DUBAI: YouGov, a market research and analytics firm, has released a whitepaper titled “International Media Consumption Report 2021 — Is there a new normal?”
The report explores media consumption habits across 17 markets, including the UAE.
Advertising and content
As digital channels found new ways to advertise — think ad insertions in online videos — consumers began to use ad blockers. Eventually, companies and digital channels — including publishers — began to offer paid or premium ad-free models unless consumers turned off ad blockers.
YouGov explored this topic in its study and found that globally consumers consider watching ads in exchange for free content a fair deal.
Spain and Mexico are the top countries (65 percent each) where consumers support this model. On the other hand, residents in two Scandinavian countries, Sweden (27 percent) and Denmark (23 percent), are the most likely to find this model unfair.
In the UAE, 58 percent of consumers find it a fair exchange. While all age groups in the Emirates showed a general acceptance toward viewing ads in exchange for free content, younger audiences (18 to 24-year-olds) favored this trend the most (62 percent).
Digital media
With the pandemic keeping more people indoors than ever before, digital media channels enjoyed massive growth as consumers sought information and entertainment.
When UAE consumers were asked about the digital media channels they used, over half (61 percent) claimed to have watched video content online, followed by social media (53 percent) and messaging platforms like WhatsApp (46 percent).
Two in five indulged with live TV on digital devices and almost as many used search engines (37 percent). The consumption of radio, podcasts, and audiobooks remained lower than the other formats.
Traditional media
Among traditional media channels, TV was the most consumed medium at 62 percent by UAE residents. Radio (36 percent) and outdoor advertising (32 percent) followed. It is, however, worth noting that there is a considerable consumption gap between TV and the other two mediums.
Radio and outdoor advertising overtook the readerships of print magazines (22 percent) and newspapers (20 percent).
Contrary to popular belief of outdoor advertising taking a hit during the pandemic, UAE residents appear to be stepping out and noticing ads on billboards, highlighting the changing consumption patterns during different stages of the pandemic.
At a worldwide level, live TV seems to be popular globally, with the highest consumption seen in European countries like France (79 percent) and Italy (77 percent). The UAE (35 percent) and China (38 percent) are the only exceptions where the popularity of this medium is one of the lowest across all markets.
“COVID-19 has significantly impacted consumer behavior and, in turn, media consumption habits globally. The data shows that although many people engaged with digital media during the pandemic, several traditional mediums remained as relevant as before,” said Julian Newby, sector head of media at YouGov.
“Our data shows there are huge challenges for brands and advertisers looking to achieve return-on-investment and effectively reach consumers in the right channels, at the right time, with the right message,” he added.
