The number of consumers who will purchase a wearable fitness monitor by 2020 is expected to rise by 28 per cent, said a report, highlighting a trend for new intelligent devices.

Accenture Digital Consumer Survey for Communications, Media and Technology (CMT) also showed a 17 per cent increase in ownership of home connected surveillance cameras and a 14 per cent rise in ownership of in-vehicle entertainment systems.

The battle is on to engage the consumer, and the stakes are high, added the report, published by Accenture, a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.

The industry is showing consumers the relevance of smart devices and inspiring purchases among early adopters.

To achieve widespread appeal and mainstream adoption, consumers need confidence in the service or device, experience and brand.

By employing analytics and digital science throughout the customer life cycle, delivering rewarding customer experiences from pre-purchase through device or service end of life, and empowering digital trust, consumer electronics companies will build digital brands that break through the noise and lead the industry as it transitions to the new, connected world.

Since its launch in 2012 Accenture’s Pulse of Media has provided a forward-looking perspective on the trends changing the media landscape. As consumer trends have become more pronounced, delivery infrastructure has improved, and business models have taken hold, Accenture’s vision of the industry has proven accurate.

This year, the Pulse of Media has been reframed to specifically check the pulse of the media and entertainment consumer, the industry and the competition. For each of these constituents we identify the established, in-play and emerging trends for media and entertainment executives to watch.

Digital video and the connected consumer

TV’s undisputed popularity as the go-to entertainment device is ending. Now, as viewers shift their allegiance to other devices, media companies must identify new ways to package content and share it across multiple screens.

Are we watching the death of TV, on multiple screens? Not yet, the report said, noting that the way viewers consume video content is changing faster than ever before.

Key findings

•    An industry in transition: Purchase plans for mature devices are beginning to slow

•    Four per cent drop in the number of consumers who plan to purchase a smart phone in 2015

•    Six per cent drop in the number of consumers who plan to buy a tablet in 2015

•    Eight per cent drop in the number of consumers who plan to buy an HDTV in 2015

Getting it right, right out of the box

•    Thirty-three percent of consumers said ease of use is key factor when buying a smart device

•    Yet an alarming 83 per cent of consumers have difficulty using their smart devices

Brand matters—capturing the consumer

•    Twenty-eight per cent of consumer said a trusted brand is a key factor when making the decision to buy a smart device

•    Forty-nine percent of consumers purchase a smartphone based on brand preference

•    Thirty-two per cent of consumers who purchase a smartphone already own devices from the same brand

Safeguarding digital trust

•    Ten percent of consumers do not feel confident at all that the security of their personal data is protected on the Internet and, therefore, never share information

•    Forty-four percent of consumers are not always confident about personal data security and, therefore, are careful about what they share and what websites they visit. – TradeArabia News Service