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New media behaviours are sticking

July 30, 2010

New media behaviours are sticking

Interpret, a US market research firm, has released data from its quarterly New Media Measure study that tracks media behaviours, device ownership, attitudes and product consumption. Behaviour and trending data from its 2010 first-quarter report reveals the continued proliferation of social networks, further growth of streaming video and the domination of free mobile apps in the marketplace.

The study found that not only have consumers been streaming more movies and TV shows than a year ago (12 per cent and 5 per cent more, respectively), but Netflix has greatly increased its share of the streaming video market, up 36 per cent from the first quarter of 2009. Streaming continues to be the dominant method for consuming content online, as downloading TV and movies has remained flat.

The quantity and quality of streaming outlets may have helped curb piracy, as the incidence of illegal downloading of movies (9 per cent) and TV shows (7 percent) is well below that of music (20 per cent). Consumers claim the convenience and ease of use, as well as the lack of funds to pay for entertainment, are the main reasons they are driven to file-sharing.

Social networking shows no hints of waning popularity, as usage of social networks has increased 20 per cent from the first quarter of 2009. Facebook remains the leader, growing 33 per cent over the past year. Facebook has also become a boon for casual gaming, eclipsing Yahoo! as the most visited gaming site among casual gamers – 28 per cent in the past month have played a game on Facebook (versus 21 per cent for Yahoo!). 

“New media behaviors such as social networking and online video consumption have true staying power,” said Josh Bell, Executive Director, Interpret. “No passing fad, consumers are already weaving these activities into the fabric of their daily lives, and it is all happening extremely fast. Moreover, consumers appear to be turning to legal modes of content distribution, suggesting consumers see tangible value in the experiences video content providers are offering.”

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Research