Abstract
Marketers, advertisers and media planners often turn to reliable data on target markets to make decisions regarding the selection and use of media, allowing practitioners to communicate the message optimally and cost-effectively to the target audience. Decisions in media planning and media selection are only possible if information on media use patterns is up-to-date. Hence, understanding media consumers allows marketers to tailor specifically to a target market. This article presents an initial inquiry into preferences between traditional media and digital (online) media. With a better understanding of consumer preference between traditional and digital media platforms, practitioners could significantly improve media allocation. By applying a uses and gratifications approach to the concept of media use, the author conducted a cross- sectional questionnaire survey (n=558). A t-test analysis of the findings indicated a significant difference in time spent on traditional media (m=3.60) over time spent on digital media (m=2.63) (t(555) = 20.73, p < .05). The results revealed differential patterns across different media (traditional and digital); differences are most often based on the demographic variables. The data indicated that statistically significant differences in media consumed are more a function of whether or not people are employed and have completed their studies than age group per se. Accurate audience measurement remains complex due to media consumers’ mobility and wide variety in the media environment. However, the findings can be used as a guideline for media planners and advertising agencies when planning to target an exact audience at the right time on the right platform.
Highlights
It is fair to say that a myriad of tools and the technologically driven internet have changed the way people live
The questionnaire was divided into sections containing seven items measuring the demographic profile of the respondents and 28 questions measuring how the consumption patterns of digital media and traditional media differ between the different generational groupings of the respondents
The sample consisted mostly of black Africans (54%), followed by whites (24%), which is in line with the demographics of the country
Summary
It is fair to say that a myriad of tools and the technologically driven internet have changed the way people live. An understanding of media preferences for various demographic groups could increase marketing campaign reception and indicate to media planners and marketers how marketing expenditure should be budgeted for distinct subgroups and the life-cycle stages of consumers. “Traditional media” refers to vehicles that are an alternative, pre-digital platform in the form of mass media directed at mass audiences: print (newspapers and magazines) and broadcast (radio and television). “New”, “online” or “digital” media or “non-traditional” media refer to all digital and online vehicles accessed by individual or mass audiences (e.g. digital newspapers, online news, etc.). These can take many different forms, including internet forums, blogs, wikis, podcasts and picture, music and video sharing. Examples of social media include Google Groups, WhatsApp, Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter (Odun & Utulu 2016)
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