Abstract
PurposeThis purpose of this study is to analyze consumer behavior in relation to Google Glass. The study considers the adoption and diffusion of the innovation, aspects related to technological convergence and the theories of utilitarian, hedonic and social value.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative, exploratory study uses the methodological approach of netnography via passive observation. Data collection was conducted using the social network Reddit over a period of about four months.FindingsThree categories and two subcategories of consumers were found, namely, socially satisfied; socially constrained; and early adopters, divided into enthusiasts and visionaries.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this research pertains to the data collected regarding consumption preferences of users and potential adopters. No questions were created, but rather, discussions were selected, from the social network Reddit, that focused on factors pertaining to the theories studied.Practical implicationsThe research brings an important insight regarding the launch of new products: to obtain a good market position for new devices, failures or inadequate perceptions that will negatively impact the technology’s dissemination must be minimized.Social implicationsThis study presents social value of technological consumption as a function of the conspicuousness, status and position of users who own devices that differ from those commonly available on the market.Originality/valueThis study reveals which elements exert the greatest influence on intention to consume so-called wearable technology. In particular, it analyzes consumer behavior in relation to Google Glass, evaluating the reasons that were perceived as positive and negative for consumers which blocked the technology launch in the market.
Highlights
The current technological scenario appears to be financially stable for large technology companies
According to Degusta (2012), in the USA, it took nearly a century for landlines to reach saturation – i.e. the point at which new demand falls – while mobile phones have reached saturation in just 20 years and smartphones, Apple’s main source of revenue, are well on their way to reducing this rate by half[1]. In this current technological scenario, for companies such as Apple to continue to lead as the most valuable brands in the world, they need to keep innovating in terms of developing more robust devices and radically new technologies (Schumpeter, 1942; Govindarajan et al, 2011) so that the differentiation is evident in the eyes of users
In this article, the behavior of consumers of wearable technology was analyzed through a netnographic study based on Google Glass
Summary
The current technological scenario appears to be financially stable for large technology companies. According to Degusta (2012), in the USA, it took nearly a century for landlines to reach saturation – i.e. the point at which new demand falls – while mobile phones have reached saturation in just 20 years and smartphones, Apple’s main source of revenue, are well on their way to reducing this rate by half[1] In this current technological scenario, for companies such as Apple to continue to lead as the most valuable brands in the world, they need to keep innovating in terms of developing more robust devices and radically new technologies (Schumpeter, 1942; Govindarajan et al, 2011) so that the differentiation is evident in the eyes of users. Given the importance of consumers’ perception of innovation, technological convergence (Han et al, 2009; Lee et al, 2013; Said and Adham, 2016) is a technique that has been widely used for products to appear radically innovative to the market; this facilitates these products’ adoption, as their description of having multiple functions appeals to consumers through a perception of increased benefit
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