The boom of the headphone market made me wonder
… who are actually buying headphones and why such an increase for the last
years on this market?
To begin with, the increasing use of mobile
devices such as smartphones, tablets … has strongly contributed to this new
demand for headphones. The recent repurchase of the company Beats by Apple is
perfectly illustrating the link between those devices. Indeed, one of the
reasons why Apple bought Beats is to sell products combining Beats headphones with
Apple items.
And who
are mainly consuming mobile devices? Young
people! In France for instance,
almost one out of three young persons (16-34 yo) own a tablet, which makes them
the best equipped population; and the situation is similar regarding
smartphones. Thus, young people are also
representing the main part of headphones owners, which has been demonstrated
through a NPD study: " People under 24 are really making up a huge share of those buyers" said Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis.
This observation brought me to another question : why are young people and headphones consumers in general buying such premium devices?
The main reason is the search for good sound quality. Indeed, one the one
hand, earphones sold with mobile devices (mobile phones, mp3 players, etc.) are
usually not very qualitative and do not meet customers demand anymore. And, on
the other hand, people tend to listen to more and more music thanks to these
mobile devices: in the street, at the office or when they are doing sport for
instance. Thus, this new way to consume music everywhere is at the heart of the
search for quality. According to a study provided by NPD in 2013, 85% of
headphone buyers are looking for this criterion.
Besides, a new phenomenon appeared in 2012 and
has led to this strong increase of headphone consumption: the headphone has
become a fashion accessory!
Indeed, wearing a headphone is now part of the
look. People are more and more wearing their headphone around their neck as an accessory.
On the one hand, designs of headphones are
constantly improved by brands to meet customer expectations. In fact, you can
find headphones of all colors, different shapes, etc. which makes these items
real fashion accessories.
On the other hand, this new trend has been
launched by some celebrities, which have strongly influenced the consumption
for headphones. The artist Dr Dre is at the heart of this fashion trend. This
rapper created the Beats by Dr Dre in
collaboration with the firm Monster, a range of headphones which has strongly
impacted the market. The headphone has then become the symbol of a community with
its own values. Famous endorsements such as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber have also
reinforced this symbol.
It is not just about music anymore, headphones
are a tool for integration, especially among young people! Brands have
succeeded in creating new needs to encourage the consumption for headphones.
Hope you enjoyed this article!
See U next time ;)
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