Less than a third of UK consumers have heard of the term “digital switchover” with a significant proportion not knowing where to turn to for advice, according to media watchdog Ofcom’s new Consumer Panel Study.
The research showed that out of more than 2,500 consumers surveyed, just 10% said they were aware of the digital switchover, but were not able to describe what it meant, while 71% did not know that the television analogue signal is due to be switched off in 2012.
The over 65s were revealed to be even less aware of the impending switchover, with 78% not knowing about the governments plans.
The Ofcom Consumer Panel concluded: “Awareness and understanding of digital switchover is relatively low. Fewer than one in three residential consumers have heard the term ‘digital switchover’, and just one in five are able to correctly describe what the term refers to.”
Consumer lack of knowledge over the switchover was raised at the recent MediaTelINSIGHT Future of Digital TV Seminar, with Ray Snoddy, journalist and broadcaster saying: “There’s going to be a huge need for a marketing and educational campaign, the very campaign that the Government shows no interest in funding (see SwitchCo Launched Despite Fears Raised Over Switchover Date).”
David Scott, deputy chief executive at Channel 4 and a director of SwitchCo, the body appointed by the government to oversee the switchover, agreed, saying that although he was confident the switchover would be completed within the government’s timeframe there was a lot of work to be done.
The seminar also highlighted how UK media buying and planning agencies are uncertain of the timing of the digital switchover, with some agencies feeling there are “too many barriers to be overcome for complete switchover”, while others argue that the “BBC’s aggressive marketing of Freeview is testament to the government’s commitment to achieving these switch off targets (see Media Agencies Uncertain Of Digital Switchover).
Other important findings from the Ofcom Consumer Panel report revealed that categories of people being shunned from the technical advances of the encroaching digital world included the elder generation. Just one in five people aged 65 or over keep up-to-date with technological changes such as broadband and digital radio.
Commenting on the research, Colette Bowe, chairman of the panel said: “Our research provides a firm stake in the ground for the communications market. It is of serious concern to us that so many customers feel it is so hard to grapple with new advances related to phones, TV, radio and the internet.”
Bowe added: “This is a wake up call for the industry really to listen to all its customers, not just the young.
In response to the high level of consumer frustration revealed in the research, the Consumer Panel will be holding workshops with industry and stakeholder groups to look at how to tackle the main issues.
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