How Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers Use Media

The “2017 Media Usage Survey” moves beyond assumptions and provides benchmarks. Here we’re doing the same by showing consumers’ media consumption habits, based on demographic, and including conversion tips from Target Marketing blogger Jeanette McMurtry. Many may believe Baby Boomers have the longest attention spans, but when it comes to online content, 5 percent more Gen Xers prefer reading more than 500 words. Then there’s the belief that Millennials are the digital generation. This does hold true, with 48 percent consuming video-on-demand daily — but, the same study shows 26 percent of Boomers also watch video-on-demand at least once a day. With these results, from the former BuzzStream and Fractl survey from 2015 and the latter “Nielsen Global Video-on-Demand Survey” (opens as a PDF) published in 2016, marketers can begin to see a generational media consumption picture. 35 percent consume online content from 8 p.m. to midnight 20 percent prefer entertainment content 38 percent view 5-minute videos 20 percent want content with social engagement 52 percent of the mobile content consumers From McMurtry: “Millennials don’t trust anything, including you ... So your talk needs to back up your actions. If you want them to believe you are just like them, show them by communicating what you are doing to make products more healthy and safe for them and the environment, how your CSR efforts are changing the world, and ask them to join your causes which benefit others in need, not just your shareholders.” 35 percent consume online content from 8 p.m. to midnight 20 percent read articles of 500 words or more Blogs are their favorite form of content 25 percent share images — more often than they share slides, memes, etc. 35 percent consume content on desktops From McMurtry: “Gen Xers see the world as both half-full and half-empty, depending on prior experience with your brand. If they’ve had a good experience with you or heard good things from trusted peers, they are more likely to trust you and give you a chance. Talk to them from the perspective of what you’ve done, how you’ve helped them or others like them, and how you are going to help them continue their journey toward their goals.” Spends the most time of all generations consuming Web content 65 percent use Facebook to find content, the most of any generation in this social network 20 percent prefer 300-word online articles 20 percent read world news 10 percent view content on tablets, the most of any generation on this device From McMurtry: “Older Baby Boomers grew up in the era when a strong and stable brand was a good brand, and that’s pretty much all you needed to know. Trust was built around heritage and history. If you have been in business for 100 years, and you have a lot of happy customers, you are doing good and that’s good enough for them to trust you — until given a reason otherwise. Many in this generation are true-blue Coke drinkers, even if they chose otherwise in a blind taste-test, because ‘Coke has and is a part of their life!’”

Performance Marketing

How Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers Use Media

Heather Fletcher

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Heather Fletcher