In 2015, Millward Brown ran its AdReaction study in 42 diverse countries. The study drills down into consumer behaviour and seeks a deep understanding of how consumers engage with advertising, particularly in digital format.
There is no doubt that smart devices are changing the way people engage with media. For this study, we interviewed 400 consumers between the ages of 18 to 45 that have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer. The feature phone market was not covered in the study, as our intention was to understand second, and even third screen interaction.
This study revealed two surprising trends. Firstly, consumers are spending 68% of their time across multiple screens, with only 32% of their time confined to watching television. This data is revolutionary for our industry, in which marketing budgets usually reflect the opposite.
Secondly, video is no longer device agnostic. The same video content cannot always be applied across multiple channels in the same format. There are tangible differences in how video is perceived and engaged with on different platforms and devices.
This information ultimately has a bearing on how brands approach digital advertising. Consumers spend the majority of their time on their screens, which affords brands an opportunity to connect with them on a real, personalised level by providing content that is helpful to them.
Television still retains the greatest reach, but as data connectivity and cost improves, so the use of different channels continues to diverge. The more brands understand the psychology and habits behind multiscreen engagement, the more likely they are to have a real competitive advantage in future.
In my upcoming talk at the Mobile Marketing Association of South Africa (MMA SA) Forum on 18 August 2016, I will discuss why different advertising formats require different creative approaches. I will explore how mobile advertising works on different screens and how we can understand the different mindsets users adopt on each platform. I will reveal the key insights, statistics and reasoning behind our conclusions, giving clear examples of what currently works.
Monique will be speaking at MMA SA ‘The Art of the Possible – Building Creativity and Innovation’ in Mobile on 18 August 2016 at the Great Ilanga, Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel. This is a free to attend event please contact Kim.risi@mmaglobal.com to reserve your space
