This assignment delves into Internet accessibility and how that impacts on information search. It discusses Internet use within our consumer society and looks at predicted digital trends for the future.

1. ASSIGNMENT 2 – EVOLUTION OF
DIGITAL MARKETING
NELI BRYANT
86009673

2. TASK 1
Prepare a presentation document illustrating how consumers use technology and its impact on their lives. You will need to conduct online research so you can understand
how audiences use technology and its impact on their lives. Your presentation document will be a series of slides which include a collection of images, graphs and written
descriptions (see the example of a slide in the Supplementary Materials section). All of assignment 2 should be uploaded as one PDF document with relevant links included.
The series of slides must include slides with the following headings:
• Introduction
• Access to the Internet (e.g. changes in the number of people accessing the internet, internet speeds, etc.)
• Digital devices used by audiences (e.g. people can access the internet via different devices)
• How customers search for information (e.g. people use various online channels to search for information and recommendations)
• What consumers buy online (e.g. people purchase different products/services online)
• Online video consumption (e.g. changes in the amount of video content consumed)
• Consumer trends (e.g. how consumers’ use of technology has changed over the past 3-5 years, reflecting on the areas above)
• Summary (e.g. provide a concise overview of the key points and emphasise the impact of technology on consumers' lives)
• Reference list
Deliverable:
• To complete this task: submit your presentation document (i.e. slides with the prescribed headings listed above) in the first section of the assignment PDF document and
include the link to your SlideShare presentation.

3. Introduction
The fact that we use phrases like “Google it” indicates how dependant society has become on the Internet and its supporting
digital devices for information search. With the invention of the personal computer in 1975, digital devices have evolved
throughout the past five decades to include functionality like human voice recognition; instant messaging communication and
fingerprint recognition. All this development is driven by rigorous research and studies of changing interaction between humans
with each other, their environment and their devices.
This assignment delves deeper into the accessibility of the Internet, how it impacts consumerism and our expectations of
Internet connectivity in the future. The common thread between these is human behaviour. Let’s find out more about digital
(and human) evolution.

4. Access to the Internet
Self -
actualisation
(achieving one’s
full potential)
Esteem needs (prestige and feelings
of accomplishment)
Sense of belonging and love needs (intimate
relationships; friends and family)
Safety needs (security and safety)
Physiological needs (food; water; warmth and rest)
General knowledge obtained through sites like
Wikipedia; academic knowledge gained from
online study
Online study courses; results obtained from playing online
games; vanity metrics on social media (likes; shares etc.)
Communicating with close ones and building new relationships
in real time through instant messaging apps like WhatsApp;
Snapchat etc.
Internet sites offer security when shopping online; online
banking facilitates secure banking transactions
Food; drink and rest (e.g. holiday) can be
ordered on the Internet. Online grocery
shopping is becoming more popular for time-
poor families.
If Abraham Maslow were alive today, he would have been astounded by the need for Internet access in our lives! Daily communication and
quest for knowledge are facilitated by Internet access, and a lot of it. In fact, each of the need categories within Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs is made possible by Internet access in today’s society.
Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

5. Access to the Internet
Figure 2: Global digital population as of October 2018 (in millions)
Statista (2018)
There are currently 4.1 billion Internet users and 3.3 billion social
media users worldwide. 90% of those 3 billion access social media
on mobile devices (Statista, 2018).
This facilitates access to social media on the go. Countries
therefore have to work on optimising their WiFi availability on a
wider scale, even provide free WiFi. In fact, many customers
choose to visit particular cafés and restaurants based on their Free
WiFi offering. WiFi quality has to improve on a global scale, given
how many businesses rely on social media to generate revenue.

6. Access to the Internet
Figure 3: Trends in percentage growth of social media and Internet
use in developed and developing countries
Pew Research Center (2017)
Developing countries are yet to reach saturation levels when it
comes to access to Internet and smartphones. The importance of
access to social media sites in being in touch with the world has
grown there too.
Developing countries look towards their developed counterparts to
help them grow, learn and expand their lifestyle possibilities.
Smartphone ownership, particularly coupled with social media
usage, facilitates that. I believe that advanced economies have
reached their peak access of social media and Internet use. Many
businesses and schools block social media sites through their
servers during work/school hours.

7. Access to the Internet
Figure 4: Comparison of Internet speed using broadband and mobile devices
worldwide
Ookla (2018) Created with Datawrapper
There are discrepancies between mobile and broadband download speeds
throughout the world, as shown in Figure 5A and B. It’s surprising that
Australia has the sixth fastest mobile download speeds worldwide, yet its
broadband is one of the slowest in the world. With the National Broadband
Network being rolled out until 2020, all households will receive broadband
access, with 93% of households having their broadband speed increase by
20% (Molla, 2017)
With the increasing consumption of technology, Internet connectivity will
be required to open fridge doors and do household chores. It is therefore
important that quality connectivity is prioritised by Internet providers, and
bureaucratic processes and costs are eliminated as much as possible.

8. Digital devices used by
audiences
Digital device addiction is real! In today’s society digital devices are used to run
households, complete professional tasks, entertain, provide information etc.
Though they simplify our daily lives, they also pose constraints on our emotional
and physical wellbeing, as well as time. In Thailand, users spend more than 9 hours
a day on the Internet (GlobalWebIndex,2017)! It is, therefore imperative that
businesses and individuals make use of the Internet to generate profit and that the
cost of Internet broadband and mobile packages is controlled. It is also important
for doctors to educate about the dangers of excessive Internet use.
Figure 5 depicts the daily time Internet users spend on digital devices.
Figure 5: Time spent per day on the
Internet in January 2018
Source: GlobalWebIndex (2017)

9. Digital devices used by audiences
It is understandable why tablets have become the go-to device for
accessing the Internet. Although smartphones seem like the most
practical hand-held device for quick communication and
information search, their screen sizes facilitate mostly social media
checks and updates. Organic search accounts for 52% of
information search (Goodwin, 2017) and tablets’ large screens lend
themselves best to that type of search. It is therefore no surprise
that tablets are the most popular digital devices among Internet
users. Competing businesses like Apple and Microsoft manufacture
devices at an alarmingly frequent rate in the hope of covering all
users’ needs and demands. But are we being suffocated? Do we
really need to buy iPhoneXs when our current iPhone8 is
adequate?
Figure 6: The most popular devices used to access the Internet in
2017
Based on We Are Social (2017)

10. How customers search for information
Figure 7: The origin of website traffic in 2018
Based on Goodwin (2017)
Figure 8: Top preferred search engines worldwide in 2017
Based on Reputation X (2017)

11. How customers search for information
Customers turn to the Internet as a first point of reference when searching for information. SEO plays a big part in identifying the
relevance of that information (Mehta, 2018). Customer service feedback is front of mind – companies should know how to communicate
with customers in order to enrich the user-friendliness of their websites.
This has also given rise to a new field of content marketing known as UX design – the goal is to improve a user’s experience with a product
or service by improving the accessibility and overall interaction process with that product or service.
Peer recommendations have a great impact on customer search and subsequent purchase decisions. Beaton (2018) claims that 82% of
Americans base their buying decisions on online reviews. However, with 97% of customers reading online reviews (Patel, 2018) there is
even more reason to invest in content strategy and brand positioning for businesses. Positive affirmation drives business growth.

12. What consumers buy online
Figure 9: Global survey of online vs in-store consumers in March 2018
Based on Roesler (2018)

13. What consumers buy online
Figure 10: What consumers buy online
Saleh (2017)
Consumers trust online shopping for convenience, quick access,
variety of products and time-saving. But what happens when
purchases don’t meet consumer expectations?
I often find that the clothing I buy online is of a different fit,
fabric and size that portrayed on the shopping site. This is
where I opt for the Returns service offered by the retailer.
Electronics and furniture retailers need to provide good
warranty on their products.
Customer online shopping should be facilitated by effective
customer service. In a competitive market, online retailers
cannot afford to lose customers due to faulty items, unfriendly
websites and a poor shopping experience.

14. Online video consumption
With the rise of Netflix and Stan dominating our home screens, it is no surprise that video
download is rising rapidly. However, 6 out of 10 users in 2018 prefer online video to live TV
(Smith, 2018). There are more than 1 billion videos downloaded per day worldwide!
Corporate companies have cashed in on this fact and are now using channels like YouTube
to advertise their businesses. Some have even created a dedicated YouTube channel with
subscribers watching every update the companies make! Imagine having the whole world
as your captive market! Social media is also used to advertise, often with a price tag
attached to such adverts. Figure 2 shows the global revenue spent on online video
advertising in 2018.
With so much online video content, it’s up to viewers to discern between the good and bad
of video marketing. Poor video quality and content can harm the brand with which it is
associated, which is why companies hire great videographers to ensure the video content
resonates strongly with audiences.
Figure 11: Global online video advertising
revenue 2018
Based on Smith (2018)
US$27,799 million in total
US$9,34 per person

15. Online video consumption
This statistic, along with many others,
shows that video popularity is
growing, due to its capturing reality,
personality and emotion. These
factors influence the experience
which video audiences need to make
a buying decision, or form a
connection with a brand. However,
besides being emotive and
experiential, video content should
also be backed up by facts and figures,
where required, to prove its validity.
Figure 12: Online Video
Consumption by country in January
2018
Statista (2018)

16. Figure 13: Consumer trends in technology for the future
Ericsson (2018)
Consumer trends

17. Consumer trends
I believe that Figure 13 perfectly captures the consumer trends causing (wi-fi) waves right now. It appears that software and gadget designers
seek to address environmental; time; spatial and monetary constraints in future.
This sounds appealing, but also poses concerns in the minds of consumers. The Internet provides us with skills and shortcuts to our
questions, but will we lose the skills to solve our problems independently? Faster-charging batteries may prolong the daily lives of our
smartphones and tablets, but would hat, in turn, increase our rising daily use of such devices? Artificial intelligence and human mimicking
is inevitable, but to what end? It has served a great purpose in the design of mannequins with human body functions used for medical
research and studies.
As much as the Internet and its requisite devices enrich our lives and communication, they can also be a hindrance if not used responsibly.
Robots will be able to do our work, and avatars will replace our physical presence, but only if we let them! Let’s not make mankind extinct,
and retain our natural intelligence.

18. Summary
The research conducted here is a mere look at how technology frames our habits as consumers of information, products and services.
Internet accessibility has a long way to go if it is to keep up with predicted consumer trends like virtual holidays and streets in the air.
I believe that the growing worldwide population will also impact Wi-Fi connectivity, particularly in developing countries. Smartphones will
most likely claim majority market share as =information search devices within the next 10 years. Their accessibility is far too important to
users. User-generated content is already dominating digital content platforms, creating competition among companies by creating video
advertisements, reviews and forums.
As I type this, I am conscious that the information within this assignment was researched on the Internet, on my smartphone, tablet and
PC. My FitBit is buzzing on my wrist, telling me I need to get up and walk to reach my daily step goal, among heart rate updates and GPS
to my next destination.
Could I have obtained this information many other ways? Possibly. I could visit a library through virtual reality. How is that for information
search!

19. Reference list
• BrightEdge (2018) How People Search the Internet 2018 Infographic, Available at: https://www.social4retail.com/how-people-search-the-internet-2018-
infographic.html [Accessed 29 October 2018]
• Coleman, B. (2016) ‘Reviewing The Stats: The What, When & How of Consumer Search’, Bernadette Coleman [Online], n.d., Available at:
https://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/16055-consumer-search-report.html [Accessed 3 November 2018]
• Decker, J. (2018) 3 Video Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Media, Available at: https://www.adweek.com/digital/3-video-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-
media/ [Accessed 2 November 2018]
• de Silva, K. (2018) ‘The 2018 Mobile Marketing Report: Stats You Need To Know’, Kimberly de Silva [Online], n.d., Available at:
https://www.biznessapps.com/blog/2018-mobile-marketing-report-stats-need-know/ [30 October 2018]
• Ericsson (2018) Infographic: 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2018. [Online] Available at: https://www.ericsson.com/en/trends-and-insights/consumerlab/consumer-
insights/reports/10-hot-consumer-trends-2018?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi8fdBRCVARIsAEkDvnI6L-V1pN8ZYy-Iv4eF4D8X5H-s-
X37rMkN650n1ZD8ARCwYbSpFBQaAh0bEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds [Accessed 1 November 2018]
• Fallah, R. (2017) Digital Marketing Trends for 2018: Micro-Scale & Richer Content, Available at:
https://www.digitaldoughnut.com/articles/2017/november/digital-marketing-trends-for-2018 [Accessed 12 October 2018]
• GlobalWebIndex (2017) Time Spent per day on the Internet, [Online] Available at: file:///C:/Users/Neli%20Bryant/Downloads/Digital-in-2018-001-Global-
Overview-Report-v1.02-L.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2018]
• Goodwin, D. (2017) 60+ Mind-Blowing Search Engine Optimization Stats, Available at: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/seo-statistics/ [Accessed 3
November 2018]

20. • HubSpot (2018) The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2018, Available at: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics [Accessed 2 November 2018]
• Internet World Stats (2018) Internet World Stats Usage and Population Statistics, Available at: https://www.internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm [29
October 2018]
• Molla, R. (2017) Global internet speeds got 30 percent faster in 2017, Available at: https://www.recode.net/2017/12/13/16773062/global-internet-speeds-
faster-2017-ookla [Accessed 1 November 2018]
• Ookla (2017) Countries with the fastest broadband download speeds. [Online] Available at: https://www.recode.net/2017/12/13/16773062/global-internet-
speeds-faster-2017-ookla [Accessed 2 November 2018]
• Ookla (2017) Countries with the fastest mobile download speeds. [Online] Available at: https://www.recode.net/2017/12/13/16773062/global-internet-
speeds-faster-2017-ookla [Accessed 2 November 2018]
• Patel, N. (2018), ‘97% of Customers Read Online Reviews. Here’s How to Make Sure Yours are in the Top 1%’ Neil Patel [Online], n.d., Available at:
https://neilpatel.com/blog/online-reviews/ [Accessed 1 November 2018]
• Pew Research Center (2018) Spring 2017 Global Attitudes Survey. Q63, Q65 & Q71. [Online] Available at: http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/15135408/Pew-Research-Center_Global-Tech-Social-Media-Use_2018.06.19.pdf [Accessed 3 November 2018]
• Radetich, N. (2016) ‘2018: The Year of Video. No, really this time. Four Trends To Watch’, Nina Radetich [Online], n.d., Available at:
https://ninaradetich.com/2018-the-year-of-video/ [Accessed 11 October 2018]

21. • Reputation X (2017) How People Search: Understanding the Landscape, Available at: https://blog.reputationx.com/how-people-search [Accessed 28 October
2018]
• Roesler, P. (2018) New Research Reveals More Consumers Are Shopping Online for Everyday Items, Available at: https://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/new-
research-reveals-more-consumers-are-shopping-online-for-everyday-items.html [31 October 2018]
• Saled, K. (2018), Online Consumer Shopping Habits and Behavior’ Khalid Saleh [Online], n.d., Available at: https://www.invespcro.com/blog/online-
consumer-shopping-habits-behavior/ [Accessed 6 November 2018]
• Scott, D (2018) Mid-Year Review: The Top Four Digital Marketing Strategies Of 2018 Forbes [Online], 17 July. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/17/mid-year-review-the-top-four-digital-marketing-strategies-of-2018/#6a044be3496
[Accessed 4 November 2018]
• Shaw, A (2018) Digital Marketing Trends That Are Changing The Way We Market To Consumers, Forbes [Online], 29 August 2018. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/08/29/digital-marketing-trends-that-are-changing-the-way-we-market-to-
consumers/#6f0f758b6891 [Accessed 4 November 2018]
• Statista (2018) Global digital population as of October 2018 (in millions) [Online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-
worldwide/ [Accessed 21 October 2018]
• Statista (2018) Percentage of internet users who watch online video content on any device as of January 2018, by country [Online] Available at:
https://www.statista.com/topics/1137/online-video/ [Accessed 1 November 2018]
• We Are Social (2017) Global Digital Statshot Q2 2017 [Online] Available at: www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/global-digital-statshot-q2-2017 [Accessed 2
November 2018]