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eReader research report
July 2012




A Brandwatch report
am@brandwatch.com ; sales@brandwatch.com | Tel: +44 (0)1273 234 290
CONTENTS


         •  Methodology                  3

         •  Key Findings                 4

         •  Market Overview              5

         •  eReader Brands               9

         •  Key Competitors              13

             •  Barnes & Noble           16

             •  Amazon                   21

         •  eReader Models               28

         •  eReader Functionality        32

         •  Tablet or eReader?           37

         •  Contact                      43




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com        2
METHODOLOGY

•  The following is a sample Brandwatch research report, using data collected from online platforms.
•  We conducted a broad, three month survey of online eReader conversation (21.03.12 – 20.06.12), alongside
  more detailed brand analysis over a one month period (22.05.12 – 21.06.12).

•  We manually analysed mentions to assess the tone of conversation. Comments were judged to be positive,
  neutral or negative in tone. Subcategories made this process more specific: positive and negative mentions
  were categorised according to what caused the up-or-downbeat tone. Causes included sales, price, usability
  and features.

•  Mentions were also marked according to whether they referenced a specific eReader brand, model or
  manufacturer. We also monitored where the conversation took place geographically and online (on news sites,
  forums, blogs, Facebook or Twitter). Top sites and authors were analysed to establish who discussed eReaders
  to the greatest extent.

•  eBook mentions were included in the data where they occurred alongside eReader brands. This is because
  consumers noted free eBooks as one of the major eReader selling points.

•  For the purposes of this report, the page type category ‘general’ should be considered synonymous with
  Facebook.

•  The leading brands, identified within the majority of mentions, were Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s
  Nook.
•  Underlined words provide hyperlinks to the original content online.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                         3
KEY FINDINGS

•  Kindle was the clear market leader in terms of social media mentions, followed by B&N’s Nook. Social media
  users were drawn to Amazon’s extensive range of free eBooks, which boosted the Kindle’s competitive edge.

•  Social media buzz, especially that on blogs and forums, was significantly affected by news peaks during the
  period.

•  Cheaper eReaders were not generally considered better value for money, according to social media users.
  The price of multi-purpose eReaders was also compared with more costly tablets, rather than cheaper reader
  models.

•  Nook complaints were more frequently pointed to the limitations of the product, whereas Kindle complaints
  were often more vague in nature.

•  eReader conversation revealed a divide in social media opinion. Nooks often appealed to those wanting only
  to read on their devices. Many Kindle users were drawn to the new, multi-functionality of the Kindle Fire.

•  Wi-Fi triggered more upbeat conversation than 3G for the Kindle.
•  New eReader models were more directly in competition with emerging tablets, including Google’s Nexus and
  the next generation iPad.




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                           4
Market
                                         Overview




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com              5
FORUMS AND TWITTER were the most popular
platforms for eReader discussion
                                                   3%      VIDEO
 •  We recorded 79, 000 mentions over a
    three month period.
                                                   16%     NEWS
 •  eReader conversation was found on the
    page types shown to the right. With the
    exception of video, online discussion was
    widely distributed between social              17%     BLOG
    platforms.
 •  More conversation took place on forum
    threads than on Twitter, indicating more
    lengthy discussion and debate.
                                                   19%   GENERAL

 •  One in five eReader references appeared
    within the ‘general’ category, the majority
    of which were posted on Facebook. More
    than half of Facebook mentions were
                                                   20%   TWITTER
    literature orientated, suggesting user-
    generated, rather than corporate content.
 •  Though only comprising a minority of
    mentions, news articles were often the         24%    FORUM
    starting point of discussion on social media
    (see slide 27).




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                             6
SENTIMENT analysis revealed eReaders to be an
emotive subject online

  “ I adore my eReader, but I also have
    three of these full of books. The key                                                  14% NEGATIVE
    is to use the eReader for books I
    will probably not read often. ”




        FORUM                                             ALL                               45% POSITIVE
        REDDIT                                          EREADER
                                                      CONVERSATION
 “ I like feeling the book, tossing it
   around, and bending pages cause I
   can. This is technology I just can’t get
   into.”                                                                                  41% NEUTRAL


        FACEBOOK
        DANA C


 •  eReaders proved a controversial talking point. While some social media users preferred paper reading material,
    others noted the convenience of digital storage. More than half (59%) of mentions in the data were emotively
    charged


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                             7
ONLINE BUZZ included peaks caused by branded news
                                                  Average Weekly Buzz                             Microsoft enters
                                                                                                  partnership with
                                    1000                                            Apple Inc.    Barnes & Noble                Q4 Sales figures for
                                                                                    sued for                                     the Nook eReader
                                    800
                                            Mon   Tue Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun
                                                                                    over-priced                                       are released
                                                                                    ebooks
       (mentions - daily average)




                                    600

                                    400
BUZZ




                                    200

                                       0

                                    -200

                                    -400

                                    -600




                                                                                                     DATE

       •  The graph above shows the volume of all online eReader conversation over time. The data was normalised to
                                    account for weekly fluctuations (conversation levels drop during the weekends and peak on Mondays).
                                    Positive points represent higher than average levels of buzz.

       •  Peaks in conversation levels corresponded with leading news stories. On April 12th, for example, Apple Inc.
                                    mentions accounted for 36% of all eReader conversation. Without this news story, buzz would have fallen
                                    slightly below the daily average. The same can be said for Microsoft’s investment in B&N, reported on April
                                    30th. This accounted for around 40% of the daily total, boosting buzz to higher than average levels.

       •  Notably, news stories that triggered conversation were eReader brand-specific. Investments, sales figures and
                                    product releases showed the market to be one dominated by a small range of competitors.

 © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                                8
eReader Brands




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                9
EREADER BRANDS were referenced in the majority of
social media comments

                                                                                                               29%
                                                                                                       NO BRAND
                                                                                                       SPECIFIED



                                                                        ALL	
  
                                                                      EREADER	
  
                                                                    CONVERSATION	
                             71%
                                                                                                EREADER BRANDS
                                                                                                      SPECIFIED




 •  Since brands accounted for peaks in conversation, they were analysed in greater depth. We found that 71%
    of mentions were brand specific.

 •  The topic cloud above shows key words and phrases within brand-specific mentions. Amazon’s Kindle was
    the most salient eReader, followed by Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Other trends, including ‘5 star rating’ and
    ‘Shades of Grey’ indicated a wealth of user-generated content in the data.



© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                           10
SHARE OF VOICE was greatest for Amazon and B&N

 2% SONY READER
 4% OTHER BRANDS
 4% KOBO
                                                                                    71% AMAZON
                                                                                     Amazon’s strong presence
                                                                                      on social media may have
                                                                                    been boosted by the online-
                                                                                         orientated nature of the
                                                   ALL
                                                                                    company. Kindle, Amazon’s
                                                 BRANDED
   19% B&N                                     CONVERSATION
                                                                                      eReader range, was often
                                                                                        synonymous with digital
   With almost one in five                                                           readers more broadly. This
   branded mentions, Barnes                                                               reinforced the brand’s
   & Noble proved the second                                                          status as a market leader.
   largest brand within the
   data. B&N’s Nook products
   competed with those of
   Amazon.




 •  Of all brand-specific conversation (shown above), Amazon was the most salient organisation.
 •  Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the two leading names in eReader discussion, were selected for further analysis
    (see slide 15). Other products including the Kobo and Sony Reader appeared only marginally in social media.
    Though other brands were on the market, Amazon and B&N accounted for 90% of the data.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                              11
PRODUCT BRAND NAMES were more prominent than
company names
                           PRODUCT AND COMPANY NAME FREQUENCIES

                           80
       (% BRAND TOTAL)




                           70
BUZZ




                           60
                           50
                           40
                           30
                           20
                           10
                            0
                                       Amazon                      B&N                       Kindle                    Nook
                                                                              KEYWORDS



   •  Since branding was prominent in the data, the terminology used by social media users underwent further
                         analysis. We distinguished between references to companies and the brand names of their product ranges.
   •  ‘Kindle’ and ‘Nook’ were used more frequently than ‘Amazon’ and ‘Barnes & Noble’ when users discussed
                         eReaders online. This supported the notion of eReading as a brand-led topic. Accordingly, eBooks were
                         available on the ‘Nook Book Store’ and the ‘Kindle store’, while the company name itself was backgrounded to
                         top banner logos and URLs.
   •  By assigning the brand rather than company name, Amazon was able to distinguish eBooks from its vast range
                         of other available products. Barnes & Noble, similarly, were distanced from online Nook discussion. This was
                         not the case for all products; linked brand naming was used in the case of the ‘Sony Reader’, for example.



© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                  12
Key
                                         Competitors




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                 13
NET SENTIMENT was consistently higher for Kindle
comments than those of the Nook
                        NET SENTIMENT OF LEADING BRANDS OVER TIME                                                    Kindle

                                                                                                                     Nook
                    5
                                                                                                                     Other
                    4
NET SENTIMENT (%)




                    3


                    2


                    1


                    0


              -1


              -2




                                                                          DATE

  •  Data from a one month period was analysed in greater depth, using manual sentiment analysis.
  •  Online Kindle discussion was more frequently positive than average eReader talk. Nook conversation was
                    more often upbeat than negative, but experienced a notable dip in net positivity as B&N released its quarterly
                    sales figures on the 19th June (see slide 20).


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                           14
ACTIVE COMPARISONS on social media pitched
Amazon against B&N

                                         “ I have a Kindle and a Nook and
                                                                                 “ My daughter had the Kindle Fire
  “ I heard people say Kindle Fire’s       think they’re pretty much the
                                                                                   and returned it. To each his/her
    touch screen is slower ”               same as far as reading on them
                                                                                   own. ”
                                           goes. ”




                                                                                 “ I’m not sure if I’d get a Fire. They
  “ Kindle Fire is better as it has      “ I decided to buy the Nook over
                                                                                   don’t have the nice e-paper
    Amazon Prime membership ”              the Kindle. ”
                                                                                   screen for reading in the sun. ”




      FORUM                                   FORUM                                    FORUM
      YAHOO! ANSWERS                          BABY CENTRE                              VEGGIE BOARDS


 •  Nook-Kindle forum comparisons revealed divided opinion. The Kindle Fire represented an eReader/tablet
    hybrid for many social media users, whereas the Nook reader tended to appeal to those wanting mainly to
    read on their devices (see slide 38).


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                15
Barnes & Noble




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                    16
TOP NOOK AUTHORS included developers and
newsfeeds
FORUMS: 25%                                                TWITTER: 12%

 USER                  MENTIONS              FORUM           TWEETER            MENTIONS        FOLLOWERS
             ADOBE           17          FORUMS.ADOBE                     SAI        2        1,290,305

         ALTWORLD            16          MOBILEREAD            IAMSTEVEHARVEY        3        774,017

   LAVERO.BURGOS             14          XDA-DEVELOPERS         TW_TOP_BOOKS         1        286,469

        PROFCRASH            14          MOBILEREAD                  WALMART         1        230,712

         REBELLOS            12          XDA-DEVELOPERS               BOOKTV         1        166,722




•  The top forum authors of Nook conversation discussed the technical specifications of the product. The Nook,
  which uses an Android operating system, was popular with programmers who discussed ‘rooting’ the system
  (modifying the device in order to customise content and view non-B&N files). Lavero, for example, wrote: ‘all
  went well and I felt like a link […] I went around using my cool rooted Nook’. Other technical forum threads
  focused on addressing errors, or viewing file types including PDFs.
•  The most influential Nook Tweets came from @SAI, the ‘business insider’ newsfeed. With over one million
  followers, the account provided a valuable boost to Barnes & Noble with the tweet: ‘Simply put, you should buy
  Barnes & Noble’s new Nook instead of a Kindle [REVIEW]$BKS by @stevekovach read.bi/JXyds6’.
  @iamsteveharvey and @walmart both advertised eBooks exclusive to Barnes & Noble, further growing the
  appeal of the Nook product range.




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                         17
THE NOOK WAS DEEMED ‘CHILD-FRIENDLY’ with
useful inbuilt features
                                                             “ The Nook ebook reader ;) Barnes Noble NOOK
                                                             Kids™ Title Nominated in Best eBook Category at
                                                             Cynopsis Kids! ”

                                                                    TWITTER
                                                                    @UJECHILZ


                                                                  “ The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight breaks
                                                                  the stalemate by adding a row of LED lights,
                                                                  called a GlowLight, to the top edge of its six-inch E
                                                                  Ink touch screen. ”

                                                                     NEWS
                                                                     TECH NEWS DAILY




 •  The Nook grew its ‘child-friendly’ image by providing educational material and promoting the ‘read to me’
    feature for its range of children’s books. These features filtered into social media by way of user response. One
    forum poster wrote: ‘I love the “Read to Me” feature for the younger kids. My youngest granddaughter is 4 and
    the Nook will read to her’.

 •  Though reading features were thought useful, the prospect of browsing, apps and media playback was received
    less positively. One Yahoo! Finance article noted web access, apps, music and movies, but claimed that ‘all that
    does is make the Nook a me-too product in a market-- tablet hardware-- that isn’t B&N’s core business’.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                    18
BUT GAINED NEGATIVE COVERAGE for unchecked
errors

  “ The error in the eBook was              “ This is unacceptable. One of
                                              the largest book stores                   “ I was shocked. Almost
    discovered by a North
                                              should not get a pass on                    immediately I found it
    Carolina blogger and
                                              mucking up a classic work of                hilarious… then
    eventually became quite
                                              literature […] did they borrow              outrageous… then both, It is
    famous over the internet. But
                                                                                          definitely clever. But it raises
    this is, of course, not some              a page from Apple’s
                                              playbook, trying to scrub                   many questions. E-books can
    monstrous conspiracy by
                                              every mention of a                          be manipulated at will by the
    Barnes & Noble and is only a
                                              competitor from the                         purveyors of the
    publishing error by the
                                                                                          downloadable software.”
    company. ”                                content? ”


      NEWS                                       FORUM                                       NEWS
      EREADER KING                               VB MEDIA                                    ECOUSTICS


  •  Barnes & Noble came under the spotlight between the 4th and the 8th of June. Its eBook version of Leo
     Tolstoy’s War and Peace was found to be faulty: a sweeping algorithm had converted every instance of
     ‘Kindle’ in the novel to ‘Nook’, creating errors in the body of the text. Though not directly responsible, B&N
     was publicised by association.

  •  This example was by no means an isolated instance. In the discussion below a Guardian article, one user
     wrote: ‘Yes, I find a lot of mistakes in books that were converted to eBooks’. A subsequent reader added:
     ‘what bothers me is that you can never be sure in an eBook whether, if two paragraphs seem to run together
     for example, it’s the author’s intent or a formatting error. At moments like that I feel all at sea and crave
     pulped wood.’

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                   19
POOR SALES weakened consumer confidence in B&N
 DISTRIBUTION OF NOOK NEGATIVITY

             40              % OTHER
                                                                             “ Barnes & Noble reports weak
             35
                             % NOOK                                            sales, hurt by disappointing
             30                                                                Nook sales ”
NEGATIVITY




             25

             20                                                                     NEWS
             15                                                                     MDN
             10

              5

              0



                                                                  DATE

     •  Nook conversation experienced a peak in buzz on June 19th, which other brands managed to avoid. We
             separated mentions according to their sentiment and revealed that negative mentions accounted for the peak
             (as shown above).
     •  News sites triggered financial discussion, noting B&N’s lower-than-expected revenue for the previous quarter.
             Articles pointed to poor sales as the root cause.
     •  Conversation hinted that news of poor revenue may, cyclically, have a negative impact on future sales. One
             Yahoo! user commented under a news article: ‘If I knew then, what I know now… I would not have purchased
             a Nook’, and another added: ‘I wonder what happens if Barnes and Noble goes out of business. Do you lose
             all of your eBooks? That’s what makes me hesitant to buy a Nook. Amazon seems more stable’.
© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                20
Amazon




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com            21
TOP KINDLE AUTHORS included writers and
publishers
   FORUMS: 23%                                                  TWITTER: 20%

         USER            MENTIONS              FORUM                  TWEETER         MENTIONS       FOLLOWERS

                JUSTIN      74           BRUTALGAMER                          TIME       4       3,807,157

        KINDLEQUEEN         64           BUDGET101                              SAI      4       1,290,305

          PROFCRASH         35           MOBILEREAD                    THENEXTWEB        1       755,597

         GEEKMASTER         25           MOBILEREAD                    FORBESTECH        2       605,532

           CAMPUSA2         22           SLICKDEALS                    CHRISCOWLIN       1       593,688




 •  Kindle conversation featured slightly fewer forum mentions than B&N, proportionately, and was more salient
    on Twitter.
 •  Frequent forum authors included fiction writers and publishers, who used the brand as a springboard for the
    latest releases. Free eBooks were a major selling point for Amazon, reflected in both ‘Mobile Read’ and ‘Slick
    Deals’ (above).
 •  Time magazine's account proved the most influential Kindle tweeter, promoting free eBooks to almost four
    million followers. ‘Like magic, the Harry Potter books are now free (in Kindle’s Lending Library)’ was
    tweeted four times by the account.
 •  ForbesTech, with over half a million followers, posted news that American retailer Target would stop selling
    Kindle products after a vaguely termed ‘conflict of interests’.



© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                           22
KINDLE BUZZ revealed links between news, blogs
   and forums
                    AMAZON MENTIONS BY PAGE TYPE
                                                                                                                   Blog

                    3.0                                                                                            Forum
% KINDLE MENTIONS




                    2.5                                                                                            News

                    2.0


                    1.5


                    1.0


                    0.5


                    0.0




                                                                       DATE


             •  The graph above shows the volumes of Kindle blog, forum and news mentions over time. Trends suggest a
                     weak positive correlation between the platforms, though this may have been coincidental or indicative of
                     across the board fluctuations.
             •  In order to test this link, we measured the effect of specific news stories on other online platforms (see slide
                     24).

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                         23
KINDLE NEWS boosted conversation on social media
platforms
 HARRY POTTER BUZZ OVER TIME
                        0.7                                                                                                          0.2
                                                                                                          NEWS
 MENTIONS (% PLATFORM




                        0.6
                        0.5                                                                                                          0.15
                                                                                                          BLOGS AND FORUMS
                        0.4
        TOTAL)




                                                                                                                                     0.1
                        0.3
                        0.2                                                                                                          0.05
                        0.1
                          0                                                                                                          0



                                                                           DATE

     •            The graph above shows how much Harry Potter-related conversation occurred over time on news sites and blogs and
                  forums. The three notable news peaks corresponded with surges in Harry Potter discussion on blogs and forums on the
                  same dates, followed by prolonged periods of low-level buzz.
     •            On March 28th, the largest peak, bloggers noted that: ‘muggles can now download digital copies of Harry Potter books
                  for iPad and Kindle’. Forums also used the news as a starting point for discussion. One such forum, Neogaf, attracted
                  sixty two comments within 48 hours of the news.
     •            Some Kindle users were wary, writing: ‘I only want these books if they behave in exactly the same manner as other
                  books purchased from Amazon’s Kindle store.’ However the majority were upbeat, with comments such as: ‘I truly can’t
                  express how happy I am by this! I’ve loved the series since I first started Harry’s adventure’. The second peak, on May
                  10th, was triggered by news that the books would soon be available on the Kindle lending library.
     •            Other topics included news that Oprah Winfrey would be starting a new eBook club, with which the Kindle was
                  associated in 75% of mentions, and posts commenting on Waterstone’s agreement to sell Kindles and eBooks in store.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                   24
COST AND VALUE were prominent in Kindle discussion


                                                            “ I feel like the price of a kindle is so easily made up by
                                                            all the free books. ”


                                                                TWITTER
                                                                @NEONFUNGI


                                                            “ I’m a huge fan of Kindle books! […] While I usually
                                                            stock up on all the free books, I also like to take
                                                            advantage of big sales.”


                                                                FACEBOOK
                                                                SIMPLIFIED SAVING




  •  Kindle conversation frequently referred to cost and value. Many mentions noted the wide range of free
    eBooks on the Amazon website, as well as the more recent library lending service available on Kindle
    eReaders.

  •  Another key topic was the cost of Kindle products. Upbeat mentions compared the cost of Kindle Fire with
    leading models in the tablet market, such as the iPad. Users (including @neonfungi, above) also commented
    that the initial price tag was outweighed by the number of free eBooks available.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                    25
THE KINDLE WAS PROMOTED by a large volume of
free eBooks

  “ Just ordered 10 new books
    (FREE) on my Kindle. Love                                                      “ You might want to look into
    checking the Amazon Kindle             “ Check your local library,               the eBooks that are free, you
    offers a couple of times a               some libraries allow you to             don’t even need a kindle…
    week and storing them in my              download books for free for             you download an app (free)
    “E-Library” for later reading. If        two weeks. Kindles and                  for your computer and it
    you haven’t got an e-reader              libraries usually work in               stores them for you. I have
    and love to read, get one!               sync. ”                                 about 20 books in my
    You will be glad you did. I                                                      library. ”
    take mine everywhere. ”


      FACEBOOK                                 FORUM                                    FORUM
      MARY D                                   YAHOO! ANSWERS                           ECOUSTICS




  •  Nearly a fifth of online Kindle mentions referenced free eBooks. This was 10 percentage points higher than
     Barnes & Noble’s Nook conversation.

  •  The number of free eBooks referenced in the data reflects a growing number of independent publishers and
     marketers who promoted published works (and the Kindle by association). @LunaraBooks, for example,
     tweeted: ‘FREE eBook for KINDLE – Lunara: Seth and Chloe is getting great reviews. Check it out here…’



© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                               26
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS linked Kindle with a series of
upbeat news features
    KINDLE TOPIC BUZZ OVER TIME

                     35

                                                                           “ So Waterstones are to               WATERSTONES
                     30                “ Harry Potter ebooks
                                                                             start selling Amazon
% ALL CONVERSATION




                                         now for sale at
                     25                                                      Kindles! New age                    HARRY POTTER
                                         Pottermore website”
                                                                             technology world! ”
                     20

                                           TWITTER                               TWITTER
                     15                    @YP9MARMY                             @LEEASHWORTH13

                     10


                      5


                      0




                                                                          DATE

        •  The graph above shows Amazon’s share of voice in relation to two key topics. The Harry Potter series was
                     made available for Kindle eReaders, and Waterstones agreed to sell the devices in store. Both stories were
                     noted by social media users, generating a large volume of neutral mentions and shared news links.
        •  Other topics included Oprah Winfrey’s new eBook club. This did not cause a large initial surge in buzz, but is
                     expected to trigger more conversation once the digital club begins. Three-quarters (75%) of Oprah Winfrey
                     mentions linked the club to Kindle readers, providing an indication of future publicity. Oprah was an
                     early supporter of the Kindle and the club will use Kindle as a platform for discussion.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                            27
eReader Models




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                28
RECENT MODELS caused the most conversation
  PROPORTION	
  OF	
  ALL	
  MODEL-­‐RELATED	
  CONVERSATION	
  
                          20	
                                                  AMAZON	
  AND	
  B&N	
  SHARE	
  
                                                                                  OF	
  CONVERSATION	
  
                          18	
  
                          16	
  
    MENTIONS	
  (%)	
  




                          14	
  
                          12	
  
                          10	
  
                            8	
  
                            6	
  
                            4	
  
                            2	
  
                            0	
  
                                    Kindle   Kindle   Nook   Kindle   Nook    Kindle          Nook             Nook     Kindle   Kindle   Nook
                Model                        2               DX       Wi-Fi   3 Wi-Fi/        Color            Simple   Touch    Fire     Tablet
                                                                              3G                               Touch
    Release                         Nov      Feb      Nov    May      Jun     Jul 2010        Nov              Jun      Sep      Sep      Nov
       date                         2007     2009     2009   2009     2010                    2010             2011     2011     2011     2011


   •  Kindle models were the leading products compared with other eReaders, generating four times more
                   mentions than the Nook, There was a tendency for recent models to be discussed more frequently than
                   older products.

   •  While the most referenced of B&N models, the Nook tablet failed to surpass the buzz created by Kindle
                   Fire even though it had a more recent release date.

   •  In chronological order, the Kindle Fire marked the most dramatic increase in interest out of all products
                   analysed. Though the Nook Tablet provided a similar leap in product functionality, it failed to generated a
                   similar increase in buzz.
© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                             29
THE NOOK SIMPLE TOUCH triggered more emotive
responses than the Nook tablet
                                          “ This had been the problem with
   “ Just purchased the Barnes &
                                            e-book readers until now: They        “ I’m getting the new
     Noble, Simple Touch Nook Glow
                                            are great for use in adequate           NootSimpleTouch with GlowLight
     for night bedroom reading. Off
                                            ambient lighting […] but become         for my birthday and I CANNOT
     da chain! I love it” Watch out
                                            useless if you are trying to read       wait. It looks so awesome!! ”
     Kindle. ”                              in bed ”


        TWITTER                                BLOG                                    FORUM
        @MSNATTURNER                           TWINCITIES                              TMP



   “ Ohh! B&N’s Nook now has              “ I have been wanting the Nook          “ Nook Simple Touch with
     GlowLight. If you love e-ink but       Simple Touch with Glow Light for        GlowLight Review: An E-Reader
     find it hard to read in low-light,     reading in bed and not disturbing       That’s Not Afraid of the Dark
     this might be an option. ”             the sleeping DH!!! ”                    ti.me/JFAXeS ”




        TWITTER                                FORUM                                   TWITTER
        @NIGHTOWLSPRESS                        CRUISECRITIC                            @BALZERMAN


  •  As well as mention volumes (shown on the previous slide), we measured the sentiment of product
     mentions.
  •  The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight™ triggered double the proportion of emotive responses that were
     caused by the tablet. The GlowLight™, improving reader usability, was valued by users above the Nook
     Tablet functionality.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                          30
THE KINDLE FIRE was more controversial than other
models

 23% NEGATIVE                                                                 “ Go for the Kindle Fire as the
                                                                                better option […] but if you want
  9% above average                                                              to run more and some heavy
                                                                                processes […] then go for a
                                                                                laptop ”


 17% NEUTRAL                               KINDLE FIRE                             FORUM
                                           CONVERSATION                            YAHOO! ANSWERS
  24% below average


                                                                               “ Kindle Fire has ruined me. I have
                                                                                 what feels like a hundred books
 60% POSITIVE                                                                    and every time I try to decide
                                                                                 what I want to read, I just get
  15% above average
                                                                                 overwhelmed. ”


                                                                                   FORUM
                                                                                   CAFEMOM

   •  Kindle Fire, Amazon’s leading eReader/tablet model, formed a contentious topic online, having fewer
      neutral mentions than the industry average.
   •  The Fire offers a colour screen with video and music playback, Wi-Fi web browsing, cloud storage and a
      dual-core processor, sharing similarities with both earlier models and modern tablets. Tweeters noted this
      intermediate status, with comments such as: ‘I have a Kindle Fire idk if u know what that is, it looks like an
      Ipad.’

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                 31
eReader
                                         Functionality




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                   32
WI-FI AND FIRE were considered the best Kindle
variations
NET POSITIVITY OF KINDLE MODELS
                                      45
                                                                                                  Features       Usability
                                      40
                                      35
                                                                                                  Other          Sales
                 (% TOTAL MENTIONS)
NET POSITIVITY




                                      30                                                          Price
                                      25
                                      20
                                      15
                                      10
                                       5
                                       0
                                      -5
                                                  Kindle ($79)         Kindle Touch Wi-Fi ($99)      Kindle Touch 3G ($150)   Kindle Fire ($200)
                                                                                        KINDLE MODEL (RRP)


                         •  In the data, users were less positive about the price of cheaper Kindle models than about the Kindle Fire,
                                      which had an RRP of $199.

                         •  The Kindle Fire received the greatest net positivity score for its features and usability-factors which
                                      evidently outweighed the higher price tag. This was because the Fire was frequently compared with more
                                      expensive tablets, rather than more affordable eReaders. A user of Android Forums, for example, posted:
                                      ‘I would personally go with the Kindle Fire, any other tablet will cost more.’

                         •  Wi-Fi proved a popular feature, allowing users to access to the new web functions expected of modern
                                      eReaders. This model also maintained reading usability, as @Books2Remember noted: ‘Kindle’s Wi-Fi, 6
                                      E Ink screen reads like real paper’.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                             33
FEATURES AND USABILITY were key eReader
talking points

  “ I have a Kindle and I love it! Very                                               “ I won’t be able to stop reading
                                              “ I still like regular books, but the
    easy to use. I currently have 820                                                   books on this thing. LOL. Plus I
                                                e-reader, everyone mentions it’s
    books on my Kindle and approx.                                                      can do emails and Facebook on
                                                good for travel.”
    815 of them were free! ”                                                            it. ”



       FORUM                                        NEWS                                    FACEBOOK
       SOONET                                       GLOBALTVEDMONTON                        @PATRICIASIEVERT



  “ Kindle Fire looks way cooler than                                                 “ Since I live in the UK, I can’t get
                                              “ Dammit! My thumb’s just too
    the Nook Tablet. Nook Tablet                                                        [a Nook]. Unless I use eBay, but I
                                                thick for this kindle fire
    looks a little crappy. I don’t like its                                             wouldn’t feel too happy spending
                                                contraption… ”
    features. ”                                                                         £100+ on eBay. ”



       FORUM                                       FACEBOOK                                 FORUM
       YAHOO! ANSWERS                              DGTILSON                                 MOBILEREAD



 •  Consumers used social media to share their eReader experiences, both positive and negative. Features
    including instant access to free books, email and Facebook were popular. Some users struggled using their
    devices, though these were in the minority.
 •  As highlighted on a Mobileread thread, UK consumers found that they could not access the models available
    to those within the US. Predictions of UK releases indicated a demand for US models overseas.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                     34
KINDLE USERS WERE MORE UPBEAT than Nook
users when discussing usability and features
 NET POSITIVITY OF KINDLE AND NOOK CONVERSATION
                                       16

                                       14
                  (% TOTAL MENTIONS)
 NET POSITIVITY




                                       12       Kindle
                                       10
                                                Nook
                                        8

                                        6

                                        4

                                        2

                                        0
                                                   Price                               Usability                            Features


                                                                             CONVERSATION TOPICS


      •  Kindle conversation was often more positive than that of the Nook. However, where price was concerned,
                             this difference was less pronounced. US Amazon Kindle Prices ranged from $79 to $199, while Nook
                             eReader were available from $99 up to $199 for the Nook Tablet.
      •  With similar price tags but, (according to online opinion) better features, the Kindle was expected to better
                             the Nook in value for money. One possible explanation is that Kindle users were more vocal than their
                             Nook counterparts about the features of the product.
      •  It could also be that some eReader customers worked with flexible budgets. This would mean they were
                             willing to pay a little more for the product in order to gain a significant upgrade in usability.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                 35
KINDLE COMPLAINTS were less specific than those
posted by Nook users

                                                                        13%        16%
                     21%                 18%
                                                                                                        Features

                                                                                                        Other


                       KINDLE                                           NOOK              18%           Price

                                                                                                        Sales
               20%
                                               31%                                       2%             Usability
                                                                  51%
                           10%




•  When online Nook conversation was negative, this was often more specific than for the Kindle. Nook
  mentions were less likely to include complaints about price and more likely to bemoan poor product sales.

•  Almost one third of negative Kindle mentions were marked ‘other’, meaning that the mentions conveyed
  negative sentiment without providing one of the specified reasons.

•  For example, @petalconfetti tweeted: ‘Why read a Kindle that looks like a book, why not just buy the book
  #puzzled’. Kindle’s synonymy with eReaders more widely increased negative, as well as positive, coverage.
  Specific complaints were more likely causes of concern for brands, but were also, by their nature, easier to
  address.
© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                              36
Tablet or
                                         eReader?




© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com               37
POPULAR EREADER FEATURES revealed a divide
in product functionality
   “ The size and weight [of the Nook] make it                  “ The Kindle has an e-ink screen, the brilliant
     extremely portable and really enables                        thing with it is it’s made to look exactly like
     convenient reading on the go. ”                              real book pages. ”


       FORUM                                                       FORUM
       EMPTYMT                                                     ROBERTAHILLJR


                                                                “ The eReader also includes advanced
   “ It works exactly as advertised, allowing you
                                                                  features like highlighting, annotations,
     to read in bed just as easily as you would at
                                                                  dictionary look-up automatic last page rad
     the beach. ”
                                                                  bookmark and more. ”


       BLOG                                                        NEWS
       BOOK EREADER                                                TMC EDUCATION



•  The first notable class of eReader features was concerned only with reading functionality. Comments referred to
  the convenience of reading on the move, lighting solutions for reading in bed, e-ink technology, text highlighting
  and dictionary look-up.
•  These functions were associated with a higher-than-average proportion of Nook mentions. The implication was
  that the Nook was often considered an ‘eReader’ in the traditional sense, whereas Kindle mentions showed a
  preference for multi-purpose devices.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                              38
NEW FEATURES extended devices beyond eReader
functionality
                                                                “ [MP3 players:] because I usually listen to
   “ Allowing people to […] check email, the
                                                                  music while reading and the two were a
     Kindle Fire offers a number of exciting
                                                                  natural fit for sitting on an airplane listening to
     features. ”
                                                                  music while reading. ”


       NEWS                                                        FORUM
       SBWIRE                                                      SLASHDOT


                                                                “ If you own a Kindle Fire, then you know it’s
   “ [KINDLE OFFERS] web browsing will all the
                                                                  really easy to watch video you rented or
     content, free storage in the Amazon cloud,
                                                                  purchases from Amazon using the video tab
     Whispersync, Amazon Silk… ”
                                                                  on the home page. ”


       NEWS                                                        BLOG
       ULITZER                                                     GOTTABEMOBILE



•  Models such as the Kindle Fire merged eReader functions with tablet design. The resultant devices enabled
  users to check email and social media, play music and videos, and store and synchronise their data.
•  Though these devices were still used for reading, the Fire sacrificed e-Ink for a colour screen that allowed media
  playback. This design choice created a divide between models. One Teleread reviewer wrote: ‘Tablets have
  weaned me away from the lower contrast, more blurry (compared to a tablet) e-ink screens, but I must say that
  I’m about the only one I know who is going with route. All of my friends prefer e-ink.’.

© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                  39
MULTI-PURPOSE DEVICES triggered mixed
responses

                                                                                 “ I believe all the e-ink readers
                                                                                   are doomed for extinction.
  “ Ah, Kindle Touch. That’s a           “ I’d say that E-ink was
                                                                                   That includes Kindle, Nook,
    backlit touch screen, right? I         modestly better in medium
    actually prefer the e-ink on the       light, by virtue of its brighter        Sony Reader in their e-ink
                                                                                   versions. It is a much better
    Kindle. Lasts a                        background; but worse in low
    loooooooonnnnnngggggg time             light since there is no way to          investment to buy a mid sized
                                                                                   to large tablet like an iPad or
    on a charge. ”                         backlight it just a bit. ”
                                                                                   Android tablet. E-ink is too
                                                                                   slow for video playback and
                                                                                   really bad with colors. ”




       FORUM                                  FORUM                                  FORUM
       AUTOS.CA                               SLASHDOT                               THEMAGICCAFE




•  As an e-Ink/tablet divide had emerged between models, so consumer opinion was divided. Supporters of the
  traditional eReaders favoured simplicity, lower price tags and improved battery life. Fans of the Nook Tablet and
  Kindle Fire were drawn by greater functionality.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                               40
THE IPAD featured as an existing competitor to the
Kindle and the Nook

  “ If you can read the same books                                                  “ Do you love a spooky, dark tale?
                                           “ With the iPad we finally have a
    and magazines on an iPad […]                                                      Have a Kindle or iPad? Take a
                                             platform for consuming rich-
    what’s the point of a Nook or a                                                   look at our Skeleton e-book
                                             content in digital form. ”
    Kindle? ”                                                                         available now! Fb.me/1ilzyLtDY ”



       NEWS                                     BLOG                                     TWITTER
       FIERCEMOBILECONTENT                      PUBLETARIAT                              @YOURFAMTREEMAG



   •  Over 20% of all mentions referenced the iPad to some extent. This included an overlap with Kindle
      discussion, as the Kindle store serves consumers on a range of portable devices. The iPad, being a tablet
      rather than an eReader, is also expected to have a large online presence distinct from the eReader data
      used in this report.
   •  As stated on Daniweb: ‘It comes down to what you want from your gadget. Commuters may be looking for
      a low-cost single function item to read books and newspaper content. Others may want a full color
      experience with access to apps, music, video and games’.
   •  The iPad and the Kindle competed to a certain extent because they both offered portable solutions to
      consumers. This was especially the case for the Fire and Nook Tablet, which bridged the gap between
      Tablet and eReader. However, some viewed the distinction as intact. One consumer wrote: ‘Let Apple […]
      believe that e-readers are in the same class as an iPad and that they are comparable. Completely
      different devices for completely different markets’.


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                               41
NEW COMPETITORS were pitched as rivals to the
Kindle
GOOGLE NEXUS TABLET MENTIONS OVER TIME

                                                                                 Nexus tablet will be                           News
                                             Google to Subsidize Nexus           priced to
                                             Tablet, and Sell Through            compete with Kindle                            Blog
                             1.5             Online Store                        Fire.
MENTIONS (% WEEKLY TOTAL)




                                                                                                                                Forum



                               1




                             0.5




                               0




                                                                               DATE
                            •  As stated on CNET, ‘the Kindle, Nook and Sony Reader are also about to be joined by close to a dozen
                              competitors this year, according to reports from the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.’

                            •  One new tablet, the Google-branded Nexus, caused a wealth of discussion on social media. One
                              forum user described May as ‘a momentous month for tablets’, with rumours of Microsoft’s Surface tablet
                              also circulating.



© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                                                  42
CONTACT
EMAIL: contact@brandwatch.com
WEB: http://www.brandwatch.com
TWITTER: @brandwatch
PHONE:
UK: +44 (0)1273 234 290
US: +1 212 229 2240
Germany: +49 (0)711 912 442 04
FAX:
UK: +44 (0)1273 234 291




DOCUMENT LIMITATION
The information given in this document has been checked for accuracy and completeness however Brandwatch
shall not be liable for any errors or omissions.

Brandwatch is a trading name of Runtime Collective Limited. Registered in England & Wales: 3898053
4th Floor, International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, United Kingdom


© 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com                                                                     43

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eReaders: A Research Report

  • 1. eReader research report July 2012 A Brandwatch report am@brandwatch.com ; sales@brandwatch.com | Tel: +44 (0)1273 234 290
  • 2. CONTENTS •  Methodology 3 •  Key Findings 4 •  Market Overview 5 •  eReader Brands 9 •  Key Competitors 13 •  Barnes & Noble 16 •  Amazon 21 •  eReader Models 28 •  eReader Functionality 32 •  Tablet or eReader? 37 •  Contact 43 © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 2
  • 3. METHODOLOGY •  The following is a sample Brandwatch research report, using data collected from online platforms. •  We conducted a broad, three month survey of online eReader conversation (21.03.12 – 20.06.12), alongside more detailed brand analysis over a one month period (22.05.12 – 21.06.12). •  We manually analysed mentions to assess the tone of conversation. Comments were judged to be positive, neutral or negative in tone. Subcategories made this process more specific: positive and negative mentions were categorised according to what caused the up-or-downbeat tone. Causes included sales, price, usability and features. •  Mentions were also marked according to whether they referenced a specific eReader brand, model or manufacturer. We also monitored where the conversation took place geographically and online (on news sites, forums, blogs, Facebook or Twitter). Top sites and authors were analysed to establish who discussed eReaders to the greatest extent. •  eBook mentions were included in the data where they occurred alongside eReader brands. This is because consumers noted free eBooks as one of the major eReader selling points. •  For the purposes of this report, the page type category ‘general’ should be considered synonymous with Facebook. •  The leading brands, identified within the majority of mentions, were Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. •  Underlined words provide hyperlinks to the original content online. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 3
  • 4. KEY FINDINGS •  Kindle was the clear market leader in terms of social media mentions, followed by B&N’s Nook. Social media users were drawn to Amazon’s extensive range of free eBooks, which boosted the Kindle’s competitive edge. •  Social media buzz, especially that on blogs and forums, was significantly affected by news peaks during the period. •  Cheaper eReaders were not generally considered better value for money, according to social media users. The price of multi-purpose eReaders was also compared with more costly tablets, rather than cheaper reader models. •  Nook complaints were more frequently pointed to the limitations of the product, whereas Kindle complaints were often more vague in nature. •  eReader conversation revealed a divide in social media opinion. Nooks often appealed to those wanting only to read on their devices. Many Kindle users were drawn to the new, multi-functionality of the Kindle Fire. •  Wi-Fi triggered more upbeat conversation than 3G for the Kindle. •  New eReader models were more directly in competition with emerging tablets, including Google’s Nexus and the next generation iPad. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 4
  • 5. Market Overview © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 5
  • 6. FORUMS AND TWITTER were the most popular platforms for eReader discussion 3% VIDEO •  We recorded 79, 000 mentions over a three month period. 16% NEWS •  eReader conversation was found on the page types shown to the right. With the exception of video, online discussion was widely distributed between social 17% BLOG platforms. •  More conversation took place on forum threads than on Twitter, indicating more lengthy discussion and debate. 19% GENERAL •  One in five eReader references appeared within the ‘general’ category, the majority of which were posted on Facebook. More than half of Facebook mentions were 20% TWITTER literature orientated, suggesting user- generated, rather than corporate content. •  Though only comprising a minority of mentions, news articles were often the 24% FORUM starting point of discussion on social media (see slide 27). © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 6
  • 7. SENTIMENT analysis revealed eReaders to be an emotive subject online “ I adore my eReader, but I also have three of these full of books. The key 14% NEGATIVE is to use the eReader for books I will probably not read often. ” FORUM ALL 45% POSITIVE REDDIT EREADER CONVERSATION “ I like feeling the book, tossing it around, and bending pages cause I can. This is technology I just can’t get into.” 41% NEUTRAL FACEBOOK DANA C •  eReaders proved a controversial talking point. While some social media users preferred paper reading material, others noted the convenience of digital storage. More than half (59%) of mentions in the data were emotively charged © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 7
  • 8. ONLINE BUZZ included peaks caused by branded news Average Weekly Buzz Microsoft enters partnership with 1000 Apple Inc. Barnes & Noble Q4 Sales figures for sued for the Nook eReader 800 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun over-priced are released ebooks (mentions - daily average) 600 400 BUZZ 200 0 -200 -400 -600 DATE •  The graph above shows the volume of all online eReader conversation over time. The data was normalised to account for weekly fluctuations (conversation levels drop during the weekends and peak on Mondays). Positive points represent higher than average levels of buzz. •  Peaks in conversation levels corresponded with leading news stories. On April 12th, for example, Apple Inc. mentions accounted for 36% of all eReader conversation. Without this news story, buzz would have fallen slightly below the daily average. The same can be said for Microsoft’s investment in B&N, reported on April 30th. This accounted for around 40% of the daily total, boosting buzz to higher than average levels. •  Notably, news stories that triggered conversation were eReader brand-specific. Investments, sales figures and product releases showed the market to be one dominated by a small range of competitors. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 8
  • 9. eReader Brands © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 9
  • 10. EREADER BRANDS were referenced in the majority of social media comments 29% NO BRAND SPECIFIED ALL   EREADER   CONVERSATION   71% EREADER BRANDS SPECIFIED •  Since brands accounted for peaks in conversation, they were analysed in greater depth. We found that 71% of mentions were brand specific. •  The topic cloud above shows key words and phrases within brand-specific mentions. Amazon’s Kindle was the most salient eReader, followed by Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Other trends, including ‘5 star rating’ and ‘Shades of Grey’ indicated a wealth of user-generated content in the data. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 10
  • 11. SHARE OF VOICE was greatest for Amazon and B&N 2% SONY READER 4% OTHER BRANDS 4% KOBO 71% AMAZON Amazon’s strong presence on social media may have been boosted by the online- orientated nature of the ALL company. Kindle, Amazon’s BRANDED 19% B&N CONVERSATION eReader range, was often synonymous with digital With almost one in five readers more broadly. This branded mentions, Barnes reinforced the brand’s & Noble proved the second status as a market leader. largest brand within the data. B&N’s Nook products competed with those of Amazon. •  Of all brand-specific conversation (shown above), Amazon was the most salient organisation. •  Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the two leading names in eReader discussion, were selected for further analysis (see slide 15). Other products including the Kobo and Sony Reader appeared only marginally in social media. Though other brands were on the market, Amazon and B&N accounted for 90% of the data. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 11
  • 12. PRODUCT BRAND NAMES were more prominent than company names PRODUCT AND COMPANY NAME FREQUENCIES 80 (% BRAND TOTAL) 70 BUZZ 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Amazon B&N Kindle Nook KEYWORDS •  Since branding was prominent in the data, the terminology used by social media users underwent further analysis. We distinguished between references to companies and the brand names of their product ranges. •  ‘Kindle’ and ‘Nook’ were used more frequently than ‘Amazon’ and ‘Barnes & Noble’ when users discussed eReaders online. This supported the notion of eReading as a brand-led topic. Accordingly, eBooks were available on the ‘Nook Book Store’ and the ‘Kindle store’, while the company name itself was backgrounded to top banner logos and URLs. •  By assigning the brand rather than company name, Amazon was able to distinguish eBooks from its vast range of other available products. Barnes & Noble, similarly, were distanced from online Nook discussion. This was not the case for all products; linked brand naming was used in the case of the ‘Sony Reader’, for example. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 12
  • 13. Key Competitors © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 13
  • 14. NET SENTIMENT was consistently higher for Kindle comments than those of the Nook NET SENTIMENT OF LEADING BRANDS OVER TIME Kindle Nook 5 Other 4 NET SENTIMENT (%) 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 DATE •  Data from a one month period was analysed in greater depth, using manual sentiment analysis. •  Online Kindle discussion was more frequently positive than average eReader talk. Nook conversation was more often upbeat than negative, but experienced a notable dip in net positivity as B&N released its quarterly sales figures on the 19th June (see slide 20). © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 14
  • 15. ACTIVE COMPARISONS on social media pitched Amazon against B&N “ I have a Kindle and a Nook and “ My daughter had the Kindle Fire “ I heard people say Kindle Fire’s think they’re pretty much the and returned it. To each his/her touch screen is slower ” same as far as reading on them own. ” goes. ” “ I’m not sure if I’d get a Fire. They “ Kindle Fire is better as it has “ I decided to buy the Nook over don’t have the nice e-paper Amazon Prime membership ” the Kindle. ” screen for reading in the sun. ” FORUM FORUM FORUM YAHOO! ANSWERS BABY CENTRE VEGGIE BOARDS •  Nook-Kindle forum comparisons revealed divided opinion. The Kindle Fire represented an eReader/tablet hybrid for many social media users, whereas the Nook reader tended to appeal to those wanting mainly to read on their devices (see slide 38). © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 15
  • 16. Barnes & Noble © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 16
  • 17. TOP NOOK AUTHORS included developers and newsfeeds FORUMS: 25% TWITTER: 12% USER MENTIONS FORUM TWEETER MENTIONS FOLLOWERS ADOBE 17 FORUMS.ADOBE SAI 2 1,290,305 ALTWORLD 16 MOBILEREAD IAMSTEVEHARVEY 3 774,017 LAVERO.BURGOS 14 XDA-DEVELOPERS TW_TOP_BOOKS 1 286,469 PROFCRASH 14 MOBILEREAD WALMART 1 230,712 REBELLOS 12 XDA-DEVELOPERS BOOKTV 1 166,722 •  The top forum authors of Nook conversation discussed the technical specifications of the product. The Nook, which uses an Android operating system, was popular with programmers who discussed ‘rooting’ the system (modifying the device in order to customise content and view non-B&N files). Lavero, for example, wrote: ‘all went well and I felt like a link […] I went around using my cool rooted Nook’. Other technical forum threads focused on addressing errors, or viewing file types including PDFs. •  The most influential Nook Tweets came from @SAI, the ‘business insider’ newsfeed. With over one million followers, the account provided a valuable boost to Barnes & Noble with the tweet: ‘Simply put, you should buy Barnes & Noble’s new Nook instead of a Kindle [REVIEW]$BKS by @stevekovach read.bi/JXyds6’. @iamsteveharvey and @walmart both advertised eBooks exclusive to Barnes & Noble, further growing the appeal of the Nook product range. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 17
  • 18. THE NOOK WAS DEEMED ‘CHILD-FRIENDLY’ with useful inbuilt features “ The Nook ebook reader ;) Barnes Noble NOOK Kids™ Title Nominated in Best eBook Category at Cynopsis Kids! ” TWITTER @UJECHILZ “ The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight breaks the stalemate by adding a row of LED lights, called a GlowLight, to the top edge of its six-inch E Ink touch screen. ” NEWS TECH NEWS DAILY •  The Nook grew its ‘child-friendly’ image by providing educational material and promoting the ‘read to me’ feature for its range of children’s books. These features filtered into social media by way of user response. One forum poster wrote: ‘I love the “Read to Me” feature for the younger kids. My youngest granddaughter is 4 and the Nook will read to her’. •  Though reading features were thought useful, the prospect of browsing, apps and media playback was received less positively. One Yahoo! Finance article noted web access, apps, music and movies, but claimed that ‘all that does is make the Nook a me-too product in a market-- tablet hardware-- that isn’t B&N’s core business’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 18
  • 19. BUT GAINED NEGATIVE COVERAGE for unchecked errors “ The error in the eBook was “ This is unacceptable. One of the largest book stores “ I was shocked. Almost discovered by a North should not get a pass on immediately I found it Carolina blogger and mucking up a classic work of hilarious… then eventually became quite literature […] did they borrow outrageous… then both, It is famous over the internet. But definitely clever. But it raises this is, of course, not some a page from Apple’s playbook, trying to scrub many questions. E-books can monstrous conspiracy by every mention of a be manipulated at will by the Barnes & Noble and is only a competitor from the purveyors of the publishing error by the downloadable software.” company. ” content? ” NEWS FORUM NEWS EREADER KING VB MEDIA ECOUSTICS •  Barnes & Noble came under the spotlight between the 4th and the 8th of June. Its eBook version of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace was found to be faulty: a sweeping algorithm had converted every instance of ‘Kindle’ in the novel to ‘Nook’, creating errors in the body of the text. Though not directly responsible, B&N was publicised by association. •  This example was by no means an isolated instance. In the discussion below a Guardian article, one user wrote: ‘Yes, I find a lot of mistakes in books that were converted to eBooks’. A subsequent reader added: ‘what bothers me is that you can never be sure in an eBook whether, if two paragraphs seem to run together for example, it’s the author’s intent or a formatting error. At moments like that I feel all at sea and crave pulped wood.’ © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 19
  • 20. POOR SALES weakened consumer confidence in B&N DISTRIBUTION OF NOOK NEGATIVITY 40 % OTHER “ Barnes & Noble reports weak 35 % NOOK sales, hurt by disappointing 30 Nook sales ” NEGATIVITY 25 20 NEWS 15 MDN 10 5 0 DATE •  Nook conversation experienced a peak in buzz on June 19th, which other brands managed to avoid. We separated mentions according to their sentiment and revealed that negative mentions accounted for the peak (as shown above). •  News sites triggered financial discussion, noting B&N’s lower-than-expected revenue for the previous quarter. Articles pointed to poor sales as the root cause. •  Conversation hinted that news of poor revenue may, cyclically, have a negative impact on future sales. One Yahoo! user commented under a news article: ‘If I knew then, what I know now… I would not have purchased a Nook’, and another added: ‘I wonder what happens if Barnes and Noble goes out of business. Do you lose all of your eBooks? That’s what makes me hesitant to buy a Nook. Amazon seems more stable’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 20
  • 21. Amazon © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 21
  • 22. TOP KINDLE AUTHORS included writers and publishers FORUMS: 23% TWITTER: 20% USER MENTIONS FORUM TWEETER MENTIONS FOLLOWERS JUSTIN 74 BRUTALGAMER TIME 4 3,807,157 KINDLEQUEEN 64 BUDGET101 SAI 4 1,290,305 PROFCRASH 35 MOBILEREAD THENEXTWEB 1 755,597 GEEKMASTER 25 MOBILEREAD FORBESTECH 2 605,532 CAMPUSA2 22 SLICKDEALS CHRISCOWLIN 1 593,688 •  Kindle conversation featured slightly fewer forum mentions than B&N, proportionately, and was more salient on Twitter. •  Frequent forum authors included fiction writers and publishers, who used the brand as a springboard for the latest releases. Free eBooks were a major selling point for Amazon, reflected in both ‘Mobile Read’ and ‘Slick Deals’ (above). •  Time magazine's account proved the most influential Kindle tweeter, promoting free eBooks to almost four million followers. ‘Like magic, the Harry Potter books are now free (in Kindle’s Lending Library)’ was tweeted four times by the account. •  ForbesTech, with over half a million followers, posted news that American retailer Target would stop selling Kindle products after a vaguely termed ‘conflict of interests’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 22
  • 23. KINDLE BUZZ revealed links between news, blogs and forums AMAZON MENTIONS BY PAGE TYPE Blog 3.0 Forum % KINDLE MENTIONS 2.5 News 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 DATE •  The graph above shows the volumes of Kindle blog, forum and news mentions over time. Trends suggest a weak positive correlation between the platforms, though this may have been coincidental or indicative of across the board fluctuations. •  In order to test this link, we measured the effect of specific news stories on other online platforms (see slide 24). © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 23
  • 24. KINDLE NEWS boosted conversation on social media platforms HARRY POTTER BUZZ OVER TIME 0.7 0.2 NEWS MENTIONS (% PLATFORM 0.6 0.5 0.15 BLOGS AND FORUMS 0.4 TOTAL) 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.05 0.1 0 0 DATE •  The graph above shows how much Harry Potter-related conversation occurred over time on news sites and blogs and forums. The three notable news peaks corresponded with surges in Harry Potter discussion on blogs and forums on the same dates, followed by prolonged periods of low-level buzz. •  On March 28th, the largest peak, bloggers noted that: ‘muggles can now download digital copies of Harry Potter books for iPad and Kindle’. Forums also used the news as a starting point for discussion. One such forum, Neogaf, attracted sixty two comments within 48 hours of the news. •  Some Kindle users were wary, writing: ‘I only want these books if they behave in exactly the same manner as other books purchased from Amazon’s Kindle store.’ However the majority were upbeat, with comments such as: ‘I truly can’t express how happy I am by this! I’ve loved the series since I first started Harry’s adventure’. The second peak, on May 10th, was triggered by news that the books would soon be available on the Kindle lending library. •  Other topics included news that Oprah Winfrey would be starting a new eBook club, with which the Kindle was associated in 75% of mentions, and posts commenting on Waterstone’s agreement to sell Kindles and eBooks in store. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 24
  • 25. COST AND VALUE were prominent in Kindle discussion “ I feel like the price of a kindle is so easily made up by all the free books. ” TWITTER @NEONFUNGI “ I’m a huge fan of Kindle books! […] While I usually stock up on all the free books, I also like to take advantage of big sales.” FACEBOOK SIMPLIFIED SAVING •  Kindle conversation frequently referred to cost and value. Many mentions noted the wide range of free eBooks on the Amazon website, as well as the more recent library lending service available on Kindle eReaders. •  Another key topic was the cost of Kindle products. Upbeat mentions compared the cost of Kindle Fire with leading models in the tablet market, such as the iPad. Users (including @neonfungi, above) also commented that the initial price tag was outweighed by the number of free eBooks available. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 25
  • 26. THE KINDLE WAS PROMOTED by a large volume of free eBooks “ Just ordered 10 new books (FREE) on my Kindle. Love “ You might want to look into checking the Amazon Kindle “ Check your local library, the eBooks that are free, you offers a couple of times a some libraries allow you to don’t even need a kindle… week and storing them in my download books for free for you download an app (free) “E-Library” for later reading. If two weeks. Kindles and for your computer and it you haven’t got an e-reader libraries usually work in stores them for you. I have and love to read, get one! sync. ” about 20 books in my You will be glad you did. I library. ” take mine everywhere. ” FACEBOOK FORUM FORUM MARY D YAHOO! ANSWERS ECOUSTICS •  Nearly a fifth of online Kindle mentions referenced free eBooks. This was 10 percentage points higher than Barnes & Noble’s Nook conversation. •  The number of free eBooks referenced in the data reflects a growing number of independent publishers and marketers who promoted published works (and the Kindle by association). @LunaraBooks, for example, tweeted: ‘FREE eBook for KINDLE – Lunara: Seth and Chloe is getting great reviews. Check it out here…’ © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 26
  • 27. SOCIAL MEDIA USERS linked Kindle with a series of upbeat news features KINDLE TOPIC BUZZ OVER TIME 35 “ So Waterstones are to WATERSTONES 30 “ Harry Potter ebooks start selling Amazon % ALL CONVERSATION now for sale at 25 Kindles! New age HARRY POTTER Pottermore website” technology world! ” 20 TWITTER TWITTER 15 @YP9MARMY @LEEASHWORTH13 10 5 0 DATE •  The graph above shows Amazon’s share of voice in relation to two key topics. The Harry Potter series was made available for Kindle eReaders, and Waterstones agreed to sell the devices in store. Both stories were noted by social media users, generating a large volume of neutral mentions and shared news links. •  Other topics included Oprah Winfrey’s new eBook club. This did not cause a large initial surge in buzz, but is expected to trigger more conversation once the digital club begins. Three-quarters (75%) of Oprah Winfrey mentions linked the club to Kindle readers, providing an indication of future publicity. Oprah was an early supporter of the Kindle and the club will use Kindle as a platform for discussion. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 27
  • 28. eReader Models © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 28
  • 29. RECENT MODELS caused the most conversation PROPORTION  OF  ALL  MODEL-­‐RELATED  CONVERSATION   20   AMAZON  AND  B&N  SHARE   OF  CONVERSATION   18   16   MENTIONS  (%)   14   12   10   8   6   4   2   0   Kindle Kindle Nook Kindle Nook Kindle Nook Nook Kindle Kindle Nook Model 2 DX Wi-Fi 3 Wi-Fi/ Color Simple Touch Fire Tablet 3G Touch Release Nov Feb Nov May Jun Jul 2010 Nov Jun Sep Sep Nov date 2007 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 •  Kindle models were the leading products compared with other eReaders, generating four times more mentions than the Nook, There was a tendency for recent models to be discussed more frequently than older products. •  While the most referenced of B&N models, the Nook tablet failed to surpass the buzz created by Kindle Fire even though it had a more recent release date. •  In chronological order, the Kindle Fire marked the most dramatic increase in interest out of all products analysed. Though the Nook Tablet provided a similar leap in product functionality, it failed to generated a similar increase in buzz. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 29
  • 30. THE NOOK SIMPLE TOUCH triggered more emotive responses than the Nook tablet “ This had been the problem with “ Just purchased the Barnes & e-book readers until now: They “ I’m getting the new Noble, Simple Touch Nook Glow are great for use in adequate NootSimpleTouch with GlowLight for night bedroom reading. Off ambient lighting […] but become for my birthday and I CANNOT da chain! I love it” Watch out useless if you are trying to read wait. It looks so awesome!! ” Kindle. ” in bed ” TWITTER BLOG FORUM @MSNATTURNER TWINCITIES TMP “ Ohh! B&N’s Nook now has “ I have been wanting the Nook “ Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. If you love e-ink but Simple Touch with Glow Light for GlowLight Review: An E-Reader find it hard to read in low-light, reading in bed and not disturbing That’s Not Afraid of the Dark this might be an option. ” the sleeping DH!!! ” ti.me/JFAXeS ” TWITTER FORUM TWITTER @NIGHTOWLSPRESS CRUISECRITIC @BALZERMAN •  As well as mention volumes (shown on the previous slide), we measured the sentiment of product mentions. •  The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight™ triggered double the proportion of emotive responses that were caused by the tablet. The GlowLight™, improving reader usability, was valued by users above the Nook Tablet functionality. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 30
  • 31. THE KINDLE FIRE was more controversial than other models 23% NEGATIVE “ Go for the Kindle Fire as the better option […] but if you want 9% above average to run more and some heavy processes […] then go for a laptop ” 17% NEUTRAL KINDLE FIRE FORUM CONVERSATION YAHOO! ANSWERS 24% below average “ Kindle Fire has ruined me. I have what feels like a hundred books 60% POSITIVE and every time I try to decide what I want to read, I just get 15% above average overwhelmed. ” FORUM CAFEMOM •  Kindle Fire, Amazon’s leading eReader/tablet model, formed a contentious topic online, having fewer neutral mentions than the industry average. •  The Fire offers a colour screen with video and music playback, Wi-Fi web browsing, cloud storage and a dual-core processor, sharing similarities with both earlier models and modern tablets. Tweeters noted this intermediate status, with comments such as: ‘I have a Kindle Fire idk if u know what that is, it looks like an Ipad.’ © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 31
  • 32. eReader Functionality © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 32
  • 33. WI-FI AND FIRE were considered the best Kindle variations NET POSITIVITY OF KINDLE MODELS 45 Features Usability 40 35 Other Sales (% TOTAL MENTIONS) NET POSITIVITY 30 Price 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 Kindle ($79) Kindle Touch Wi-Fi ($99) Kindle Touch 3G ($150) Kindle Fire ($200) KINDLE MODEL (RRP) •  In the data, users were less positive about the price of cheaper Kindle models than about the Kindle Fire, which had an RRP of $199. •  The Kindle Fire received the greatest net positivity score for its features and usability-factors which evidently outweighed the higher price tag. This was because the Fire was frequently compared with more expensive tablets, rather than more affordable eReaders. A user of Android Forums, for example, posted: ‘I would personally go with the Kindle Fire, any other tablet will cost more.’ •  Wi-Fi proved a popular feature, allowing users to access to the new web functions expected of modern eReaders. This model also maintained reading usability, as @Books2Remember noted: ‘Kindle’s Wi-Fi, 6 E Ink screen reads like real paper’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 33
  • 34. FEATURES AND USABILITY were key eReader talking points “ I have a Kindle and I love it! Very “ I won’t be able to stop reading “ I still like regular books, but the easy to use. I currently have 820 books on this thing. LOL. Plus I e-reader, everyone mentions it’s books on my Kindle and approx. can do emails and Facebook on good for travel.” 815 of them were free! ” it. ” FORUM NEWS FACEBOOK SOONET GLOBALTVEDMONTON @PATRICIASIEVERT “ Kindle Fire looks way cooler than “ Since I live in the UK, I can’t get “ Dammit! My thumb’s just too the Nook Tablet. Nook Tablet [a Nook]. Unless I use eBay, but I thick for this kindle fire looks a little crappy. I don’t like its wouldn’t feel too happy spending contraption… ” features. ” £100+ on eBay. ” FORUM FACEBOOK FORUM YAHOO! ANSWERS DGTILSON MOBILEREAD •  Consumers used social media to share their eReader experiences, both positive and negative. Features including instant access to free books, email and Facebook were popular. Some users struggled using their devices, though these were in the minority. •  As highlighted on a Mobileread thread, UK consumers found that they could not access the models available to those within the US. Predictions of UK releases indicated a demand for US models overseas. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 34
  • 35. KINDLE USERS WERE MORE UPBEAT than Nook users when discussing usability and features NET POSITIVITY OF KINDLE AND NOOK CONVERSATION 16 14 (% TOTAL MENTIONS) NET POSITIVITY 12 Kindle 10 Nook 8 6 4 2 0 Price Usability Features CONVERSATION TOPICS •  Kindle conversation was often more positive than that of the Nook. However, where price was concerned, this difference was less pronounced. US Amazon Kindle Prices ranged from $79 to $199, while Nook eReader were available from $99 up to $199 for the Nook Tablet. •  With similar price tags but, (according to online opinion) better features, the Kindle was expected to better the Nook in value for money. One possible explanation is that Kindle users were more vocal than their Nook counterparts about the features of the product. •  It could also be that some eReader customers worked with flexible budgets. This would mean they were willing to pay a little more for the product in order to gain a significant upgrade in usability. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 35
  • 36. KINDLE COMPLAINTS were less specific than those posted by Nook users 13% 16% 21% 18% Features Other KINDLE NOOK 18% Price Sales 20% 31% 2% Usability 51% 10% •  When online Nook conversation was negative, this was often more specific than for the Kindle. Nook mentions were less likely to include complaints about price and more likely to bemoan poor product sales. •  Almost one third of negative Kindle mentions were marked ‘other’, meaning that the mentions conveyed negative sentiment without providing one of the specified reasons. •  For example, @petalconfetti tweeted: ‘Why read a Kindle that looks like a book, why not just buy the book #puzzled’. Kindle’s synonymy with eReaders more widely increased negative, as well as positive, coverage. Specific complaints were more likely causes of concern for brands, but were also, by their nature, easier to address. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 36
  • 37. Tablet or eReader? © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 37
  • 38. POPULAR EREADER FEATURES revealed a divide in product functionality “ The size and weight [of the Nook] make it “ The Kindle has an e-ink screen, the brilliant extremely portable and really enables thing with it is it’s made to look exactly like convenient reading on the go. ” real book pages. ” FORUM FORUM EMPTYMT ROBERTAHILLJR “ The eReader also includes advanced “ It works exactly as advertised, allowing you features like highlighting, annotations, to read in bed just as easily as you would at dictionary look-up automatic last page rad the beach. ” bookmark and more. ” BLOG NEWS BOOK EREADER TMC EDUCATION •  The first notable class of eReader features was concerned only with reading functionality. Comments referred to the convenience of reading on the move, lighting solutions for reading in bed, e-ink technology, text highlighting and dictionary look-up. •  These functions were associated with a higher-than-average proportion of Nook mentions. The implication was that the Nook was often considered an ‘eReader’ in the traditional sense, whereas Kindle mentions showed a preference for multi-purpose devices. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 38
  • 39. NEW FEATURES extended devices beyond eReader functionality “ [MP3 players:] because I usually listen to “ Allowing people to […] check email, the music while reading and the two were a Kindle Fire offers a number of exciting natural fit for sitting on an airplane listening to features. ” music while reading. ” NEWS FORUM SBWIRE SLASHDOT “ If you own a Kindle Fire, then you know it’s “ [KINDLE OFFERS] web browsing will all the really easy to watch video you rented or content, free storage in the Amazon cloud, purchases from Amazon using the video tab Whispersync, Amazon Silk… ” on the home page. ” NEWS BLOG ULITZER GOTTABEMOBILE •  Models such as the Kindle Fire merged eReader functions with tablet design. The resultant devices enabled users to check email and social media, play music and videos, and store and synchronise their data. •  Though these devices were still used for reading, the Fire sacrificed e-Ink for a colour screen that allowed media playback. This design choice created a divide between models. One Teleread reviewer wrote: ‘Tablets have weaned me away from the lower contrast, more blurry (compared to a tablet) e-ink screens, but I must say that I’m about the only one I know who is going with route. All of my friends prefer e-ink.’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 39
  • 40. MULTI-PURPOSE DEVICES triggered mixed responses “ I believe all the e-ink readers are doomed for extinction. “ Ah, Kindle Touch. That’s a “ I’d say that E-ink was That includes Kindle, Nook, backlit touch screen, right? I modestly better in medium actually prefer the e-ink on the light, by virtue of its brighter Sony Reader in their e-ink versions. It is a much better Kindle. Lasts a background; but worse in low loooooooonnnnnngggggg time light since there is no way to investment to buy a mid sized to large tablet like an iPad or on a charge. ” backlight it just a bit. ” Android tablet. E-ink is too slow for video playback and really bad with colors. ” FORUM FORUM FORUM AUTOS.CA SLASHDOT THEMAGICCAFE •  As an e-Ink/tablet divide had emerged between models, so consumer opinion was divided. Supporters of the traditional eReaders favoured simplicity, lower price tags and improved battery life. Fans of the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire were drawn by greater functionality. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 40
  • 41. THE IPAD featured as an existing competitor to the Kindle and the Nook “ If you can read the same books “ Do you love a spooky, dark tale? “ With the iPad we finally have a and magazines on an iPad […] Have a Kindle or iPad? Take a platform for consuming rich- what’s the point of a Nook or a look at our Skeleton e-book content in digital form. ” Kindle? ” available now! Fb.me/1ilzyLtDY ” NEWS BLOG TWITTER FIERCEMOBILECONTENT PUBLETARIAT @YOURFAMTREEMAG •  Over 20% of all mentions referenced the iPad to some extent. This included an overlap with Kindle discussion, as the Kindle store serves consumers on a range of portable devices. The iPad, being a tablet rather than an eReader, is also expected to have a large online presence distinct from the eReader data used in this report. •  As stated on Daniweb: ‘It comes down to what you want from your gadget. Commuters may be looking for a low-cost single function item to read books and newspaper content. Others may want a full color experience with access to apps, music, video and games’. •  The iPad and the Kindle competed to a certain extent because they both offered portable solutions to consumers. This was especially the case for the Fire and Nook Tablet, which bridged the gap between Tablet and eReader. However, some viewed the distinction as intact. One consumer wrote: ‘Let Apple […] believe that e-readers are in the same class as an iPad and that they are comparable. Completely different devices for completely different markets’. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 41
  • 42. NEW COMPETITORS were pitched as rivals to the Kindle GOOGLE NEXUS TABLET MENTIONS OVER TIME Nexus tablet will be News Google to Subsidize Nexus priced to Tablet, and Sell Through compete with Kindle Blog 1.5 Online Store Fire. MENTIONS (% WEEKLY TOTAL) Forum 1 0.5 0 DATE •  As stated on CNET, ‘the Kindle, Nook and Sony Reader are also about to be joined by close to a dozen competitors this year, according to reports from the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.’ •  One new tablet, the Google-branded Nexus, caused a wealth of discussion on social media. One forum user described May as ‘a momentous month for tablets’, with rumours of Microsoft’s Surface tablet also circulating. © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 42
  • 43. CONTACT EMAIL: contact@brandwatch.com WEB: http://www.brandwatch.com TWITTER: @brandwatch PHONE: UK: +44 (0)1273 234 290 US: +1 212 229 2240 Germany: +49 (0)711 912 442 04 FAX: UK: +44 (0)1273 234 291 DOCUMENT LIMITATION The information given in this document has been checked for accuracy and completeness however Brandwatch shall not be liable for any errors or omissions. Brandwatch is a trading name of Runtime Collective Limited. Registered in England & Wales: 3898053 4th Floor, International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, United Kingdom © 2012 Brandwatch | www.brandwatch.com 43