ARF study reveals the prevalence of US device and account sharing

A study from the US Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) sheds light on device and account sharing, finding, for instance, that more than one third of US Netflix account holders share their passwords with relatives. The study, called DASH (ARF Universe Study of Device and Account Sharing) will be conducted annually going forward.

Why it matters

The explosion of device usage and media channels has led to confusion over how and by whom various devices and channels are being used. DASH produces foundational data that answers these questions.

Takeaways

• Targeting by household is useful, but far from perfect as – especially during certain dayparts – individuals are more likely to go to their own screens.
• Device sharing complicates measurement – 42% of Americans share with others in the household.
• Emails are considered central to many aspects of digital marketing, but one-third of all respondents said they use more than one email address.
• TV brands have distinct demographic profiles, which has implications for viewership data distributed by the OEMs. For example, Samsung is the most popular brand among Hispanic audiences.

Key quote

“DASH was created to address the complex nature of digital device and media usage (and sharing), a modern phenomenon which makes it difficult to get a precise and comprehensive understanding of just how Americans use technology to shop, entertain and inform themselves” – Paul Donato, chief research officer, Advertising Research Foundation.

[Image: Aneta Pawlik from Unsplash]