Television as the only form of visual media, is a thing of the past. In fact, it seems inconceivable that before Gen Z this was the main form of visual media that kept people entertained, informed and relaxed. The options have expanded so much now that television is one of the less significant media people turn to for relaxation and information.
Statista.com says that now video streaming is the main go-to of the younger generations and TV consumption is expected to decline in the years ahead. Digital video is the hype currently, and platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video streaming services are the most sought-after.
Statistics that count
Video streaming has changed the TV viewing landscape forever, it seems. According to Nielson, the streaming category collectively accounted for more than one-third of television viewing time, which is the biggest share of streaming since May 2021.
While the research agency notes that the viewing of television is usually lower in the summertime, the total TV usage last year increased by 1.9% on a month-on-month basis, due to a 7.7% increase in streaming.
Streaming is picking up simply because it is convenient for viewers who do not want to be bogged down by schedules. In today’s busy life, consumers want to watch their favourite programmes, movies and sporting events when they are free to do so and can watch them uninterrupted. Further to this, they can pay for just the services they want to watch, rather than paying for complete cable TV packages. Another advantage of streaming- it makes recommendations on programmes based on your viewing history.
It also doesn’t hurt that video streaming services can be viewed on one’s mobile phone. Nielson has found that in 2022, 50% of adults streamed videos on their phones while nearly 60% of Americans streamed video daily on their smartphones, computers or tablets.
Other popular viewing content
According to Hubspot, Webinars and live events that are encapsulated in videos over 30 minutes in length have seen a growth of over 11% in the last 10 years. This is a phenomenal figure that makes it the fastest-growing video segment. So, how is this different from television documentaries, news items, infomercials and so on?
Webinars are considered more effective because they take the consumer mindset and needs into consideration when being designed. Statistics from outgrow.com show that 60% of webinars are created with the whole customer lifecycle in mind. This includes the cycle from prospective customers all the way to loyal ones. Thus, it is no surprise that 62% of those who attend webinars request a demo from the sales team that presented them.
The obvious reason that webinars and live events are popular is that customers are addressed and engaged with on a deeper level than they would be with television infomercials and advertisements.
On the other side of the coin, 59% of the ever-busy Gen Zs consume short-form video apps to glean information or pique their curiosity about goods and services, which they then watch longer videos of, to gain an in-depth understanding. In fact, 96% of consumers are said to have viewed an explainer video to understand a product better. To cater to this segment primarily, marketers mostly use YouTube (at 90%), followed by 86% who use Facebook.
In fact, content creation on YouTube is becoming a walk in the park for users, which will undoubtedly cement its popularity.
Visual Sense
Research shows that 65% of Americans are visual learners while 91% of people prefer visual content over written. This certainly is why social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are extremely popular among the current youngsters. According to Consillio, a Technology Solutions company, the Founder of Snapchat Inc. Evan Spiegel says talent-based content has now become more interesting than those related to social status. As a result, he says that TikTok could overtake Instagram which is more about social status and user habits.
The tech-savvy Gen Zs also kick back and relax by watching- and playing- video games. And it’s not just the Gen Zs who find this entertaining. Deloitte, in its 2022 Digital Media Trends Survey which polled 4000 consumers from Brazil, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom found that even the UK millennials are quite interested in video games, although watching TV is their primary form of entertainment.
What this means for marketers
A Kantar report has found that 49% of Americans say they don’t mind watching a certain number of ads while streaming if it makes the streaming services cheaper. So, when you know what movies and programmes your audiences are watching (digital analytics tools will help you discover these) you can easily target specific audiences with specific visual content that resonates with their preferences and habits.
Visual media such as YouTube, webinars, streaming services, video games and TikTok also don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Advertising content can be marketed across these various platforms and complement each other so that the same message can reach audiences via tailor-made content. For instance, the latest iPhone can be advertised on streaming platforms, then used in an influencer campaign on TikTok, make an appearance on a video game and then lead consumers to check out its features in detail on YouTube, backed by a technology webinar that addresses iPhone usage as a business tool.
We have so many options at our fingertips. Now’s the time to bring them all together in a way that makes marketing sense. At the end of the day, all these visual media tell us one thing- today’s audiences are visual creatures. They love colour, creativity and credibility. These can be delivered effectively via the many forms of digital media we enjoy.
(Anouk De Silva)