Today research firm eMarketer has released a new report on UK media consumption in a multi-channel world. The report, unveiled at Facebook’s London HQ, reveals that advances in mobile device ownership have brought about a new balance in the way people consume media.
Although consumption of television content is rising – driven by new, non-traditional platforms like Netflix, YouTube and other online video services – overall time spent with broadcast television has been surpassed by digital for the first time. In addition the report found:
- Mobile is at the point of surpassing traditional desktop internet usage
- Overall time spent with media has increased by 30 minutes to 8 hours and 39 minutes
- UK smartphone penetration will top 50% in 2014
- UK tablet penetration will reach 38% in 2014
eMarketer gathered its findings from an analysis of thousands of data points from government, academic, for-profit and non-profit sources. These multiple perspectives allow eMarketer to spot trends that may not be apparent when relying on a single source or outlook.
According to Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook’s VP of EMEA, “eMarketer’s research shows that the UK has reached an inflection point in the way people are spending their time with media, and it’s clear that this is being driven by mobile.”
Time spent with mobile has grown from 15 minutes in 2010 to 1 hour and 49 minutes this year, an increase of 627%. One of the factors behind this dramatic shift to mobile is the rise of platforms like Facebook. eMarketer looked at data from Arbitron Mobile, which found that 86% of UK smartphone owners accessed social media last year, for roughly 26 minutes a day.
“As a mobile-first, mobile-best platform with 21m mobile visitors every day, Facebook is perfectly positioned at the centre of this seismic shift,” said Mendelsohn. “With one in five mobile minutes spent with Facebook and Instagram, and people checking their News Feed upto 14 times a day, Facebook is part of the connective tissue of the mobile web.”
The report cites multiple sources of research indicating that people increasingly feel that they can’t live without their smartphone – 66% of people in the UK keep their smartphone with them 24/7, while 76% of us check it while lying in bed. “‘Online’ is no longer somewhere we go, it’s something we are; a persistent state of constant connectivity,” said eMarketer’s Editorial Director, Ezra Palmer.
What of the consequences for business? eMarketer reports that the rise of mobile is blurring the lines between channels, behaviours and business objectives. And this blur is creating blind spots for marketers and media companies.
Mark D’Arcy, Facebook’s Chief Creative Officer, agrees: “When it comes to mobile, people are moving faster than brands. This isn’t simply a matter of people spending more time with this screen or that screen, this is about a pretty radical transformation of how all of us are increasingly discovering, connecting and engaging with the world. The marketers that do understand this are rethinking their approach to move from the old world of disruption to one of creating connections. To do this well you have to understand and find the people that really matter to your business, create things that really matter to them and do it at a scale that really matters to your bottom line.”
To get the full picture, check out eMarketer’s official press release.
No comments:
Post a Comment