Smartphones, Laptops Driving Increased Media Consumption: Study

Consumers are now spending more than one-half of their waking day with media, and their media consumption has increased by an hour per day over the last two years, driven by an additional 40 minutes of time spent online since 2009, according to a study by digital media research firm Ipsos OTX MediaCT.

The Spring 2010 release of Ipsos OTX MediaCT’s “Longitudinal Media Experience (LMX)” study found that this rise in media consumption is being driven by the adoption of next generation media devices and distribution services that enable mobility, multi-tasking, consumer-control, and improved experiences. Over the past two years, for example, ownership of laptop computers has grown, while ownership of desktop computers has decreased.

“Today’s consumer is benefiting from a media ecosystem with better content, media access, and technology,” says Ned Greenberg, VP of syndicated services for New York-based Ipsos. “They can be more in control of their media experiences than ever before - through time shifting, place shifting and their own context planning.”

Additionally, content-hungry consumers are trading in their single-utility mobile phones for web-enabled smartphones, now owned by 24 percent of consumers. Traditional cell phone ownership has fallen from 81 percent to 65 percent since 2009. In fact, the Ipsos research found that smartphone owners spend 30 minutes more a day multi-tasking with media compared to non-smartphone owners. Top smartphone activities include social network interaction and gaming.

As smartphones increase their penetration, they are increasingly being used for accessing TV content. While live television still represents the lion’s share of hours viewed (78 percent), non-traditional (DVR, VOD and online video) methods of accessing TV content are ramping up, accounting for almost one-quarter of TV viewing and growing, the study found.

LMX is a biannual syndicated research study conducted by Ipsos to monitor U.S. consumers’ engagement with media, content, and technology trended over time. Conducted biannually among 7,000 US online consumers aged 13-74, LMX uses a single-source online eDiary measurement instrument and a media experience survey to provide marketers and planners with a full view of the consumers’ media experience in the context of all their activities in a 24 hour day.

Ipsos OTX MediaCT is the market research specialization within Ipsos developed to reach, engage, and more effectively understand today’s digitally-driven consumer in the fast moving media, content, and technology space.

For more information, visit www.ipsos-na.com/media.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

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