Bespoke research by PwC has revealed key factors that influence what people listen to, watch, read or play.
The 20th edition of PwC’s annual Australian Entertainment and Media Outlook also has findings from a study of factors that shape content appetite and determine how willing people are to try new things.
The study is based on a series of exploratory qualitative interviews followed by an online questionnaire across a representative population sample of 2000 Australians.
Consumption behaviour changed across most demographics as a result of increased time at home during 2020 and lengthy lockdowns.
“It is clear that the psychological and behavioural changes brought about by COVID-19, combined with the new hybrid work model that employers are adopting that reduces commuting time for many, means how much time people allocate to content consumption, and their motivations for it, requires a deeper level of consideration and understanding by
those seeking to better connect with consumers.
“This is true for all advertisers - from FMCG brands, to financial institutions and even governments.”
The research found the content appetite of younger demographics was the most elastic. They have a higher preparedness to trial new forms of content, genres and platforms because their routines may not yet be embedded.
But with elasticity comes a degree of transience and a lack of loyalty to one platform over another.
“The content truly is king in that they will go to wherever the content is, and faster if it is free,” says PwC.
“Older demographics’ content appetite is somewhat less elastic, as there are specific routine-based consumption patterns that are closely tied to day part and activity.
“While there is some preparedness to trial new content, it is most closely linked to a referral or a connection that hooks into a sense of nostalgia or familiarity.
The research says there are points of relevance and impact throughout the content consumption process that should be considered.
“A word of warning - advertisers need to balance commercial objectives with the consumers’ right to choose the level of interaction they have with brands and organisations.
“For non-advertising environments, organisations have to think more carefully and creatively about how to make a relevant and authentic connection with audiences and consumers.”
The most common decision-making process:
Much of this content selection process is done subconsciously.
Initial indications from the research suggest that the more time a person has , the more considered the selection at the activity stage and motivation stage.
The less time, the less likely they were to start a new piece of content such as a series or new program, and they will generally stay within their normal repertoire of content.
The report: “The key here for content creators and owners is knowing how to influence the choice made at specific parts of the process, be it with the availability of variable format and length content (from long-form to ‘snackable’ highlights as video or audio), breadth of content, quality of experience fitting the device being used, or how to connect into the relevant motivations in an appropriate and positive way.”
PwC says the amount and type of content that people consume spontaneously was surprising .
“Whether a function of shorter attention spans or multi-screening, the weighting to spontaneous consumption presents a challenge to advertisers in that the predictability of media consumption may be changing such that plans need to be more dynamically optimised,” the report says..
“By overlaying these consumption types across the dynamics of watch, read, listen and play, a clearer understanding is gained regarding the way the content appetite, content range and consumption opportunities work together.”
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