What happened in the world of media this week? Brexit took another couple of media scalps while Facebook had some bad news.
Facebook’s popularity waning?
Could Facebook’s time as the most popular social media site be over? New research from digital measurement firm eMarketer showed that the social media giant lost 2.8 million users in the US, in the under 25 age category, last year. This is a lot quicker than expected, and is the first year that Facebook experienced a decrease in users in any age category.
eMarketer also predicted that this year will not be much better for the platform created by Mark Zuckerburg. Various reasons have contributed to the drop, including the site losing its ‘coolness’ among the youth, and the fact that now, more than ever before, they have more ways to stay in touch with the world around them.
Read the full story, published by Recode.net here.
Black Panther arrives in SA
Arguably the most hyped movie of 2018, Black Panther, hits South African screens this weekend, having already opened to critical acclaim in many international markets.
An interesting piece by the New York Times this week reemphasised a key point, which many people are pointing out, movies rooted in black culture can become global blockbusters!
Providing what some people are calling the first black action hero (didn’t vampire hunter Blade count as one?), if current attendance and ticket sales revenue estimates are correct, the movie could be poised to become one of the biggest blockbusters of all time.
While many cinemagoers are experiencing superhero franchise fatigue, this movie provides a refreshing change to the usual narrative, and tells a compelling story with deep cultural roots.
Read the full story by the New York Times here.
Great editorial a no-brainer for ad recall
Research by neuroscience experts Neuro-Insight has found that ads served next to premium editorial content encourages stronger engagement and fosters long-term memory. Working on behalf of Association for Online Publishing (AOP) and Newsworks, the marketing body for national newspapers in the UK, the researchers used 139 respondents between the ages of 18 and sixty.
The research measured participants’ brain responses to identical ads in different contexts, analysing a number of sites in the brain in order to identify key research metrics.
“We already knew that context was important for digital ad performance – now we know that it is because the brain processes ads differently depending on where they are encountered,” said Newsworks’ CEO Vanessa Clifford. “It’s not enough to find the right audience, people need to see ads in an environment that is conducive to memory encoding if we are to build brands longer term and maximise effectiveness. Premium editorial sites provide that highly valuable context.”
To find out more about this fascinating research, check out the story on the AOP website here.
Brexit kills an advertising agency
Uncertainty around the consequences of Brexit and the long time this process has taken, have manifested in a real problem for media. This as London-based independent creative agency HarrimanSteel closed its office and planned a move to Amsterdam.
The agency cited the “dramatically shifting political scene” in the UK as a major problem and commented that many of its clients have too packed up their UK operations in favour of moving over the English Channel.
It will be interesting to see whether any other UK-based media houses or their clients abandon the territory as a result of Brexit.
To read the full story, published by WARC, click here.
UK broadcasters could pay heavy price for Brexit
In other disturbing Brexit news, a report by the UK’s Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) reckons losing access to European Union markets could jeopardise up to one billion pounds in annual investments by international broadcasters. Ouch!
International broadcasters invested £1.02 billion in 2017 in content investment, production facilities, wage costs, overheads and technology in what COBA said was a “major contribution to the critical mass and global competitiveness of the UK television sector”.
“The UK is Europe’s number one broadcasting hub for good reason and no one wants to restructure their business,” said Adam Minns, COBA’s executive director. “But if a UK broadcasting licence is no longer recognised by the EU, international channels will have no choice. This report shows the immense value they have for the UK, and the huge potential for future growth – if we can get this right.”
Read the full story on the COBA website here.
