Survey Reveals That Electronic Devices Increasingly are Becoming Part of Back to School Purchases

BETHEL, Conn., Aug. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent IPSOS poll conducted on behalf of Duracell, found that 70 percent of parents say their children need more items than what is included on the list provided by the school.  Pencils, notebooks and backpacks are all staples on a back to school shopping list, however, two-thirds of parents surveyed say electronic devices are increasingly becoming part of their back to school purchases. To help power these devices, the survey found that more than 40 percent of parents say batteries are part of their purchases for the new school year. Duracell offers the power solutions children and parents need to help ease them into the back to school season and throughout the year.

Today's modern families use cell phones as a primary means of communication while away from home. In fact, according to the survey, more than three-quarters of parents (78 percent) think it is okay for children to have a cell phone by age 15. Additionally, 90 percent of parents believe safety is the top reason to allow children to have cell phones. With the busy back to school season, it can be a hassle for parents to add charging cell phones to their to-do list – in fact, two-thirds (63 percent) of parents say they wish their own cell phones were easier to keep charged. Duracell offers solutions including the Duracell Instant Charger, which provides up to 35 hours of portable reserve power or the Duracell myGrid wireless charging pad, which simplifies the charging process at home.  

"We know that the back to school season can be hectic and stressful for families," said Bob Jacobs, Duracell marketing director-North America." Whether it's to keep children's battery-operated electronic devices powered up for use in the classroom or to provide the peace of mind knowing cell phones are charged up for an emergency, Duracell Smart Power products offer much needed solutions to make the back to school time a smooth transition period for parents and kids alike."

The survey also found that two-thirds (66 percent) of parents find preparing their children for the start of the school year to be a stressful experience. These tools from Duracell Smart Power help to keep families' devices powered when they need to communicate during critical times throughout the week and provides parents peace of mind that they don't have to hear any more excuses about dead cell phones from their children. Interestingly, the survey found that two-thirds (63 percent) of parents say children use a dead cell phone battery as an excuse not to communicate with them.

This national survey was conducted online by IPSOS Public Affairs on July 19-23, 2010 using a national sample of 1,003 parents with at least one child under the age of 18 living at home.

About Duracell

Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE: PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in disposable, renewable and peripheral technologies and markets general purpose flashlights along with the advanced Daylite® LED flashlights. Visit www.duracell.com for more information.

About Procter & Gamble

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®.

The P&G community includes approximately 127,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble