·         New research reveals need for multi-purpose lighting

·         Less than 30% of consumers are confident they are making the right lighting choice

·         Household disagreements about home décor lighting are prevalent

With all of the difficult home décor decisions facing consumers, choosing the right lighting shouldn't be one of them. New research from Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), the global leader in lighting, confirms that the majority of consumers – 93% – talk about lighting with the people in their home, with nearly one-third (31%) saying it is among their top three most important home décor areas. Despite this, only 28% feel confident they are making the right lighting choice, and more than half – 56% – indicated that they have household disagreements about lighting.

To provide consumers with the ultimate flexibility in choosing the right light for different tasks, Philips Lighting has introduced Philips SceneSwitch. With options for three different light settings, the LED bulb caters to a wide range of preferences. Consumers can easily select a scene – daylight, soft white light and a warm glow – to suit whatever task they are doing, whether it’s working, reading, watching TV or relaxing. No additional equipment or dimmers are needed to use Philips SceneSwitch.

“Our research shows that consumers have strong opinions about the type of light they prefer in their homes and to support particular activities. Yet, three in five people report that they do not know exactly what light bulb best fulfills their needs,” said Nathan Marafioti, LED business lead, North America, Philips Lighting. “Philips SceneSwitch ultimately takes the guesswork out of choosing the right light with its three settings in the single bulb.”

When it comes to the right light for various tasks, consumers have preferences. For example, more than half of survey respondents like a cool, energizing daylight when cooking (56%) or working/doing homework (53%). A functional, soft white light is desired when reading (44%), whereas a cozy, warm glow is desired for relaxing and winding down to go to bed (47%) and watching television (43%).

With Philips SceneSwitch, consumers can simply place the three color settings-in-one light bulb into their existing fixture and use their light switch on the wall to flick through the scenes. This enables them to quickly and effectively get the desired ambiance for their task. Philips SceneSwitch automatically memorizes the last setting if the switch is turned off for longer than six seconds.

Philips SceneSwitch is available for $8.97 at The Home Depot.

Key survey findings also include:

·         89% of consumers say brightness is important to them when determining which light bulb to buy, with almost half (46%) citing color temperature as an important factor.

·         US and Canadian consumers cite dimming (52%), brightness (32%) and color temperature (24%) as the primary reasons for their household disagreements on lighting.

·         Not everyone has equal say in home décor decisions, with more women than men (88%vs. 72%) stating that they call the shots.

·         Slightly more men than women (31% vs. 26%) say they are confident they will choose the right light bulb in store.

·         With age also comes wisdom. 37% of older consumers, aged 65 and older, are more confident in choosing the right light, with only 20% of those 18 to 34 saying this.

About the Research
The survey, executed by independent research firm Vanson Bourne, asked 3,000 people covering all ages, genders and regions across the United States and Canada about their lighting knowledge and buying habits. The study also uncovered consumers' preferred types of lighting compared to other members of their households and when performing specific activities at home.

Consumers who were already signed up to participate in research were invited to take part in the survey via email. Interviews were conducted online using a rigorous, multi-level screening process to ensure that suitable candidates participated.