Report: Gadget buyers influenced by video

More than $5 billion has been spent online in the past week by American consumers according to comScore, and a large chunk of that spend has been pushed into the consumer electronics - gadget - sector. While Digital Content and Subscriptions accounts for the bulk of the spend (25%), Consumer Electronics accounts for 17% and Video Games/Consoles/Accessories account for 16%.

According to researchers nearly all (9 in 10) say they watch video content about tech products; 55 million of those surveyed say they are 'frequent viewers' of tech related content. Added incentive - they're not just watching from PC; these consumers are watching mobile clips (23%) as well.

Now, to engage these consumers brands need to be in the right place at the right time - and those places may not be big review or recommendation sites. Most respondents (78%) say they relay on 'specialty content sites' and many say they're most loyal to niche tech sites.

Once brands have found the buyers, they have to engage and to do that, IDG's researchers found original content is the best bet. While some viewers were engaged by 'traditional' 30-second video spots most (90%) say they were influenced by product demonstration clips or views. Other customers' testimonials were also found to be influential (80%).

Tags: comScore, gadget buyers, IDG, online video, video content