Media. Sometimes it feels like you can’t live with it but you sure as hell can’t live without it. As the number of devices and channels proliferate, it will become harder and harder for brands to cover every avenue, forcing marketing teams to be more decisive and analytical about the choices they make regarding their resources and budgets.
So with traditionally fickle consumers indicating a predictable shift in preferences and habits for the year to come, what media consumption trends will marketers need to factor in as they draft up their strategies for 2023?
Media Consumption Trends 2023
1. No slowing down for digital
In 2020, the average consumer spent 474 minutes a day on digital media. Let’s break that down. 7 hours and 54 minutes. Every single day. Basically a third of their life.
By 2023, that number’s going to climb even higher.
With experts predicting that the average consumer will spend upwards of 500 minutes on digital media next year, this is a prime time (or arguably, long past it) for brands to get serious about their online presence beyond the website. But with the landscape already partially dominated by digital native brands, those joining the party a bit later will need to consider their strategy carefully; room for trial-and-error will be more limited and best practices should be implemented from the off in order to compete.
2. Print approaches flatline
One media channel we’ll see particularly struggle in 2023 will be print. Having limped along for years now, the era of newspapers and magazines appears even closer to its end with our research finding that just 26% of consumers would consider turning to the channel for shopping inspiration – a number that drops even further to a mere 19% when you funnel the data down to Gen Z.
While only a decade ago consumers still spent 448 minutes a day on traditional channels such as print, by 2023 research indicates that figure will have dropped by almost 40% – part of a decline that shows no sign of slowing.
In theory, this shouldn’t come as news to brands with only 12% reporting that print was a primary marketing channel for them in 2022. And yet research shows that almost half a billion pounds will still be invested in magazine advertising in the UK alone in 2023. As the world contemplates the impact of further recessions, this is a discrepancy brands simply can’t afford and could indicate wider concerns around the channels to which marketers are allocating budget.
Learn more about how marketers tackled channel choice and influencer marketing in 2022…
3. Mobile rules all
By 2023, smartphones will account for 35% of all media consumption with the majority of that consumption (and the time spent on smartphones generally) taking place on apps (so if your brand doesn’t have one already, it might be time to get one!)
Such is our dependence on our handheld devices, that in the second quarter of 2022 US consumers made more than double the number of visits to ecommerce websites from their mobile than they did their desktop. And while undoubtedly some pockets of shoppers still prefer to seal the deal at their computer, 60% of ecommerce purchases were actually made from smartphones in the same period, making smartphones the number one device for online shopping nowadays.
As tech continues to push new boundaries in digitally transforming the retail experience, we can expect to spend more time and money on mobile in 2023. With fintech providers like Klarna offering multi-destination shopping within their app, and social platforms like Instagram rushing to roll out more in-app shopping functions, brands will be able to take shoppers from checking out their wares to checking out their basket right in the places they’re already spending most of their time.
4. But it’s still social
But while groans and grumbles have been made about time spent on mobiles, particularly whenever discussions around Gen Z come up, it’s interesting to note that one of the primary purposes for being on mobiles remains social interaction.
The number of global social media users – already a colossal figure in 2022 – will continue to grow, reaching 4.89 billion in 2023. And with new platforms arriving, from the stratospheric success of TikTok to the (potentially) sleeping giant of BeReal, the options available to those who want to connect with others online will only increase – as will the options for brands looking to engage and nurture audiences new and old.
While this has historically been a lucrative avenue for brands, and could continue to be so, the mass of users will use their collective might to set higher terms of engagement for them. The message: this is their turf. Consumers will continue to rely on their social networks online for brand recommendations and will even be happy to follow and interact with brands they respect on social media platforms, the pressure will be on brands to deliver authentic experiences that assimilate into the social media experience, rather than simply treating it as another billboard.
Find out how one of Europe’s biggest interiors brands MADE.com carved out their space on social to build a passionately loyal following in a crowded marketplace…
5. Ad tolerance decreases
And while we’re on the subject of billboards…
Though we might predominantly think of media consumption in terms of the media we pursue and choose to consume, be that the articles we read in magazines (though perhaps not the best example) or the content we seek out on social media. However, it also applies to the media we might take in on an almost subconscious level.
So, let’s talk advertising.
Traditional brand-to-peer advertising has been really the only kind of advertising for centuries and in that time it’s been tolerated and even, in some instances, applauded. But as social media platforms have increasingly flooded our feeds with brand ads; with streaming services now offering an ad-free way to watch TV; and as billboards become increasingly background noise to passers-by consumed by their mobile devices, traditional advertising is going to feel the burn in 2023.
In fact, in 2022, research firm Kantar found that 66% of consumers will skip or pay to avoid ads, 48% already use ad blockers and 45% simply don’t watch them (and probably shop on their mobiles instead).
This, of course, does not mean an end to all marketing. But it does mean brands will have to be cutthroat about the channels and tactics they’re employing to do it. Taking a critical eye to your marketing strategy and incorporating more nuanced versions of marketing (P2P, influencer and quality video content, for example) will be critical to survival in 2023.
Media consumption trends 2022
In recent years, a big shift has taken place with regards to how today’s buyers are consuming media; going from sitting planted in front of the TV at 8PM on Friday nights, most of us now prefer being able to choose when we want to engage with content. And media consumption often takes place on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, instead of through the traditional channels.
In this blog post, we will map out what the current media consumption trends look like (along with previous years for comparison), to give a clearer picture of where to find your specific target group. We will also take a closer look at the digital shift that is currently taking place on a global scale.
Media consumption has changed significantly in the last 12 months and marketers are looking to capitalise on the newest media consumption trends for 2022. Some of the key questions around this topic are to do with where the target audiences spend time and what do they do?
This year we’re going to focus on women Millennials (aged 25-40) and Gen Z (aged 5-24), specifically focusing on how marketers that target these audiences can benefit from the latest media consumption trends. to keep in mind before we start is that not only are they the most coveted audience online right now, they are also the ones with the highest time spent on social media, spending approximately 3 hours a day and counting. Even though a part of Gen Z are still very young, the majority of this generation aren’t kids anymore. In fact, they have huge purchasing power.
Without further ado, here are the key media consumption trends in 2022 that you need to be aware of:
1. Cause-led marketing (that matters)
Millennials and Gen Z are the biggest driving forces behind cause-led (or purpose-led) marketing, which is all about using marketing tactics to speak to, elevate or drive a higher cause. It might be raising awareness about environmental issues, speaking to concerns around social justice, or any kind of humanitarian cause that consumers can get behind. This is definitely a bigger driving force behind consumers purchasing decisions that we are going to see more of in 2022.
In this 20-minute podcast episode, Sanna Ödmark talks to Kristina Hermansson, CCO at Cellbes about their transformation journey, diversity and inclusivity as two integral parts of their business, and how they use social media and influencers to reach and attract their audience.
This ongoing trend has particularly risen after Covid-19. I think we can all agree, it’s been a pretty rubbish couple of years due to the pandemic. People are looking for something positive or good to invest in. Today, mass production has driven the pricing war race to the bottom and as a result of this culmination, brands have been forced to find new ways to differentiate. Unfortunately, this led to brands undercutting each other (which is something that has been working for a long time). The issue is that we’re now at the point where brands are selling 10 dollar bikinis online – there’s nowhere left to go as far as price is concerned. That’s where cause-led marketing comes in and the “why” behind the fact that brands in 2022 need to find new ways to stay relevant.
Looking at the numbers, research on this topic shows that consumers already want brands to have a cause-led approach, they are not just expecting it. 53% consumers want to shop from brands that reflect their values, and when talking about Millennials and Gen Z, this figure grows to 64%.
In this podcast episode, Frida Ekholm talks to Neve Fear-Smith from Talking Influence about how today’s consumers are putting pressure on brands to take a stand on important social issues and how to approach this as a brand.
Looking towards environmental issues, knowing a company is environmentally friendly is among internet users’ top 10 purchase drivers. It doesn’t have to cost you more money to grasp more responsibility; 60% of internet users in the UK and US actually say they’ll pay more for products that are eco-friendly.
Keep in mind that many consumers also think brands should do more, so pick your causes carefully and do it properly. It’s not going to be enough to stay quiet about causes that matter to your audience. Consumers expect you to use your marketing to show that you care. This is not a trend that you can approach cynically. Acknowledge the danger of jumping onto a bandwagon that you’re not truly behind. Consumers are going to see through that and they will punish you for it- because these are things that matter to them. Approach this sensitively because this tactic requires a delicate touch!
A good example of cause-led marketing is the Superbowl ad with Serena Williams for the online dating app Bumble around female empowerment. Serena has already outspoken matters of feminism and racism which makes it a perfect fit for cause-led marketing because of the authenticity of the collaboration.
Another successful example is from the hair care brand Pantene. They won the category at IMAs with the campaign “My Hair Won’t be Silenced” where they collaborated with influencers for the purpose to end afro discrimination. This initiative got +1 million impressions on social media.
2. Authenticity in marketing is capturing consumers’ hearts
Authenticity is key in 2022 to reach consumers. The last couple of years have made people shift their focus from a polished feed and brand-to-peer communications towards true role models and peer-to-peer communication. This coming year, the consequences of failing to read the room can be severe – this applies to brands and influencers alike.
Authenticity is (and has always been) the USP of influencer marketing. We know that consumers trust what an influencer says about a brand much more than what a brand says about themselves. If brands ask influencers to compromise on authenticity (or influencers themselves start to compromise) that is going to close that core gateway and you will lose access to their audiences.
The appetite for authenticity and content is continuously growing on social media. Engagement rates are climbing for less polished formats like Instagram Stories and Live streaming. This is because people want to see real, genuine and authentic content that resonates with them. Below, you will see a post from our collaboration with Ellos, a leading e-commerce brand for fashion and home furnishing in the Nordic market. This collaboration is a part of their Made by Women initiative with the purpose to highlight that every woman has a story to tell. This by letting different women’s voices be heard, for the sake of all women.
Visa det här inlägget på Instagram
One of the keys to achieving authenticity in marketing is consistency, which is especially the case within influencer marketing! You should work over a longer period of time, talking to your audience about this matter and highlighting your efforts within it.
To reach a high level of authenticity, the first steps in the influencer marketing process are very important. When looking at influencer selection, make sure you’re going back through the influencers feed, through their historical data, their engagement data and check that the previous content they’ve been sharing makes sense for your situation. Let’s say you want to promote your range of reusable fashion. Don’t pick an influencer with a feed consisting of fast-fashion. For the influencer, a collaboration with your brand probably doesn’t fit within their narrative. For your brand, the collaboration is going to feel like a miss-match and lose it’s core – the authenticity. We can’t stress this enough: make sure you work with influencers that are relevant to your audience and your topic.
Taking this one step further, 15% of influencer marketing ad spend is wasted on inflated accounts. There’s no surprise in 2022 that accounts on social media are buying followers and engagement. But to minimise the risks of your brand hopping onto a collaboration with these accounts, you need to ensure you work with accurate data. With this data you will be able to get real insights to influencers statistics and data.
At Cure Media, before we ever engage an influencer for a campaign, we first turn to our platform to recommend prospective best fits based on brand, target audience and campaign objectives. But the selection process doesn’t end there. We then analyse extensive historical data around performance, audience and engagement; fake followers are out, vanity metrics are over and inflated performance is getting sidestepped, all to ensure that every influencer we activate is the absolute right pick for each brand’s strategy.
Feel like learning more about our data-driven approach to influencer marketing? Tune in to this 20-minute podcast episode with our Co-founder Kristian Melå.
3. The eCommerce jump to social media
According to research from IBM, the pandemic in 2020 jumped eCommerce forward by five years. This shift was already ongoing, but now it has become a reality much sooner than any of us expected. With this quick shift comes changing consumer behaviuor. Instead of going to the grocery store, we ordered food online. Instead of browsing through physical stores, we turned to social media to get inspired. Younger generations were already tuned in to these behaviours – it has already changed to become more about consumption (shopping) and less about contribution (sharing personal details). Additionally, the older generations have recently discovered the possibilities of social media – the pandemic revealed to skeptics that it’s actually quite convenient to discover, scroll, learn, socialise and shop online!
Social platforms are working on making users stay on their platforms throughout the entire purchase journey. They do this with features that makes it possible for brands to connect their products catalogue to ads, live streams, digital storefronts, influencers posts and maybe most important – the “Checkout” feature which means users can buy a product without having to visit a third-party website (and that’s your website).
Your goal in 2022 should be to make sure to catch the social commerce train before it leaves the station. We know for a fact that social media is a crowded scene for fashion brands, so make sure you have a strong brand presence to be able to cut through the noise of your competitors.
Social commerce means consumers are using social networks to research and shop from brands. So, how do you make sure your brand is discovered among today’s consumers? This is a tricky question indeed! But, there are a few things you should have in mind regarding how consumers shop today.
First and foremost, consumers are expecting a greater human element among brands. This is connected to the fact that consumers trust peer-to-peer communication over brand-to-peer and means you need to focus on what’s truly important. Millennials and Gen Z are spending their money on brands that align with their values and on products that say something about who they are. They identify with brands they shop from. This connects back to what we’ve already talked about above: authenticity and cause-led marketing that matters.
Secondly, you should take advantage of influencer marketing to speak about your brand and brand values. Influencers have years of experience in what content their followers (your target audience, if done right!) relate to and engage with. Something that many forget is that building your brand awareness over time will eventually lead to increased sales figures.
Below you can see an example from our collaboration with Hitachi ABB Power Grids, which works with technology that enables more sustainable energy through innovative technology. Influencers mission here is to help drive this green transition by creating awareness of their brand, who they are and their “why”.
Visa det här inlägget på Instagram
But it doesn’t end there! You can incorporate influencer content into your social strategy in both organic and paid channels. This approach can be extremely effective, and some fashion brands are really successful working this way. Use influencer marketing to engage and reach your target audience, e.g. host a liveshopping where customers can see how your products look and shop directly from it, leverage the power of user generated content on your website, and use influencer’s content to create shoppable ads. On Instagram, you can tag your product directly in the ad.
In summary, for media consumption trends in 2022, consumers who follow influencers perceive marketing from them more authentic than if it comes from the brand itself. Talk to them where they spend time and with relevant marketing that speaks to their values. Focus on building brand awareness as this will result in increased sales over time. Be authentic and add a human element wherever possible.
Media consumption trends 2021
We all know that media consumption continues to rise year-on-year, whether it’s to do with a wider access to technology or the lasting effects of lockdowns from nations across the world. 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. Since we want to keep track of changes YoY, here are the key media consumption trends that happened in 2021:
1. 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.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. Ad-weary consumers expect relevant, value-creating marketing – preferably from people they trust
A recent study by Ogury shows that 90% of consumers perceive irrelevant mobile advertising as annoying – and this is something most of us can agree on. In today’s media landscape, the various messages come thick and fast and it takes a lot of time as a company to break through the noise and reach your target audience.
No matter what your offer looks like, marketing today is all about being relevant and being able to demonstrate clear value to the consumer. This is also reinforced by a Novus research, which shows that almost every second consumer likes to engage with advertising as long as it contains relevant offers. In other words, it’s important to keep a close eye on your target group; what’s relevant to them, what does their media consumption look like, and how can you make your communication blend into their lives in such a natural way that it is not perceived as disturbing or distracting? To build a loyal customer base, you also need to build strong relationships with your buyers, which requires continuity and a long-term vision.
Another important aspect to keep in mind for creating value, and thereby building loyalty among today’s consumers, is that these people are often influenced by friends and people they follow on social media. Whether you are looking for recipes for this weekend’s dinner party, inspiration for summer outfits, or tips on the most efficient lawn mower, influential people on social platforms (influencers) are a standard source of information today. An example: in our study, 49% of consumers think that an influencer recommendation is more trustworthy than a brand recommendation. So, if your target audience is on social media then chances are they are following one or more influencers, which means this is an invaluable place for your brand to get noticed.
5. More and more people shop online – both on the internet and on social platforms
In recent years we have seen a clear shift from physical stores to e-commerce. This shift has, as expected, accelerated due to the coronavirus. A recent study by Global Web Index found that around one-third of consumers in the U.S. and UK said they were going to shop online more frequently after the corona outbreak – due to both increased safety and convenience.
One clear observation is that it is not only e-commerce which is increasing, but also commerce on social platforms. In May 2020, Facebook announced that they are launching Facebook Shops this year, which is a major investment in e-commerce on both Facebook and Instagram, their photo-sharing social platform. This investment means that companies can post their products directly on their Facebook and/or Instagram pages for potential customers to engage with. The companies themselves can choose whether the products should be sold directly via Facebook’s e-commerce function or if the purchase should take place on an external e-commerce site.
Given that half of the world’s population are using social media today, this move may not be so surprising – after all, it will be a natural transition to be able to shop in the same virtual place where we like to hang out with our friends, get inspired and get new knowledge and insights. Whether you already offer e-commerce today or not, you should definitely ask yourself: Where is your target group and how would they prefer to buy from you? In the physical store, on your website, or maybe on your social channels?
Consumer behaviour is changing at a steady pace, and you as a marketeer always need to keep your ear to the ground and keep track of where your target group is. We are currently in the middle of a digital shift that has accelerated faster than we could have imagined, and no one knows for sure what the future looks like. What we know with certainty is that creating value and being relevant is critical, so remember to always communicate from your target group’s perspective – no matter the media channel.
Want to learn more about all things influencer marketing? Don’t miss our podcast! Each week, our influencer marketing agency team cover topics around digital and social media to help you take your marketing strategy to the next level. Also, join the conversations with topic experts from the industry!
