Broadband Adoption No Danger To Conventional Media
Consumers are growing increasingly adept at using multiple media, according to a new study by Yahoo! and Mediaedge:cia, with broadband users especially likely to engage in ‘media meshing’.
The study examined the impact of high speed internet access on the daily lives of respondents. Employing both quantitative and qualitative research, the study was conducted by Forrester Research and Headlight Vision and the results unveiled at Yahoo!’s It’s a Broadband Life summit in New York.
According to the study, consumers are turning to the web for deeper content, entertainment and communication capabilities without forsaking other media. The findings show broadband users viewing twice as many pages per month as their dial-up counterparts, as well as combining internet usage with offline media simultaneously.
Yahoo! and Mediaedge claim that consumers increasingly supplement their traditional media consumption with internet use, visiting websites in addition to, rather than instead of, radio, newspapers and television.
“The ‘always on’ environment created by broadband access has transformed the way consumers are accessing information, communicating and living their lives,” explained Wenda Harris Millard, chief sales officer at Yahoo!
“This study makes even more clear the true shift in consumer behavior happening at such a rapid pace in today’s society. This type of insight enables us to better understand how consumers are truly using media and help marketers reach their audience in compelling ways.”
The study’s results claim that 64% of broadband users also engage with some form of traditional media while actively online, compared to 57 percent of dial-up users. The number jumps to 71 percent for wireless broadband users.
Meridith Jamin, director of consumer insights at Mediaedge:cia said that rich media offerings, made possible by broadband access, were at the heart of the technology’s takeup. She said: “Consumers crave rich experiences, regardless of the channel that delivers them. The next frontier of integration is to take a message through the different media channels while adapting it to take advantage of what consumers most love about that particular channel. This will make for a richer, more compelling brand experience.”
The study also investigated the use of wireless broadband, acknowledging that, while still relatively scarce, wireless networks in the home can further boost online activity. 8% of internet households currently use wireless broadband, according to the study, with users now able to choose where and how they access the web.
This ability has led to users being able to go online when they otherwise would not be able. For example, 80% of wireless broadband users said they sometimes or frequently access the internet from their bedrooms, while a surprising 21% use their wireless access in the bathroom.
Mediaedge:cia: 020 7803 2000 www.mediaedgecia.com Yahoo!: 020 7808 4200 www.yahoo.co.uk