The latest IPA report reveals a return to pre-pandemic media consumption habits for the UK public, with significant transformations in methods and channels.
- The ‘Making Sense’ report utilises IPA TouchPoints 2024 data to provide insights into media consumption trends over the past nine years.
- Consumption of commercial media via digital channels has notably increased, especially among younger audiences.
- Smartphone usage for media consumption has seen a significant rise, contributing to shifts in consumption patterns.
- Technological advancements drive the evolution of media delivery methods, challenging traditional media planning.
The 2024 IPA ‘Making Sense’ report offers an in-depth analysis of the evolving patterns in commercial media consumption within the UK, with a marked return to pre-pandemic habits. Despite a return to established consumption patterns, the methods of media delivery have undergone substantial changes.
Drawing from the IPA TouchPoints 2024 data, the report evaluates media consumption across various demographics, focusing on time spent, share of time, and weekly reach. It highlights a consistent correlation in media habits across different age groups, with a noted all-time high similarity of 60% in media channel reach between the 16-34 and 55+ age brackets.
All Adults’ media consumption patterns have reverted to pre-pandemic habits, yet the time spent on curated commercial media has decreased by 17 minutes compared to 2015. Digital channels now dominate media consumption, accounting for 60% of the time share for adults and 80% for the 16-34 age group.
No single media channel, aside from out-of-home (OOH) advertising, is capable of reaching over 90% of all adults weekly. Furthermore, smartphone consumption has grown, with its share of total curated media time increasing by 12 percentage points since 2015.
The report identifies ITV/STV, Facebook, YouTube, Channel 4, and Instagram as the top media properties by weekly reach for all adults in 2024, with reach percentages of 51%, 48%, 45%, 44%, and 34% respectively.
Simon Frazier, the report’s author, sheds light on the findings, observing that while total time dedicated to curated commercial media is reducing, this does not entirely align with expectations concerning the rise of subscription-based services. Instead, this shift indicates that media investments must become more innovative to maintain effectiveness.
The influence of smartphones is potent, with increasing concurrent media usage stretching consumer attention across multiple channels. This reality necessitates a broader media planning strategy to optimise campaign outcomes, reflecting the dynamic shifts in available media platforms.
The evolution of media consumption methods requires creative media planning to capture and maintain audience attention effectively.
