Virtual Interactions 'As Good as Being There' for Nearly a Quarter of Online Consumers

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NUREMBERG, Germany, Feb. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Internationally, 23 percent of online consumers say virtual interactions can be

as good as being there in person.

GfK has published findings from a 22-country survey showing that just under a

quarter (23 percent) of online consumers agree[1] that virtual interactions

with people and places can be as good as being there in person. This compares

to just 15 percent who disagree[1].  

Opportunities for virtual interactions are increasingly common in daily life -

whether its video-conferencing at work, 'face-timing' via a smartphone, instant

text chat via Facebook or WhatsApp etc, or even exploring cities and venues

such as restaurants or museums using Google Street view or 3D-Panorama. But are

these interactions as good as being there in person?  

Agreement that virtual interactions can be as good as real life peaks with

those aged 20-29 and 30-39, with at 28 percent and 27 percent respectively

agreeing. This puts them comfortably ahead of teenagers, who are the next most

'virtually minded' generation, at 22 percent.

Unsurprisingly, agreement falls off rapidly amongst older generations. One in

five (20 percent) of 50-59 year olds disagree that virtual interactions can be

as good a in-person contact, compared to just 15 percent voting the opposite

way. And, for those aged 60 and over, almost a third (27 percent) disagee

versus just one in ten (11 percent) who agree.

Brazil and Turkey are most 'vitually minded'; Germany and Sweden are least

Brazil and Turkey top the list for online consumers who believe virtual

interactions can be as good as being there in person, with a third (34 percent)

in each country claiming this. They are followed by Mexico (28 percent), China

(27 percent) and Russia (24 percent).

The other end of the scale is lead by Germany, with nearly a third (32 percent)

on online consumers there disagreeing that virtual can be as good as in-person

interactions. They are followed by Sweden at 29 percent, and then two 'tied'

results: the Czech Republic and Belgium at just over a quarter (26 percent) and

the Netherlands and UK at just under a quarter (23 percent).

These findings have applications for almost all businesses. Whether it's using

augmented reality to enhance marketing and advertising or embracing video

conferencing to bring down travel costs for meetings - knowing which markets

and consumer segments are most open to virtual interactions is an essential

starting point.

To download the full 22-country findings, visit

http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview

    "Virtual interactions can be as good as being there in

person"                                            

    Countries with highest                    Countries with highest

    agreement (top 2 boxes)                   disagreement (bottom 2 boxes)

    Brazil             34%                    Germany         32%

    Turkey             34%                    Sweden          29%

    Mexico             28%                    Czech Republic  26%

    China              27%                    Belgium         26%

    Russia             24%                    Netherlands     23%

    USA                23%                    UK              23%

    Source: GfK

[1]Top two / bottom two box responses from a 7-point scale where "1" means

"disagree strongly" and "7" means "agree strongly.

Press contacts, Global PR

Amanda Martin

+44(0)7919-624-688

press@gfk.com

Stefan Gerhardt

+49-911-395-4440

press@gfk.com

SOURCE: GfK