Generational media consumption patterns show signs of convergence

While older consumers are using more digital media following the pandemic, younger ones appear to have reached peak digital penetration, according to a new new IPA TouchPoints report.

Making Sense – the commercial media landscape, published today, reveals a surprising increase in similarities between the commercial media usage habits of older and younger generations.

Correlation data

• The correlation between the commercial media use of 16-34s and 55+ from a time-spent perspective was 58% in 2015, falling to 25% in 2019, 21% in 2020 and just 8% in lockdown 2020.
• Data for 2021 post-lockdown, however, shows an increase to 18%.
• The correlation for the reach of media channels between 16-34s and 55+ stood at 35% in 2019 and 39% in early 2020, before falling to 21% and 23% respectively in the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns. 
• In post-lockdown 2021, the report reveals a dramatic increase to 52%.

Why it matters

The data for time spent and reach appear to contradict a commonly held belief that it’s difficult to reach 16-34 year-olds with advertising funded media. But the figures don’t explain how the media is used by the different audiences. Marketers will require a nuanced understanding of media usage by target, the context of usage and how attention and mental availability vary by media at the moment of engagement.

Takeaways 

• As similarities between 16-34s and 55+ media behaviours increase, don’t be fooled into thinking that this makes planning easier or that their behaviours within these platforms bear any resemblance to each other.
• With the exception of out-of-home (OOH), no single curated channel can reach 90%+ of All Adults per week.
• Online Video has seen the most significant growth over the last five years of any channel and now commands a greater share of media time than Live/Recorded TV for 16-34s. 
• For commercial media in 2021, more time is now being spent with digital rather than non-digital channels (46:54); for 16-34s in 2021, 78% of all curated commercial media time was spent with digital channels.
• Brand building balance between digital and non-digital channels should be the absolute priority for brands that want to grow in the long term.

Key quote 

“As the commercial media landscape continues to evolve, an experimental mind-set, more diverse media plans and a stronger focus on outcomes, have never been more important for marketing to be effective in both the short and long term” – Simon Frazier, head of marketing & data innovation, IPA. 

Sourced from IPA. [Image: Pexels]