While the patterns by which the Great British public are consuming commercial media have remained relatively unchanged over time, the methods and channels by which this content is being consumed have changed drastically in line with evolving technology.
This is according to the latest (2024) in the series of the IPA Making Sense – The commercial media landscape reports, published today (11 September 2024).
The report draws on IPA TouchPoints 2024 data to lift the lid on how commercial media consumption has shifted over the last nine years, including through lockdowns, by analysing time spent, share of time and weekly reach of each commercial channel across four key audiences – All Adults, 16–34s, 35-54s and 55s+. It also reveals the correlation of media habits between the different generations and charts the consumption of media by device. It is accompanied by perspectives from Experian, The Freethinking Group, Global Media, Meta, OMD UK, Route, Samsung and Sky Media.
Key report findings included:
- All Adults’ media consumption patterns slip back into pre-pandemic, established habits
- All Adults’ time spent on curated commercial media falls by 17 minutes since 2015
- 60% of All Adults’ and 4/5 of 16-34s’ curated commercial media time share is spent on digital channels
- No single commercial media channel, except for OOH, can reach 90%+ of All Adults per week
- The share of total curated commercial media time spent on smartphones has increased 12 percentage points for All Adults since 2015
- The correlation of the reach of curated commercial media channels between 16-34s and 55s+ hits all-time high of 60%
- The top five commercial media properties by weekly reach for All Adults in 2024 are: ITV/STV (51%); Facebook (48%); YouTube (45%); Channel 4 (44%) and Instagram (34%).
Simon Frazier, Making Sense Report author and head of touchpoints marketing & data innovation, said: “We are seeing that overall patterns of commercial media consumption have reverted to pre-pandemic, established patterns, however, the methods of delivering commercial media are clearly evolving in line with technological advancements and are therefore changing the landscape for planners considerably.
“While there is a decrease in both share of time and time spent with curated commercial media – I suspect mainly down to the decrease in linear broadcast TV viewing – it is perhaps surprising this isn’t greater given the perceived disruptive growth of subscription-based services which were formerly seen as taking commercial media share. And it may also point to the impact that certain SVoD offerings now incorporating advertising into their subscription models is having.
“What these slight decreases do mean, though, is that media investment will have to work harder to cut through, as more media is being used concurrently rather than in isolation and attention is becoming more stretched as a commodity – fueled by the ever-increasing smartphone take-up.
“More than ever, a greater focus is needed on diverse media plans to maximise overall campaign performance as media opportunities shift.”
Find out more here.
