Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

A new vacuum can alert you to incoming text messages. Why?

"The appliance category becoming connected does add a lot of opportunities to provide new information to a consumer," says Elizabeth Parks, the president and chief marketing officer at Parks Associates, which does market research on consumer tech and works with some manufacturers.

"How much energy is being used? Does that tie to any bills? Are there any alerts about the performance of the appliance? You know, especially that energy efficiency part can translate to dollars saved," she says.

"It creates a service model, right? You sell the large appliance, the refrigerator or the washer dryer, and then maybe you sell the maintenance that goes with it," Parks says.

Cost is one factor holding many people back from buying the premium AI appliances, as well as a perception that there isn't an added value in the smart features and security and privacy concerns, according to Parks Associates survey data.

From the article, "A new vacuum can alert you to incoming text messages. Why?" by James Doubek

Previously In The News

Apple pursuing Apple TV-HomePod combo – report

But a refresh would come at a good time, arriving on scene as consumer adoption of certain smart home products continues to climb. According to Parks Associates, 49% of US broadband households own a s...

Confused by all those streaming services? This app is here to help

A Parks Associates survey found that 31% of households had four or more streaming subscriptions in the third quarter of last year, up from 14% a year earlier. The number of streaming platforms has pas...

DirecTV breaks free from AT&T

“Although AT&T starts with a 70% stake in DirecTV, they will likely wind down their investment over time,” said Steve Nason, research director for Addison, Texas-based consulting firm Parks Associates...

Streamer Acorn TV is an Anglophile favorite, but can it help AMC compete with Netflix?

“They are trying to walk a tightrope,” said Steve Nason, director of research for Parks Associates, a consulting company that tracks consumer technology services. “They don’t want to sabotage the trad...