TYPE A GROUP - NEWSLETTER #27
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IS MEDIA USAGE EXPLODING?
Nielsen's "Total Audience Report" for Q1, 2016 was released recently and today we'll have a look at some of its most interesting findings.
One of the unlikely findings is that total daily media usage grew 10% compared to last year -- from about 9 1/2 hours to 10 1/2 hours. It is unheard of to find this type of radical change in just one year, and I am officially skeptical.
My guess is that consumer behavior didn't change much, but Nielsen's measurement methodology did.
Not surprising is that the bulk of the growth came from mobile devices. What's also hard to believe is that "Internet On A PC" time grew by 20%. For a few years it has been dropping - the victim of the explosion of smart phones to browse the web. That it should suddenly jump 20% seems highly unlikely.
Are Nielsen's data reliable? I once asked a very well-respected media industry analyst how he reconciles the alarmingly inconsistent findings of media research organizations. His answer, "None are reliable. But Nielsen is least unreliable."
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WHAT MEDIUM DO MORE AMERICANS USE THAN ANY OTHER?
Well, I'm afraid you're gonna get this one wrong. It's that "dead old thing", AM/FM radio.
Just as an experiment, ask a media director this question. Bet she gets it wrong.
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AND SPEAKING OF DEAD THINGS...
Traditional TV viewing dropped from 4 hours and 34 minutes a day to 4 hours and 31 minutes a day in the past year. That's well within the margin of measurement error. How does that square with the hysterical headlines you read about the "freefall" of TV viewing? Simple, it doesn't.
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Notes:
- All charts are lifted from Nielsen Total Audience Report, Q1 2016
- I'm using a new email program. Please excuse any screw-ups til I figure out how this damn thing works.
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