TORONTO – The first generation raised to access, create and post content has come of age. And understanding the media habits of these influential and savvy consumers is vital, according to Shari Cleary, vice-president of strategic insights and research for the entertainment group at Viacom Media Networks.
Cleary was in Toronto recently to share the results of new research conducted on behalf of her company into Gen Y, often described as the first generation to grow up digital. Born in the early 1980s, this generation was handed Nintendo’s portable Game Boy device at an early age; as teens, were able to connect and access content instantly through search engines like AOL; and evolved into content creators and curators by their early twenties with the arrival of social media platforms.
“Going back all the way from the age of three, the themes of ‘portable, mine, I participate, there are rewards’, are constant and I think it’s really important to keep that in mind if Gen Y is part of your target demo, because all of this is in their DNA. They are unlike any other generation, they truly have had technology from the minute they were born”, Cleary said during the second of three Digital Convergence Executive seminars presented by Canadian Women in Communications and management consulting firm Digital Theory. Cartt.ca is the media partner for the series.
Cleary, who works with Gen Y-targeted channels Comedy Central, Spike and TVLand, said that these consumers are consistently watching more video on more devices in more places. Her research found that females typically watch more content on their televisions (53% vs. 47%) and PCs (54% vs. 46%), but males, particularly those aged 18 – 34, are “dominating” video views on mobile devices (55% male over 45% female).
These mobile viewers still opt to view clips more than half of the time, but as devices equipped with better quality screens and faster connections hit the market, they are beginning to spend more time watching professional web original shorts (46%), full length TV shows (34%), and even full length movies (24%).
Tablet use also tends to be young and male, Cleary continued, noting that 61% of tablets owned right now are owned by males, with half aged 18-34. The emergence of apps has also had a significant impact on this demo’s relationship with content. “These apps have changed their mindset of what they expect from a brand and how they expect to receive that content”, she added, noting that mobile websites are now thought of as “a less appealing option” than apps are to the content and experiences that these users crave.
But platform preferences prevail, she said, largely because not all devices are created equally. Cleary said that the research found that accessibility often outweighs screen quality and size.
“Truly proximity and convenience are really driving use and (Gen Y) feels that the best device is the one that’s closest to them”, she added. “Content will still be king, but they appreciate the convenience and the access to the content.”
The third Digital Convergence Executive Series seminar, Exploiting Digital Opportunities, will take place on November 16 in Toronto.
