iConsumer Global Research Initiative


From 2008 to the end of 2011 McKinsey surveyed more than 100,000 consumers across North America, Europe, India, and China.  Our goal is to understand how consumers conduct a range of activities, from core communications like e-mailing or socializing, to consumption of types of content (video, audio, games, etc.), to commerce and creative applications. iConsumer research now covers 15 countries globally, and expanded to South America in 2012.

As discussed in the articles and reports below, digital has upended how we interact, how we entertain ourselves, how we buy, and how we work. The analytics and insights from our iConsumer data helps companies identify new trends at the global, market, and consumer segment levels, as well as isolate consumer use, buying factors, and attitudes. Accordingly, iConsumer is used by companies in the high tech, media, and telecom industries, as well as consumer-centered companies in other industries, to identify investment themes, augment proprietary research and segmentation, improve multi-channel execution, and build value-creating customer lifecycle management capabilities.

For more on consumer and shopper insights as well as digital strategy visit our Marketing & Sales Practice and the Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Forum.

Featured insights

Tablet domination
report | Recall

Cyber boom: Why tablet domination has only just begun

Tablet computers continue to disrupt the PC and mobile markets, outperforming predictions in unlikely ways. McKinsey research points to more surprises to come.

report

The 24-hour digital day: Tablets

McKinsey recently conducted extensive research in order to understand how people use their tablets, and what they like and dislike about them. 

Europe's iconsumers complex path
iConsumer McKinsey research

The complex path to purchase taken by Europe’s iConsumers

We collected and analyzed recent data on the digital behavior of 40,000 European iConsumers. This article sheds light on how they use digital channels in their buying-decision journey and the threats and opportunities their changing behavior implies for consumer-facing companies.

The next stage
iConsumer | Consumer & Shopper Insights

The next stage: Six ways the digital consumer is changing

April 2012

The Internet, not yet 20 years on from its emergence into the consumer mainstream, is evolving as fast as ever. McKinsey's survey of 18,000 Americans has identified six key trends that will define the near future.

BYOD
Telecom, Media & High Tech Extranet

BYOD: From company-issued to employee-owned devices

Today a shift is occurring with enterprise IT innovation being driven by consumers. Outside the office, employees are quickly discovering and adopting new consumer-focused technologies that they consider better than their corporate tools.

Winning the mobile consumer showdown
report

Winning the mobile consumer showdown

Brick-and-mortar retailers should embrace mobile consumers; we provide 6 tactics to make it work.

Winning the mobile consumer showdown
report

Six strategies to win the mobile consumer showdown

Our iConsumer research shows that smartphones are the go-to device for conducting product research for more and more consumers. Retailers need to understand why—and how to serve the mobile consumer better. 

The young and the digital
report

The young and the digital: A glimpse into future market evolution

Digital behavior of consumers under 35—varies significantly from that of more mature segments—and will drive future profits across the high tech and telecom sectors.

Gaming's expanded presence
report

Gaming's expanded presence in the digital universe

It’s not all Angry Birds. Companies in the gaming ecosystem will need new customer approaches and capabilities to defend their position as gaming becomes mainstream entertainment. 

Are your customers becoming digital junkies?
article | McKinsey Quarterly

Are your customers becoming digital junkies?

Consumer behavior is shifting rapidly as more people use digital devices and platforms intensively.  But do you know what they are doing on those platforms and why?

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Meet our people

Ewan Duncan

Ewan Duncan

Principal