Articles

11.11.2010 "Multi-screen" consumers offer opportunities

Increasing numbers of people in Europe regularly consume content via "three screens", providing substantial opportunities for marketers. Microsoft Advertising said 19m consumers aged at least 16 years old in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK watch linear TV and access the internet through PCs or smartphones every week. Members of this audience dedicate 46 hours to media and entertainment activities in the same period, 12.5 hours above the average.

Individuals in this demographic boast greater household incomes and discretionary expenditure, and are 46% more likely to have higher education qualifications, while a third "put a lot of time and energy" into their careers. Some 86% participated in simultaneous media use when watching TV, including 68% surfing the net, easily topping a median score of 30%. A further 83% had researched goods and services online during the last three months and 78% bought items from the web in the same timeframe, with 38% discovering and buying offerings solely by this means.

Representatives of the "multi-screen" segment were also 27% more likely to agree advertising helped them make purchase decisions, and 30% had completed acquisitions through a smartphone. While in-store and word of mouth are still the main influences on their habits, retail websites, manufacturer portals, user-generated reviews and search engines play an increasingly central role.
 

B.L. 11.11.2010