Global Social : US And EU Mature, Emerging Markets Show Lots Of Activity
Last month George Colony, CEO of Forrester, talked about a “Social Thunderstorm” at the LeWeb conference in Paris .
In the six years that Forrester has been collecting data, a lot has changed in the world of social media. Social networking has morphed into a global phenomenon. Today, 86% of online US adults and 79% of European online adults engage with social media. And consumers in emerging markets are also on social media — not just catching up. In fact, they lead the world in social media usage and engagement.
Comparing social behaviors in the US and Europe, we see that the majority of online Americans and Europeans are Spectators — meaning they consume social media content but do not necessarily create it. In fact, less than one-quarter of these consumers are Creators — the individuals who generate social content. We also found that while Americans and Europeans take a more passive approach to social media, this is different in emerging markets. For instance, more than two-thirds of online adults in metro China and India create social content. The message is clear: Companies can’t afford to take a “one-size-fits-all” approach with social media.
TV Ads’ New Digital Role
Television advertising has undergone significant changes in the last 30 years. However, it is arguably on the verge of its greatest changes ever…
—The value we put on an advertisement will change as we seek to account for engagement metrics in the pricing.
—The narrative arch will change as we think of the advertisement as a trailer versus the whole story.
—Location-aware technologies will force a greater degree of engagement on a format that had historically been passive, impersonal and certainly without any extensions.
When you look at the statistics, the reasons are obvious. According to a recent study, 60% of television viewers also look at their mobile phones while watching TV shows. 33% have their laptops open in front of them and most interestingly, iPad owners spend the most time in front of the TV with their tablet than any other activity. It makes sense for TV advertisements to be thought of as an element in a broader narrative arc for the brand - a narrative arc that allows the brand to tell a more complete and a more interactive story. But what are the implications for marketers today?
