YouGov Global Media Report 2022: Which media behaviors will stick around and which will grow?

Changing consumer behaviors during COVID-19 have had marketers assessing and reassessing which will last beyond the pandemic. Vying for consumers in a post-pandemic world requires insight into what and how people choose to browse, watch, read and listen to during their leisure time.

In YouGov’s new Global Media Report for 2022, we take a close look at the media activities grabbing the attention of consumers all over the world over the past year and analyze which ones are most likely to stick around this year.

We also evaluate media behaviors showing the greatest potential for growth to help brands effectively connect with consumers through the right mediums. This is especially vital as out-of-home activities resume, leaving media companies wondering if consumers will return to previous consumption levels or whether engagement with traditional and digital media types will reach new heights.

Learn more about the future of media consumption by downloading YouGov’s Global Media Report for 2022

What will be sticking around in 2022?

Our Stickiness measure is a gauge of future intent to engage with media types. As consumers settle into post-pandemic routines, most people indicate they will continue with their current media consumption across virtually every category.

From consumption of traditional media channels like linear TV to using digital mediums like apps and podcasts, more than four in five people who engaged with each media type over the last year intend to increase their engagement or keep it at the same level over the course of 2022.

Across the 17 countries surveyed, the media behaviors registering the highest Stickiness scores with global consumers are visiting websites (92%), listening to the radio (91%) and streaming video (89%).

Other traditional media types, such as watching live TV, register notable Stickiness levels (88% of global consumers who increased or maintained their engagement with live TV in 2021 intend to watch it more often or at the same level in 2022). The data also indicates that listening to the radio (91%), reading a newspaper/magazine (89%) and watching non-live TV (86%) will stick around in the next 12 months for the vast majority of consumers.

For market-level insights into which media activities will stick around most from our 17-country survey, download YouGov’s Global Media Report 2022

Which media behaviors show the greatest room for growth?

Over the course of 2022, ongoing media trends and disruptions are not only expected to stay around but also to continue to evolve. YouGov’s latest report uses a new ”Growth Driver” metric to identify the media behaviors that people plan to do even more of in the next year.

Roughly a third or more of those who increased or maintained their engagement in the past 12 months with media forms such as streaming video (36%) or music (32%), visiting websites/apps (31%), interacting with social media (31%) and listening to podcasts (31%) say they will increase their engagement with these activities further in the next 12 months.

On the other hand, traditional media forms are not projected to grow at the same level as their digital counterparts. Radio (23%), TV (26%) and newspapers/magazines (24%) show lower Growth Driver scores, with roughly a quarter of consumers who engaged with the media activity more or the same in 2021 saying they will increase their engagement in the next 12 months.

Our data shows that the top-scoring channels for Growth Driver score are all digital. Video streaming services not only continue to captivate viewers around the world, but also seem to be tightening their grip in the wake of the pandemic and are likely to register the biggest growth in consumption in the coming year. The switch over to digital will continue to affect the growth prospects of traditional media channels.

As ‘work from home’ routines and entertainment habits linger, on-demand streaming services (video/music) and social media platforms are set to continue to keep consumers hooked – presenting crucial growth opportunities for media companies and advertisers alike.

Download YouGov’s Global Media Report 2022 for more insights into media consumption, including:

• How younger generations are taking charge of “what” and “when” they watch TV
• The growth of listening channels such as music streaming and podcasts led by Gen Z
• How linear TV stacks up against on-demand video consumption
• Market-level deep dives into how people read, listen, watch and socialize across 17 countries

Get your copy of YouGov’s Global Media Report for 2022 today

Methodology: The report is based on interviews with more than 19,000 respondents covering 17 global markets. The survey was conducted between October 18, 2021 and November 8, 2021. The markets include, Australia (Nat Rep aged 16+), China (Nat Rep 16+), Denmark (Nat Rep 18+), France (Nat Rep 18+), Germany (Nat Rep 18+), Hong Kong (Online Rep 18+), India (Online Urban Rep 18+), Indonesia (Online Rep 18+), Italy (Nat Rep 18+), Mexico (Urban Rep 18+), Poland (Nat Rep 18+), Singapore (Nat Rep 18+), Spain (Nat Rep 18+), Sweden (Nat Rep 18+) UAE (Nat Rep 18+), UK (Nat Rep 18+), and US (Nat Rep 18+).