'Application Generation' wants better digital experience

A new report from Cisco finds 62 percent of consumers say that their expectations of digital experiences are far higher now than they were two years ago.

It also charts the rise of what it calls the 'Application Generation.' Aged 18-34, this group relies on applications like no generation before, having used them to navigate the pandemic and today, to live and thrive in a hybrid world.

In addition to being heavier users of applications across every area of their lives (on average consumers under 35 years of age use 41 different applications each month, compared to 30 amongst people aged 35 and above), the Application Generation are far more discerning about the quality of the applications they use, with 77 percent claiming to be more mindful about the applications they install on their devices and 64 percent saying that they only want to use the very best applications and digital services

The Application Generation are voting with their thumbs -- ditching applications that let them down and walking away from brands that don't meet their digital experience expectations. What's more, they are not shy about sharing their frustrations. 70 percent say they are more likely to tell others or warn people off applications that don't perform than they were 12 months ago.

"It's a critical time for brands -- invest in your application experience, or risk losing customers," says Ronak Desai, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco Full-Stack Observability and AppDynamics. "Good performance is no longer enough; consumers expect only the best from their applications, and any single issue could be a reputation and revenue killer. At Cisco, we're well aware of this, and we're committed to helping organizations stay ahead by proactively optimizing their digital experiences and keep their customers happy."

The full App Attention Index 2023: Beware The Application Generation report is available from the Cisco site, there's also an infographic summary of the findings below.

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