"Call me Mr. Ed!" -- Misconceptions about Flat Screen TVs -- Right from the Horse's Mouth
By Tanya Lippke, TFCinfo
Nov 18, 2004, 15:23
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of something hip,
It's flat screen time for everyone,
But what if the plasma drips?
Whoever said baseball was our nation's favorite past-time obviously doesn't watch Survivor! Studies have shown that 76% of American households have more than one television set, and the average American watches more than four hours of programming a day.
This may seem staggering to "TV snobs" - you know the type, they say they don't watch TV, although on a rare occasion they may watch a documentary on the mating patterns of the woolly mammoth. To be honest, I won't even pretend to say I understand this group of people. I run in a crowd where dates are re-scheduled because Sex and the City is on, and people don't just call it Thursday…they call it Must See TV Thursday. So if I know anything, I know TV - and people love it!
For the majority of us that do watch television, the greatest thing since the invention of the color tube has to be the introduction of flat screen TVs. How could you not be excited about these new technologies that actually allow you to hang a TV on your wall - like George Jetson did?
So it came as no surprise to me when my company, TFCinfo, conducted an In-Store LCDTV vs. Plasma Study and found that 85.6% of shoppers said they were likely to buy a flat screen TV in the future. We know that the demand is there, but the problem is that there are two competing technologies fighting for our attention.
Many in our industry have said that the average user cannot notice the differences between LCDTV and plasma displays. In this research entitled In-Store LCDTV vs. Plasma Study, we wanted to find out just that--what would happen if all things were equal, and price was not an issue? Do shoppers already have pre-conceived ideas and thoughts about the two, are their perceptions correct, and how will these same perceptions affect their purchasing?
We conducted our survey at Harvey Electronics, a retail store specializing in high-end audio/video consumer electronics. Harvey customers are generally more sophisticated and knowledgeable purchasers of large displays and tend to lead the market with their perceptions and attitudes. What sort of perceptions would these high-end shoppers already have walking into the store?
Through our research, we found that not only do shoppers have misconceptions about these two flat screen TVs, but many practitioners in the industry also have misconceptions about their shoppers.
Some seem to not be giving shoppers enough credit when it comes to making their purchasing decision. Everyone knows that price plays a role in the decision to purchase, however, results show that price came ranked 6th overall on important purchasing factors, not 1st, not even 3rd, but 6th. I've heard so many unequivocally state that "in the end, the cheaper technology will always win". These interviews with potential buyers prove that it will not be as clear-cut as some would assume.
On the other hand, some give these shoppers too much credit for their knowledge of these technologies. I was shocked at some of the things I heard while conducting this research. I mean, these were high-end audio-visual aficionados; the last thing I thought I would hear would be "I would prefer the plasma, but wouldn't buy one, because I would be worried about the gas leaking out. Do you know if it would stain furniture or be harmful to my kids?"
I know you may be chuckling right now, but it actually is eye-opening to see that even AV enthusiasts have misconceptions. Another misconception to point out is product lifetime. In our research, 90.4% stated that "longer product life" was extremely or very important to them. Yet shoppers seem to be very confused about the lifetime of the two technologies. I ran across a prime example recently when I saw someone ask if they should buy an LCDTV or a Plasma in an AV forum. The response went like this:
AnswerGuy1: Keep in mind Plasma has a lifetime expectancy of 2-3 years, whereas LCD is a bit better, 3-5.
AnswerGuy2: I heard plasma lasts for 10,000 hours. 24 hours * 7(days) * 4(weeks) * 12(months) = 8064 hours. If the screen was on all the time, it will last 1 year and three months.
Ok, there are a lot of problems with these statements, but the funny thing is they are not uncommon. First of all, where did they even get 10,000 hours? Even more interesting is how they had to figure it out. It looks like an elaborate formula when merely stating they are about equivalent in longevity to CRTs would do.
Putting these specifications in terms that shoppers can relate to would solve some serious misconceptions. Using average viewing habits and average lifetime ratings, it is possible to have a set last 17 years. Do people really even keep things that long? It’s sort of like buying a computer. I am sure somewhere there is still a Commodore 64 in use, but let’s be realistic. People upgrade and buy new replacement products well before the "life expectancy" is over.
So how do you help your customers make the decision, how do you get the sale? The first step is to understand what perceptions your customers already have about the two displays. Shoppers are flooded with information, and some (even our high-end enthusiasts) are often getting bad information.
I was recently in a national electronics store as a "secret shopper," where a couple was looking to buy a flat screen TV. I overheard the couple explaining to the salesman that they wanted a bigger screen to watch movies and to watch some over-the-air-TV, and that it would not be used for anything else. I thought - easy sell - plasma.
The salesman did a 180 turn and started touting the LCDTV. He said that he understood the LCDTV was smaller than what they wanted and more expensive, but he assured them in the end they would be much happier. He was forthcoming with a plasma disadvantage stating that there were issues with image burn-in. And after awhile they may end up with a CNN logo at the bottom of the screen. In actuality, with normal viewing, that TV would have to be on CNN an awful lot to have the logo permanently emblazoned on the screen. The couple actually looked disappointed. In essence they were being told that they shouldn't get the bigger screen they had originally wanted, and were presented with a smaller screen that was more expensive. They said they would "research it more" and think about it. I am certain from watching this couple that if he had just told them that plasma is best for viewing video and movies, and it will work well and last with their viewing habits (no worse than any phosphor technology screen)…they would have walked out excited about their new purchase.
The point is, there are hurdles to overcome when talking to people about technologies and topics that they are unfamiliar with (sort of like me needing a new windshield wiper when I took my car in last time and coming out of the shop with new shocks, brakes, and struts). But there are very simple steps that can be taken to make a customer feel comfortable in discussing the two options and the one that is best for them.
So how do you respond to your customer"s questions, objections, and thoughts on the two competing displays?
1) Learn what their perceptions already are.
2) Talk to the customer about their needs and how they will be using the display. Even providing your customers with an advantages and disadvantages cheat sheet would be helpful.
3) Address any misconceptions they may have and put specifications in terms that they can understand. 480p, 1080i, 600cd/m2 equals "just plain good for movies".
4) Finally, talk to them about the important purchasing factors for their specific intended use. Yes burn-in may be important, but if the customer is only using it for movies, there does not need to be as much importance placed on this purchasing factor as opposed to say brightness or image quality.
Ultimately it will be the consumer who decides. They just need help navigating through all of the specifications and understanding that some specifications may be more important than others to their view habits. Consumers are ready to purchase, they just need a little guidance tailored to their individual needs. Much like me trying to figure out which of my five remotes will turn on the TV without my car alarm going off.
For more information on TFCinfo's In-store LCDTV vs. Plasma Study, or to learn how you can help your customers by understanding their perceptions on these two flat screen technologies, please contact me at tmlippke@tfcinfo.com or (207) 783-0055.
© Copyright 2004 by TFCinfo.com