviewee Key measures39% of global online consumers expressed a desire to learn more about how to make or adapt their own digital devices and services, while 27% are already engaged with this trend.  54% of respondents would be interested in making their own digital products and services in the future.

And 49% expect brands to be open and allow them to create a new product or service by using the brands’ original design and features.

CreatorCultureI want custom as standard

Big opportunitiesBrands need to adopt an open attitude and invite consumers to collaborate, customize, and experiment with their products. They need to involve consumers at the very beginning of innovation and product development. In the long term, it’s going to be Generation I (born after 2002) that brands need to pay attention to. They’ll want customization and expect to code or redesign it themselves. Emerging markets will also have plenty of creators and brands should make sure they don’t neglect them, by aligning with clubs and sponsoring programs in these countries.

So now…?The number of “hacker spaces,” where makers meet and collaborate on digital projects, is rapidly increasing and 3D-printing workshops are popping up worldwide, making digital fabrication tools accessible to the masses.

What if…?Tech brands offered “creator” kits with their products, to help novices and experts alike to tweak, hack, and modify to their heart’s content.

We are all co-creators; more self-sufficient and no longer waiting for brands to release solutions that meet our needs. We will have the raw ingredients and blueprints to build exactly what we need, when we need it, moving away from commoditization to customization.

 

Microsoft Digital Trends

Find out more: contact  http://advertising.microsoft.com/international

changing behavior and attitudes to technology and digital services.

All respondents completed a three-day online diary exploring the role of tech/digital services in their lives prior to taking part in in-depth interviews to provide further understanding of their motivations, behaviors, and attitudes to these technologies.

These “switched on” consumers were both males and females between the ages of 18 and 44.

One-hour interviews with experts across Microsoft and IPG Mediabrands were also undertaken.

Quantitative explorationAn online survey with regular and heavy Internet users in UK, USA, China, Brazil, Sweden, Czech Republic, Russia, and Germany was conducted. We interviewed circa 1,000 respondents in each market, 8,055 in total.

We measured their awareness, engagement, and intent to participate with trends in the future, as well as their likelihood to engage with brands who deliver experiences that align with these trends.

Further validation of the trends and their brand implications were captured through a series of workshops with Microsoft and IPG Mediabrands.  

How did we find all this out?The Microsoft Digital Trends study was several years in the making but commenced in earnest in January 2013 when Microsoft Advertising partnered with IPG Mediabrands and The Future Laboratory to help brands understand the future of digital behavior and technology. To align with Microsoft’s consumer-first vision, our ambition was to uncover, capture, and track emerging digital consumer behaviors and attitudes that we believe will grow into a global phenomenon.

Combining expertise with common research practices across Microsoft Advertising; Microsoft Business Groups; Microsoft Research; and Microsoft Office Envisioning, we created actionable brand toolkits. These can be used by key clients and internal teams to instruct media planning and product development based on consumer data.

MethodologyTaking the lead from Everett M. Rogers’ theory of Diffusion of Innovations, which identifies that new ideas are adopted and passed from early adopters to the majority and laggards, we undertook a series of qualitative and quantitative steps.

Qualitative explorationInterviews with 45 early adopters were conducted across the UK, USA, China, Brazil, Sweden, and Czech Republic, covering a range of topics including