Information & Media Consumption

Identifying the media consumption patterns of your target audience(s) will be critical for designing the  communications strategy and interventions.  Media consumption can be vastly different within countries, communities or families. For example, young people are far more likely to use social media and mobile phone or tablet applications (e.g. online streaming services) to play games, receive news and enjoy entertainment. Understanding the media consumption habits of target audiences provides insight on which media channels and organizations to engage and begins the process of untangling what is feasible in any given context vis-à-vis available resources and objectives. Although it depends on the context, there is a considerable amount of research and information available about media consumption and audiences that can be drawn upon.

Media consumption is determined by a variety of factors, including: consumers’ interests and preferences; affordability; accessibility; gender and other social norms that proscribe use. Factors such as radio or television ownership or access to them in the community; mobile phone ownership and internet access; the prices and availability of print media and literacy rates; among others are all important to consider when deciding the type of media to be engaged in prevention work.

Media use is not simply determined by affordability. Other factors may have an impact, including:

• Professional activity, as small traders, for example, might prioritise having a mobile phone because it is essential to their business, while broader parts of the population may rely on radio reports for weather alerts and agricultural information.
• Media diversity, as the range of media options and plurality of voices heard can limit access to information and participation in media, particularly for marginalized groups;
• Gender, as gender stereotypes can determine the kind of information available to both women and men. For example, women in low and middle-income countries are significantly less likely than men to own a mobile phone, and when they do own one they use them less than men (GSMA 2016), or;
• The position individuals occupy in the family, as women and young people may have less access to the household phone or radio.

This information can play a crucial role in designing appropriate interventions, resisting the temptation to target only traditional or like-minded media partners. It is critical to expand messages and communications objectives to media organizations and audiences that could have a catalytic impact on social norms change.

Media consumption trends

We all know that There are some media consumption trends that are more prevalent than others, including social media use, digital alternatives to traditional channels and consumer tastes’ changing. Here are the key media consumption trends that you need to be aware of:

Media consumption during lockdown

As a result of the Covid-19 and restrictions to stay at home, our media consumption has changed. People spent more time online and on social media and we’re more prone to shop online than ever before. New research on the topic shows that these consumption trends are here to stay.

Consumers across 15 countries said they were shopping more frequently online during the pandemic and new research shows that this is not only a trend but here to stay post-covid as well. Data from Global Web Index supports this increase with 76% of consumers in the U.S. and UK saying they’re still going to shop online as much as they’ve done over the past year.

In summary, social media has been an even more important part of our lives since restrictions to stay at home and social distancing came into place. Instead of going to a store to shop, see your colleagues at the office, or your friends at parties, we turned to the social media to socialise, be entertained and to research brands and products we’re interested in buying.

Social media use is increasing

Nowadays, social media gives people an opportunity to meet online and exchange information, inspiration and insights. As our society becomes increasingly digitalised, much of our social interaction has also moved online, and our ‘regular’ social circle is being extended to include people we follow on social media platforms. It could be people we know or people who have built up a loyal group of followers and share tips, inspiration and content connected about a specific topic that we are interested in. These people are also known as ‘influencers’, as in influencing the people that follow them, who can relate to their lives.

Recent studies show that more than 4.5 billion people are using the internet today and at the beginning of 2020, active social media users passed the 3.8 billion mark. This number increased by more than 9% since 2019. Since the social media usage rose significantly due to Covid-19, we know for certain that this number has increased even more now when we’re half past 2020.

According to Statista, 66% of the UK population are active social media users and in the U.S., more than 70% of the population holds a social media account. For the younger generations, such as millennials and Generation Z, the figures are even higher. Think about it: which platforms does your target group spend the most time on and what does their media consumption look like?

On a global level, more women (71%) use social media than men (62%). This means, no matter if you’re targeting men or women, you will be able to reach the majority of them via social media platforms.  As the graph above shows, women use the two major social networks Instagram and Snapchat to a greater extent than men, while men are more likely to use platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

Psst! Check out this blog post to learn more about the different social platforms and how they work!

Traditional channels are being outcompeted by digital alternatives

In recent years, consumers are shifting their preferences towards ‘new’ digital media channels as compared to more traditional forms of media such as TV, print, and radio. This digital shift became even more evident in the spring of 2020 as the use of streaming services further increased as a result of social distancing and more time at home. One example is that 3 out of 4 people in the U.S. increased their use of streaming services after the corona pandemic broke out, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Another example of the digital shift currently taking place in the media landscape is a recent study from the Swedish Press, Radio and Television Authority which shows that the younger generations are leaving the more traditional platforms, such as TV, newspapers and radio  – something that may not come as a surprise. The same study also shows that even the elderly are moving towards a more digital consumption pattern, as their time spent on social media has increased significantly too in recent years.

Readings

1. Stuart Hall, “Encoding, Decoding” (D2L)
2. Who Controls Your Facebook Feed (Slate) http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/cover_story/2016/01/how_facebook_s_news_feed_alg single.html