Media consumption has increased – Video on demand, digital video and social are the winners
Being stuck at home it is no surprise that overall consumption of media has increased.
The number of people who are watching TV has increased as has the time spent doing so – but this trend splits across different types of TV. After an initial spike in reach, the number of people watching live TV has now dropped to below 2019 levels but the time viewers are watching has increased by 13%. Catch up TV (e.g. iplayer) has remained very similar to pre lockdown and reaches around one third of people.
The big winners are paid for streaming services (e.g. Netflix) and online video (e.g. YouTube). Time spent on paid for streaming has increased by 44% and it now reaches 51% (up from 45%). Netflix for example has added 16m subscribers world-wide to their customer base. Reach of online video is up to 27% (from 20%) and time spent doing this increased by 27%.
When it comes to what people watch, there has been an increase in comedy (up 40%), nostalgia (classic shows such as Only Fools and Horses) and family friendly viewing.
Use of social media (e.g. Facebook) has also increased – 47% are saying they are using it more and many, especially Millennials for find out news about the virus.
Consumers are reading more magazines and subscriptions have seen a huge increase (some publishers by 200%) but print sales have recorded further drops, following the trend that started pre pandemic.
(Sources: IPA/Mediatel, BARB, GWI, Bauer Media, Readly)
Whether you need insight to adjust your strategies for existing brands to the new normal or are thinking about launching new products we can help you get it right. Emotional Logic is a specialist behavioural insight agency and we offer a range of cost effective research solutions to ensure your strategy connects with the constantly shifting needs of the consumer. Please get in touch for a free consultation.
