The latest Consumerology report from Toronto agency Bensimon Byrne provides further evidence that marketers can't rely on television alone to reach a mass audience–though they shouldn't try it with pop-up ads either.
The latest edition of the quarterly Consumerology study, Technology and Canadian Consumers, released yesterday, provides data on consumers' media usage.
Responses from the more than 1,600 Canadian participants showed television is a changed market, with 29% of respondents indicating they own a PVR.
In 2008, the Television Bureau of Canada reported only 9% of Canadians had the commercial-skipping recording devices.
"PVR ownership in Canada is much higher than previously thought and is set to continue to rise significantly," said Jack Bensimon, agency president, at the report's presentation during Advertising Week.
Despite reports on its faltering fortunes, television still seems to hold a significant place in Canadians' lives. Study participants ranked flat-screen TVs the second most "essential" device of their current lifestyle. And when asked to describe the amount of time spent with media technology, television ranked as the most "constantly" used device.
However, the report also indicates that a television viewer is not necessarily a captivated viewer.
Of those with PVRs, 79% said they skip the commercials, and 62% of respondents said they use their computer or smartphone while watching television. (Incidentally, 54% of respondents said cellphones were "essential" and 32% said they would consider doing without a land line.)
"Technology is fragmenting our attention spans dramatically," said Bensimon in a statement. "Advertisers must accept they no longer have a captive audience. Whatever your product, service or message, it needs to be of high interest or it will not sustain awareness."
Advertisers trying to capture those divided attentions should heed another Consumerology finding: intrusive online ads are the most hated, with 77% of respondents view pop-up ads "not favourably at all"–the most negative option.
Consumerology is produced for Bensimon Byrne by The Gandalf Group.
