Slightly more than one out of three respondents own a computer tablet (34 percent) according to a recent WATT-Rennier Poultry Confidence Index survey poll. Only 25 percent of U.S. adults own a tablet.
Ownership could approach 40 percent among the poultry survey group if Kindles and Nooks are included, since some are likely to be true tablets (e.g., Kindle Fire) rather than simple readers.
iPad trumps Android in survey
The iPad was the most preferred tablet among our sample, edging out its Android-based competitors. This gap will likely widen in the near future as 51 percent of those in the sample looking to purchase a tablet during the next six months indicated they would buy an iPad.
This preference for the iPad differs greatly from recent consumer reports which show the Android system on 75 percent of new tablet sales during the third quarter of 2012.
Group uses tablets for variety of purposes
At least half the survey group used their tablet on a daily basis to access email, read news, check the weather and read a book. A third or more also accessed productivity programs, visited social networking sites and conducted banking and financial transactions.
These findings suggest that the poultry industry is slightly ahead of the consumer public for adopting and using tablets. iPads appear to be the emerging preference within the industry even though Android-based tablets are gaining ground among consumers.
The information is important for poultry integrators, associations and allied suppliers to consider when developing their future marketing and communication plans. Tablets will almost certainly play a larger role in the near future.
