February 22nd, 2022, Janice Fernandes
The pandemic disrupted work and lifestyle routines in 2020, affecting among other things, media consumption. This behavioral change has continued in these latest phases of the pandemic as people begin stepping out and returning to in-person activities. Marketers have had to keep altering their plans based on how people choose to browse, watch, read and listen to during their leisure time.
YouGov’s new Global Media Report for 2022 details the consumption habits of consumers from 17 markets across the globe. We take a close look at what’s been grabbing the attention of American consumers over the past year and analyze which habits are most likely to stick around and grow this year.
We evaluate the potential growth in media consumption, which will help guide brands to connect with the audience through the appropriate channels as they resume something like normal life.
What will be sticking around in 2022?
Our Stickiness measure gauges future intent to engage with media types. As people establish new post-lockdown routines, most global consumers indicate they will continue with their current media consumption across virtually every category.
In the US, nearly nine in ten consumers who engaged with each media channel last year intend to either increase their engagement or maintain the same level in 2022. Channels ranging from traditional media like linear TV to digital medium like apps and podcasts, all have strong Stickiness.
Americans register the highest Stickiness scores for visiting websites/apps (92%), streaming video (91%) and listening to the radio (91%).
The Stickiness of traditional media like reading a newspaper/magazine (89%) and listening to the radio (91%) is higher than some of the newer types like listening to podcasts (87%). This means that 89% of Americans who increased or maintained their engagement with newspapers/magazines in 2021 intend to read more often or at the same level in 2022. Most consumers (88%) will continue watching live TV and non-live TV in 2022.
Which media behaviors show the greatest room for growth?
Media trends in 2022 are expected to evolve. YouGov’s latest report uses a new “Growth Driver” metric to identify the media behaviors that people plan to devote more time to in the next 12 months.
A significant proportion of Americans who increased or maintained their engagement with specific media forms in the past 12 months say they will increase their engagement with these activities further in the next 12 months – streaming video (28%) or music (22%), listening to podcasts (22%) and interacting with social media (19%) all score highly.
Traditional media shows lower Growth Driver scores than digital media. Fewer than one in five Americans who engaged with watching live TV (17%), listening to the radio (17%) and reading a newspaper/magazine (14%) more or the same in 2021 say they will increase their engagement further in the next 12 months.
Our data shows that the top-scoring channels for Growth Driver score are all digital. More than a quarter of Americans intend to increase consumption of video streaming. This indicates that the medium not only continues to grip viewers but that it’s also tightening its hold in the market.
Radio, which is mainly associated with routine, on-the-go listening sees a lower possibility of growth than podcasts and streamed music. This data provides crucial insights for media companies and brands to create better opportunities for growth as they look to keep consumers hooked.
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+).