For all the talk about the social media revolution, traditional media still rules. This is according to research firm Kantar’s 2018 Dimension report, which explores the attitudes towards advertising today, drawn from interviews with consumers and industry experts. The study finds that established media forms are resilient. Nearly everyone sampled across key worldwide markets continues to access television through a TV set; radio listening offline is at 88%; and around 80% continue to look at print versions of newspapers and magazines, This isn’t to say that there isn’t an overall trend towards online services, but the report highlights how we are currently living in a mixed-media economy.  

Despite year’s report showing that over half 57% of consumers believe advertisers are better at communicating with them now than in the past, Richard Poustie, CEO UK and Ireland at Kantar Media, says that marketers could do better, particularly in the areas of creativity and measurement.  

Discussing changing attitudes to ads these days, Poustie offers some key stats: “Living in a connected world, today’s consumers are increasingly ad-savvy. In the UK, more than a third (38%) of consumers say they dislike advertising and 55% report seeing web-based adverts that are not relevant to them. As a result, 36% are using ad blockers to improve their experience online. When it comes to media consumption, traditional channels still reign supreme, with 98% of UK consumers accessing TV via a television set and 73% reading print newspapers. When gathering information on a brand, the average consumer will turn to three different content sources, primarily led by the internet (64%).” 

Poutie concludes that today’s media environment demands that advertisers take a rigorous approach: “For brands and marketers operating in a challenging ecosystem mired with concerns around targeting and transparency, fore-fronting creativity and taking a multichannel approach is critical. Content that is thought-provoking and relevant, communicated with a consistent message across multiple platforms, combining paid, owned and earned media forms remains the most effective way of engaging consumers. And cross-platform campaign execution must be complemented with consistent, holistic measurement, enabling marketers to keep track of and respond to the performance of their content – not only to keep consumers receptive, but ultimately, to maximise ROI.”

Methodology
Kantar surveyed 5,000 consumers and ran qualitative groups and interviews amongst industry leaders across across Brazil, China, France, UK and the US (1,000 interviews were conducted in each country). Roundtables were held in the same five markets.