The Cyber Census Ethnographic Study of American Cyber Lives:                  Insights From A Cross-Country Study Of 100 Households & Their Music Habits

download pdf      cyber census youtube channel      on-site research website


Cultural Context:  Consumers Are Re-Tribalizing Their Music By Utilizing Digital Tools

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Tribal Music:  Physically Interactive                 Today's Music:  Digitally Interactive

Monetizing The New Digital Tribe:  Digital tools have replaced the tribal drum as a way to interact with and share music in American culture. Consumers are using digital tools to take back the control they lost since the advent of music recording. Consumers no longer want their music mediated by the marketplace. They want to link it, share it, play with it, edit it, change it -- personalize it. And despite roadblocks, consumers are finding creative ways to make music part of THEIR unique tribes.

Understanding  new consumer music behavior has been a goal for NARM and was the reason the organization sponsored this ethnographic research study. Ethnography is a consumer research methodology that utilizes anthropological techniques and embeds researchers into actual consumer reality.  The result is research that is best watched for the full effect of consumer reality to be understood. Watching the reality of consumer life is one of the main benefits of ethnographic work and we suggest you start your immersion into the new music tribe by watching the movie below. 

Summary #1:  Cyber Segmentation 

Consumers fall into four groups when you compare their level of cyber literacy and device utilization. This  cyber segmentation provides new perspective on why various music consumers are disconnected, frustrated, and overwhelmed by the evolving world of music.

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         Boomers/Disconnected            Wired Boomers/Frustrated       Zoomers/Data Overloaded        Voomers/Ap Focused
 
 
 
logoSummary #2: E + C Squared = Monetizing Success
 
Successful music companies will empower consumers with education that helps them build community through creativity with music.
logoMusic consumers need education about devices, formats, websites, editing software, and music management.  Once they know how to use digital music tools, they can share music with their friends and family using their own creativity. The movie to the right is a compilation of consumers talking about their creative projects that included music.


 

Summary #3: Mac Guyvering Habitats

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 Currently,  many people are forced to 'Mac Guyver' music solutions because current music technology doesn't necessarily adapt easily from one setting to another. The car is the most common place people have to Mac Guyer music solutions and is a prime habitat for music re/discovery, tagging and remote purchasing. The habitats below are some others that were mentioned during this study that would benefit from education, community-building, and creative, easy-to-use music solutions.

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logoOne thing is already clear. All these habitats would benefit from an easy button to make purchase a one-click event.   

 

Summary #4:  Apathy & Piracy Leave A Sweet Spot For Music Retail 

logoBoomers & Wired Boomers don't visit retail as much as they used to because their lives have disconnect them from their music. Zoomers, the highly cyber- and device-literate, are drowned in their own music data from years of illegal downloading and sharing.  Older retail business models don't provide the environment that will attract either of these groups by providing E + C Squared.  This leaves a sweet spot for the retailer(s) who figure out how to provide a store experience that provides value to the new digital tribe. 

 

Implications:  There is a need to move beyond the conversation about music discovery to help Boomers rediscover music.  Wired Boomers, especially mothers, need simple devices so they can keep music part of their busy lives.  Many Zoomers are burnt out with pirating music and are looking for a way back to retail. Voomers (named because of their Visual priorities) need to be studied more as they are growing up digital with small screens and have a totally different music archetype than the other three groups. 

Get A Deeper Understanding: The information contained in this document was initially presented at the 2009 NARM Convention and is a broad overview of information and topics that the CyberCensus Study yielded. Deeper analysis of these consumer interviews is available from OnSite Research, and can examine issues of control vs. ownership; the various devices, formats and habitats in which consumers use music to communicate; music gifting; purchase drivers behind singles, albums and deluxe products; vinyl; playlist sharing: emotional drivers and ideas for monetization; habit hitch-hiking: using old habits to teach new music behaviors; and much, much more. NARM members interested in exploring the Cyber Census results in more depth or in hearing a recap of the Convention presentation are encouraged to contact Maren Elwood at melwood@onsiteresearch.com, or 831.238.5503.

onsiteResearch Methodology:  The Cyber Census is a longitudinal ethnographic study of American cyber lives that has been conducted since 2004 by On-Site Research Associates. The 2009 study was conducted by a team of On-Site researchers who drove an RV from coast-to-coast covering 20 states & 100 consumers in 6 weeks.  This year's study was sponsored by NARM and included embedded ethnographic interviews of American music behavior. Details about the Cyber Census can be found on the On-Site Research Associates website.