Does your choice of wearable reflect your politics?
A COLLOQUY nationwide survey of 1,060 Americans shows that consumers who identify as Republicans are far more likely than Democrats or Independents to say that wearable technology is nerdy, but cool nerdy.
But Democrats are significantly less likely than Republicans to say they don’t understand how wearable technology works, and far less likely then either Republicans or Independents to say they’re too old to use wearable devices.
By the numbers:
- 41 percent of Republican survey respondents said wearable technology is nerdy, but cool nerdy. That compares to 33 percent of Democrats, 32 percent of Independents and 35 percent of the general population.
- 50 percent of Democrats said they don’t know enough about wearables and don’t understand them, versus 56 percent of Republicans, 51 percent of Independents and 52 percent of the general population.
- 39 percent of Independents said their specific reason to purchase wearable technology was gaming, compared to 27 percent of Republicans, 29 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of the general population.
- 55 percent of Democrats said they’re too old to use wearable devices, versus 60 percent of Independents, 59 percent of Republicans and 58 percent of the general population.
In a survey that posed a wide range of questions about wearable technology, COLLOQUY asked consumers to name their political party affiliation. COLLOQUY, operated by LoyaltyOne, is a leading provider of loyalty marketing research, publishing and education.
Wearables consist of clothing or accessories that integrate technology into consumers’ everyday lives in fun and practical ways. That includes fitness trackers, eyewear, smart jewelry, a dress that posts to social networks or shorts that upload workout stats.
In other key survey results:
- 37 percent of Republicans said wearables make a fashion forward statement, versus 33 percent of Independents, 30 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of the general population
- 66 percent of Independents said wearable devices are too expensive, compared to 64 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of the general population
- 46 percent of Independents said they’d be more likely to place a wearable device on their pet than on themselves, versus 40 percent of Republicans, 38 percent of Democrats and 41 percent of the general population
- 40 percent of Republicans said people who use wearable devices are trying to show off, compared to 37 percent of Democrats, 28 percent of Independents and 35 percent of the general population.
“The more the wearable tech industry knows about its customers, the better it will be at delivering relevant offers and messaging,” COLLOQUY Research Director Jeff Berry said. “Different factors determine how customers behave, what captures their loyalty and what motivates them to buy. This survey reveals insights about the link between politics and attitudes about wearable tech fashion, and applies to retailers that are leveraging wearable technology to send communications and offers to customers.”
Despite the vast divide that is so evident in national politics today, COLLOQUY’s wearables survey shows the differing sides share mostly common ground on issues of vanity and privacy:
- 33 percent of Democrats, 33 percent of Republicans, 34 percent of Independents and 33 percent of the general population said the appeal of wearable technology is that “others can tell I’m wearing it”
- 33 percent of Democrats, 31 percent of Republicans and 30 percent of Independents said privacy and fraud concerns would be a deterrent to purchasing wearable technology, compared to 32 percent of the general population.
The COLLOQUY survey results are based on an online survey taken in February 2016 of 1,060 American consumers. The margin of error is +/- 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
