VALS™ Lens Applying VALS™ to current events February 2015
In this issue:
On Campus: E-Sports
From Harvard's and Princeton's halls of ivy to sun-soaked Florida State and Silicon Valley's San Jose State and California State, Fullerton, universities, the new campus notables aren't members of the football or basketball teams. College online video-game (e-sports) teams are creating a new genre of campus sports stars. For example, in June 2014, over 90 000 people watched online as San Jose State beat California State, Fullerton, in a closely contested tournament. "More than 10,000 students now play in the biggest college league, 4,400 more than [in 2013] and 4,600 more than the number of men who play on Division 1 college basketball teams," according to a New York Times article (9 December 2014). Tournament winnings can provide players with "several year's worth of tuition money." A Chicago university athletic department now offers e-sports scholarships. With the recent negative criticism of traditional college-athlete injuries and millions made by universities from TV-broadcast rights without player compensation, e-sports may be the sports entertainment of the future. Spring VALS/GfK MRI reports that of the 9% of adults age 18 and older currently attending college, 12% play fantasy sports online. Of students who play, almost 60% are Experiencers.
On the Web: Banner Ads Are Not a Good Idea
Little more than two decades ago, banner ads were unleashed on the web not because they were a good idea but because they provided a viable advertising model. What started out as a revenue stream has resulted in unattractive web pages cluttered with ads that have become ineffective and content—the reason people go to a website—that is difficult to read. The use of banner ads is in decline as mobile use and social media use increase. "Native ads" (ads that appear in users' social feeds) are more attractive and load times are faster. Because native ads do not sit apart from content, some critics are concerned that confusion may exist between actual content and advertising. Innovators and Experiencers spend five hours a day or more on the web. Their attitudes about advertising on the internet are quite different from each other's. The majority of discerning, sophisticated Innovators are more likely than average to find web ads unhelpful, irrelevant, uninformative, and annoying. In contrast, Experiencers are more likely than average to find web ads to be informative, helpful, and amazing. However, both groups are more likely than average to strongly agree "all ads on the internet are alike."
Read more about the (banner ad) monster that swallowed the web
In Luxury Cars: BMW to Change CEO
Luxury auto-manufacturer BMW (Munich, Germany) will have a new CEO in May 2015. Harald Kruger, head of production, will replace Norbert Reithofer who will likely be voted chairman of the supervisory board. Reithofer has won admiration for his financial management of BMW following the global 2008 recession and his visionary brand expansion with electric cars and less-expensive models. Only 2% of US households own a BMW according to VALS™/GfK MRI's 2014 doublebase study. In rank order, Innovators and Thinkers are more likely than average to do so, with Achievers and Experiencers in a two-way tie for third place. The majority of BMW owners (3.9 million) purchase a previously owned vehicle, whereas 1.4 million purchase a new BMW: Very few Experiencers purchase a new BMW. Innovators appreciate BMW's high performance, distinctive styling, and cutting-edge cockpit features. Thinkers count on BMW's legendary engineering to hold its value, reducing the need for vehicle replacement. BMW ownership provides Achievers with a (perceived) cachet, but they rarely drive at fast speeds; Experiencers not only drive fast but also love the entire BMW driving experience. In fact, the 2 series, advertised as "Break all the rules," is a clear pitch to Experiencers.