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Cutting Edge: ICM/BiBC - Consumers choose advertising
Consumers favour advertising funded content
Consumers want their video downloads to replicate the advertising funded model of TV. A staggering 55 per cent of those questioned would prefer to watch advertising and get the content for free rather than pay for content without advertising, new research from ICM, commissioned by BiBC, has this week revealed.
A massive 74 per cent of the 18-24 year old market said that they'd prefer the advertising funded model. The group with the highest likelihood to choose to pay to download to avoid advertising was the 35-44 year group, but still this only accounted for a mere 34 per cent of the sample.
A staggering 83 per cent of respondents would download movies or other visual media from the internet. But this latest research shows that consumers are getting savvy and are keen to get their content in the most cost effective way - by watching adverts in order to access content for free.
This research goes to show the huge potential for advertising in this medium. Where audience circulation figures are dropping and internet advertising and pop ups can be seen as a nuisance this is one form of advertising that is set to boom. There is a captive and willing audience and there is every sign to show it will become as freely accepted as TV advertising.
In previous research BiBC found that 35 per cent of people were discouraged from buying content via downloading because they felt that it was no cheaper than buying hard copy. The latest findings goes to show just how much the market will open up when advertising funded content is the norm.
Paul Hague, managing director of BiBC, commented, ‘people now understand the multiple uses of the internet and feel more comfortable to exploit the possibilities. This latest research shows that consumers want advertising funded content and the industry needs to respond to that, we're already talking to a number of companies keen to get into this space quickly. There is a huge potential here for content owners and aggregators to make larger profits through an increased number of downloads, for advertisers to tap into a new captive market and of course the consumer gets what they want for free. Everyone wins - except the companies that don't jump on the bandwagon fast enough.'
28 November 2006