The February US Household Economic Activity Tracker (HEAT) figures from YouGov show a slight downswing, coinciding with the run-up to sequestration and the associated uncertainty about government spending. The HEAT index is down from 99 in January to 97 in February with job security and perceived business activity levels driving down the Index scores. An Index score above 100 is positive while an index score below 100 indicates negative sentiment. Expectations of Business Activity Hit 12 Month Low With sequestration looming at the end of February, American households worried about layoffs. 16% of Americans were concerned that they might lose their ... read more

Blackberry is enjoying its best consumer perception in the US since September 2011 in the wake of its new smart phone line announcement. This brings the brand closer to the industry leaders, Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy. The Blackberry brand has been picking up more positive feedback than negative from consumers since mid-January, after spending most of the past 14 months with predominantly negative scores. Samsung’s Galaxy’s brand perception has been moving steadily upwards since early 2012. The iPhone hit its perception peak in October with the introduction of its latest model, but has been unable to maintain its momentum, ... read more

YouGov’s prediction of global quarterly sales for the Apple iPhone was accurate within 0.05% of the actual sales results, which Apple released on Wednesday. On 1 January, data from YouGov InvestorView predicted sales of 47,764,000 iPhones worldwide, three weeks before Apple announced fourth quarter sales results of 47,789,000 iPhone units. The prediction tops YouGov’s forecast for the third quarter of 2012 that Apple would sell 27.1m iPhones, when its actual results were 26.9m units. YouGov’s success in predicting actual global sales of Apple iPhones comes as the latest achievement in a string of high-profile accurate predictions for the company. In November, YouGov ... read more

The most important feature of a new phone is its user friendliness, a survey of consumers planning a handset upgrade has found. YouGov InvestorView asked US mobile users who want to buy a new phone in the next few months what they consider to be the most important feature, and ease of use is top for 23%. The second most important consideration is a phone’s functions and features, which 20% of consumers planning an upgrade value. The results were polled among people who plan on buying a phone in the next six months, with interviews taking place from May 2011 ... read more

Homeowners may be getting themselves out of mortgage debt. The Household Economic Activity Tracker (HEAT) shows a downward trend in the total value of mortgage debt from August 2011 to July 2012. It is estimated by the Wall Street Journal that around 11 million Americans owe more than their homes are worth. But HEAT data shows signs that home equity could be on the rise, as the amount homeowners owe on their mortgage decreases. A WSJ report on July 14 indicated there are positive movements in the housing market, as more new homes had been built in June 2012 than ... read more

The netbook sector is set to be overtaken by tablets and e-readers, as more consumers responded they are likely to buy a tablet (13%) or e-reader (9%) than a netbook (5%) in the 6 months from June 2012. This indicates that consumers may be choosing alternative devices instead of netbooks. Asus (2357.tw) has seen significant growth in the netbook market since the launch of its Eee netbook range in July 2011(LINK!). In January 2012, 9% of netbook owners said they used an Asus device, which by June 2012 had reached 14%. But this increase shows signs of slowing – in ... read more

The “Are you a Mac or PC?” debate has moved into the smartphone market as iPhone users are loyal to the Apple handset brand. Among cell phone users who plan to get a new handset in the next 6 months, 88% of iPhone users would buy another Apple (AAPL) device. The touch phone is also attracting BlackBerry (RIMM) users who plan on switching handsets – 36% said they would buy an iPhone, and only 30% would buy another RIM device. Strong customer loyalty indicates that Apple is set to maintain its leading market share. However, iPhone users also plan on ... read more

15% of employed Americans believe that they are somewhat or very likely to lose their jobs in the next 12 months. Findings from the July 2012 HEAT report on employment confidence indicate there is a slight downturn in forward-looking job security compared with June 2012, when 14% thought it likely they will lose their jobs in a year’s time. Job security worries are chiefly among people who make $100,000 or less – only 13% of those earning more than $100,000 thought it likely they will lose their jobs in the next 12 months, less than the average for overall employed ... read more

With the heat of July in full-force, summertime has made its presence known in the US – the perfect time for dining al fresco. One popular staple for eating outdoors is fried chicken. YouGov's InvestorView Dining research shows that Popeyes (AFCE) is in a better position to retain market share in the Fried Chicken restaurant category than Church's, or its much larger rival, KFC (YUM).   YouGov has been conducting ongoing research by speaking with diners from summer 2011 through to April 2012. We asked the most loyal customers of fried chicken chains – those who visit once a month ... read more

In May 2012 research conducted by YouGov InvestorView, we find that among cell phone owners, Verizon (VZ) customers are the most loyal of the Big 4 carriers, with 84% having no plans to change to a different carrier.  For AT&T and T-Mobile, the story is not so good, as nearly 3 out of 10 AT&T (T) subscribers, and 4 out of 10 T-Mobile subscribers are looking to leave. We believe, based on a deeper look at the data, that an equal proportion of high-value and low-value customers are planning on switching (there was no difference in switch rates for people ... read more