How has the UK’s media consumption changed since lock-down began?

It’s been almost two months since our first blog about how the coronavirus has affected the UK advertising industry, so we thought it was a good moment to take a look at how things stand in May 2020.


Television

Across the major channels, television viewing has grown massively since lock-down was introduced in the UK. Sky viewing has increased by 24%, taking the average time spent watching TV per day to 3 hours 40 minutes, that’s an increase of 5 hours per week since lockdown began.

Younger audiences have seen the biggest increases in television viewing, 16-24 year olds were watching 57% more TV now than they were this time last year.

Unsurprisingly, as more of us are at home, daytime viewing has increased by 39%.

Viewers are tuning into the news and light entertainment more than any other genre. Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip concluded with 4.0m viewers, which was up 1.4 million viewers compared to the slot last year.

Video on Demand

ITV Hub has seen viewing hours increase by 82%, with catch-up viewing across drama up 26% year on year. Sky On Demand was also up by 52%.

Likewise, All 4 achieved its highest number of quarterly views ever across Q1 of 2020. This record breaking period includes All 4’s biggest ever month, week and day of viewing in March, with viewing up 37% year on year.

Video on demand platforms also remain popular with a younger audience, viewing was up 30% among 16-34 year olds, with almost 80% of all 16-34s registered with All 4 in the UK.

Radio

From our previous blogs it should come as no surprise that radio continues to perform well.

Commercial radio industry body Radiocentre found that 38% of commercial radio listeners are tuning in for an extra hour and 45 minutes each day, hitting an average of 26 hours a week compared with 14 hours a week prior.

Bauer’s radio network’s average reach also up a quarter and listening hours up by almost a fifth, as was Global’s.

Streaming

Streaming on platforms like Spotify have seen subscribers increase, in Q1 of 2020 Spotify saw a rise of 31% year on year.

While usage in cars, wearables (e.g. smart watches) and web platforms dropped last quarter, Spotify said that its TV and game console audience has grown in excess of 50% over the same period.

Outdoor and transport

Unsurprisingly, outdoor and transport advertising continue to see low levels of reach and footfall as people stay indoors and avoid public transport.

Looking to the future, it may take some time for reach and footfall figures to reach pre-lock-down levels as capacity restrictions are introduced and commuters are encouraged to cycle or walk to work.


Keep an eye on our blog and social media for more updates on the advertising sector.

If you need advice on planning future marketing campaigns, get in touch with our friendly team today at [email protected].

Tags: marketing, advertising, change, updates, advice, UK, United Kingdom advertising, industry, UK advertising industry, WARC, ITV, Sky, All 4, radio, Bauer, Global, Spotify, streaming.

Help your business STAND OUT from the crowd

Everyday it is estimated that we are exposed to nearly 400 marketing messages, of which only 150 are actually noticed and a lot less are recalled or make enough impact to prompt action. So how can you ensure you make yourself easily found?

1. Have a marketing strategy and review it.
Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and a focused strategy to help drive your business forward. Is retaining and winning new customers key or is increasing sales your goal? Don’t forget to review and tweak that strategy.

2. Know your customer.
Who are they? Where are they? How can you target them?
Knowing your customer helps target them at the right place at the right time and at the right cots; ultimately leading to a return in investment.

3. Know your competitors.
What are your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses? How and where are they advertising? what can you do differently?

4. USP’s.
Be clear of your unique selling point(s); make these part of your marketing strategy. Why should somebody choose you over your competitors? Let people know why you are the best company to come to.

5. Be consistent.
Be consistent with your messages, reiteration is key. You want your clients to recognise you instantly. Less is more.

6.Be clear.
What do you want your clients to do? Buy a ticket or product? Log on to your website? Find out more information? Call you? Tell them what to do and how to do it. Make it easy to be found.

7.Be social.
No business can afford to ignore social media; it’s good for developing a two way conversation between yourself and your customer. Having social portals and an up to date website helps build credibility, brand and SEO too.

8.Take a risk.
Don’t be afraid to try something different. Think outside the box. Don’t assume advertising is too expensive, TV and Radio can be targeted and cost effective if used well.

9. Cost.
Don’t buy an advert just because it’s cheap. If your target audience does not consume that media it’s a waste of money.

10. Explore.
Look at the new platforms where you can be really targeted; Video on Demand for example. You can target by area, age, demographic etc.

Contact our award winning team to ensure your marketing plans are crafted to perfection and deliver results.

Call: 02921 320 300  email: [email protected]  tweet: @themediaangel. 

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