IBM's second global online survey of consumer digital media and entertainment habits, conducted with 2,800 people in six countries, reports that adoption for most categories of digital content services doubled from last year, with services such as social networking now at 60 percent penetration and Internet data plans for mobile devices at over 40 percent for respondents globally.
Dick Anderson, General Manager, IBM Media & Entertainment, concludes that "... millions of people can instantly create, publish and consume content... knowing distinct consumer segment preferences and delivering consistent content and messaging... across multiple devices... are essential for long-term success."
Last year's study, says the report, showed the decline of TV as the primary media device. This year's study found large scale adoption and usage of digital content services accessed via the PC and mobile phone, with ad-supported models (versus consumer-paid) preferred almost three to one by respondents globally.
Though consumers are adopting social networking and videos on mobile phones and personal computers at an accelerated pace, interactivity through features such as user ratings tools and video uploads is primarily concentrated among the more digital savvy consumers.
IBM stopped people on the streets of Frankfurt, London, Mumbai, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo to ask about their media device and advertising preferences. Some of the key findings add up to this:
Consumers are moving beyond the trial stage of watching online video, says the report:
Close to 60 percent of total respondents were willing to provide information about themselves, such as age, gender, lifestyle or communications preferences, in exchange for perceived value and incentives as a trade-off to provide personal information.
The 13-24 year old segment owns an average of between four to five multimedia devices, with the most popular being portable music players. The "Gadgetiers," early adopters estimated at 15 percent of the market, have an average of between seven and eight multimedia devices.
Over 40 percent of respondents are interested in content portability and integration, the ability to view and transport the same piece of content across multiple devices. Nearly one in five respondents was interested in consistent, tailored messaging across devices
Bill Battino, Managing Partner, Global Communications Sector, IBM Global Business Services, said "... consumers continue to rely on more devices to view and access content on their terms..."
Within the six countries polled:
To see the complete article and video, please visit IBM here.