Mkt100

MKT100 Assignment 1

Lynette McLauren

Strayer University

Discuss this product or service in terms of its current target market demographics using U.S. Census Data.

The impact that cell phones have on the use of landline phones is enormous. “A record 26.6 million U.S. households do not use land lines but rely only on cell phones as of 12/2010. A 17% increase since 2008.” ("decline," 2006)  An examination of this decline indicates that adults near poverty are more likely to live in wireless only households (use of cell phones) than are their more wealthy counterparts.   The implication here is that the wealthier are or will become one of the target markets for landline use.  

The U.S. Census data states: 39% of households are "wireless" in 2012, and 43% are likely to cut the landline cord at the end of 2013. The analysis estimates that 32% of households in 2013 will use a landline for voice services from someone other than an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) phone service, leaving ILECs with 25% of the residential voice market by the end of 2013. There are a few reasons why many customers have, in huge numbers, discarded the hard wired phone and relied solely on their cell phone. One reason is that, many different means of messages have reduced the number of phone calls that phone consumers make. Several of these resources of communication can be utilized via a cell phone. ("U.S. census bureau," 2011)

For example, many use their cell phone for obtaining and sending e-mail, messaging on Facebook and other social media sites, and SMS texting, just to name a few. Hence, in many ways, the decline of landline phones and the rise in cell phone use does not simply mark a move between one type of phone to another. The weakening of the landline is also a reflection of how individuals have changed in our preferred means of communication. We as a society have encompassed new technologies, different ways of contacting each other, and even new ways of being...