Social “the new TV” for young UK audiences
August 29, 2018
Creative tech player VidMob surveyed 1,000 16-24 year olds and 1,000 25-34 year olds in the UK in May about their media consumption and digital advertising preference.
The study reveals where and why Gen Z and Millennials consume video content, engage with video ads and form perceptions about brands.
The findings from VidMob’s State of Social Video study could have implications on how marketers use video ads to connect with younger audiences in the UK:
1. Social is the new TV: a large percentage of younger audiences’ time spent is watching video.
- 40 per cent Gen Z’s digital time is spent watching video over reading articles or looking at photos while 33 per cent Millennials watch videos over articles or photos.
- In every hour of digital time: Gen Z spend 24 minutes watching video while Millennials spend 20 minutes watching video.
- 57 per cent of video time per day is spent on social apps (31 per cent YouTube, 26 per cent other social platforms) — that’s 3.8x time spent watching linear TV and 2.5x watching streaming services.2. All social boats are rising:
- 52 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials spent more time on social media this year versus last year.
- Growth in usage of social apps is 27 per cent higher than mobile browsers.
- Compared to last year, Gen Z has embraced YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram whilst Millennials show the most love for Instagram and YouTube.3. Social has become the portal to the web:
- Less than 4 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials open a browser first.
- Top 3 first apps opened by Gen Z are Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube.
- Top 3 first apps opened by Millennials are Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat4. It’s a Stories World:
- Over 63 per cent of Instagram and Snapchat users watch Stories on both platforms daily.
- Percentage of Millennials who consume Stories on each platform: Instagram 68 per cent; Snapchat 49 per cent; Facebook 44 per cent.
- 31 per cent of Gen Z watches Facebook Stories.5. The meaning of personalisation has changed for younger audiences:
- Across the board, similar style and taste is most important for whether either generation likes an ad.
- 34 per cent of Gen Z feels more positive towards ads that are visually beautiful versus 33 per cent of Millennials.
- Gen Z dislikes overly repetitive ads (46 per cent say it annoys them; 29 per cent say they tune out).
- Millennials either tune out or dislike brands who run the same ads over and over.
“VidMob is immersed in the world of mobile video and we have noticed a number of interesting trends among younger audiences that we sought to validate with a formal study. Our study focuses on actionable creative insights for brands seeking to connect with GenZ and Millennial consumers,” said VidMob CMO Stephanie Bohn.