TV advertising (live or on-demand) is the most impactful form of advertising across sectors, although social media advertising has a significant impact on younger people, particularly for smartphone advertising. Gen AI is changing the advertising landscape, lowering barriers to creativity for brands and presenting the opportunity for chatbot advertising. However, with so much artificiality online, authenticity and humanity will increasingly be standout selling points.
QR codes have become an important aspect of advertising, enabling brands to tie together physical campaigns and digital content, boosting the value of print and out-of-home advertising. 29% of people scanned a QR code from an advert in the three months to July 2024, rising to almost half of Gen Z and Millennials.
55% of people use a video subscription streaming service, and Netflix has maintained its dominance of the market despite intense competition and the cost-of-living crisis. The market leader has been bolstered by its recent moves to introduce an advertising tier and crack down on password sharing.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Impact of advertising formats for different products/services
- How many people scan QR codes from adverts
- Trends in purchasing of media content
- Trends in use of media subscriptions
- Trends in media activities and use of devices
Despite a diversified media landscape, TV ads remain crucial for brands. They have a strong impact across generations and income groups, proving especially memorable for TV shows/films and food/drink.
Rebecca McGrath, Associate Director for Media and Technology
Market Definitions
This Report examines people’s media habits in terms of purchasing and activity over the last three months. The primary media areas of focus are video, audio and print media.
Video – includes TV shows and films delivered through DVDs, Blu-ray discs, pay-TV subscriptions like Virgin Media or Sky, and streamed video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. It also includes short-form online videos on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
Video games – includes PC, console and mobile games.
Music and audio – refers to CDs, digital downloads and streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music.
Print media – refers to newspaper, magazine and book titles in either a digital or physical format.
The special focus of this Report is the impact of advertising formats.
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Special focus – advertising formats
- TV advertising is the most memorable across sectors
- Graph 1: products seen advertised in following formats in the last month, 2024
- Invest in music for TV ads over celebrities
- Apple uses music to great effect in iPhone 15 ad
- Social media advertising is memorable for Gen Z
- AI chatbots present a new era of social media advertising
- Focusing on reality in social media advertising will increasingly stand out
- Out-of-home advertising is particularly effective for food
- Special focus – QR codes and advertising
- Many are scanning advertising QR codes
- Graph 2: scanned QR code on advert in the last three months, 2024
- Young men are most likely to scan advertising QR codes
- QR codes boost value of physical campaigns
- Effective use of QR codes in advertising
- Physical media purchases
- Number of people buying print newspapers and magazines has stabilised
- Graph 3: print media purchases in the last three months, 2024
- Younger people haven't abandoned print
- One third of Gen Z are buying video game discs
- Graph 4: music and video physical purchases in the last three months, 2018-24
- Young men are still buying DVDs
- Media subscriptions
- Nearly half of Gen Z use a music streaming subscription service
- Graph 5: current use of music and video subscriptions, 2018-24
- Spotify launches new Basic tier following audiobook push
- Baby Boomers yet to fully embrace video streaming
- Netflix emerges strongly out of cost-of-living crisis as changes pay off
- Consumers stick with a few video streaming options
- Young women embrace e-book subscriptions
- Graph 6: current use of written media subscriptions, 2018-24
- AI chatbots can help jumpstart newspaper/magazine subscriptions
- Paid media downloads
- Purchasing films that can be watched unlimited times trending upwards
- Graph 7: paid music and video downloads in the last three months, 2018-24
- Interactive elements could be added to TV show/film downloads to appeal to parents
- Higher income people most likely to buy e-books
- Graph 8: paid media downloads in the last three months, 2018-24
- Free media activities
- Radio listening remains high despite a gradual downward trend
- Graph 9: free audio activities done in the last three months, 2018-24
- Promote podcasts on TV, radio stations and in print to encourage older listenership
- Graph 10: listened to a free podcast in the last three months, by generation, 2024
- Less than a quarter of teenagers watch freeview TV
- Graph 11: free video activities done in the last three months, 2018-24
- Over half of Gen Z play free games
- Higher income consumers more likely to play free video games
- Graph 12: played free video game in the last three months, by annual household income, 2024
- One in four read a free print newspaper/magazine
- Graph 13: free written media activities done in the last three months, 2018-24
- AI misinformation can drive people to newspapers
- Devices used for media activities
- Baby Boomers are resistant to listening to music on their smartphone
- Graph 14: devices typically use for media activities, 2024
- One in five watch short videos on a TV
- Graph 15: devices typically use for viewing content, 2024
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Appendix
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Related Reports
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
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