‘Younger viewers watch less video than the rest of the UK but want more control’

It found that that the age group watch on average three hours and 30 mins of video a day compared to the UK average of 4 hours and 20 mins.

The average 16-to-24 year-old is more likely spread their viewing to smaller screens with 30 per cent of their content consumed on tablets and smartphones – double that of the average individual at 15 per cent. Despite playing a smaller role in their viewing lives, TV is still the most popular video channel among 16-to-24 year-olds with half (49 per cent) of their daily average video time spent on it, compared to 67 per cent for the average viewer.

It backs the industry consensus that young people are watching less TV in favour of newer forms of video but the sheer reach of the broadcast medium means it is still by far the dominant consumption source. There is a way to better blend TV’s reach with digital’s depth, found the report.

Using a mix of feedback from online communities, ethnographic filming, and filmed in-depth discussions, researchers identified three aspects advertisers should consider when crafting their video strategies.

Time and Space: 14-to-24-year-olds have more free time on their hands than most and so are more likely to flit from one video channel to another in order to ‘boredom bust’, the study revealed. TV and streaming services like Netflix are most prominent during these moments, while online video channels including YouTube or Dailymotion sit further along the spectrum as an easy way to kill some spare time.

Interestingly, the report found that these younger viewers were pushed to consume video content away from the TV because in most instances their control is challenged by parents, siblings or friends in shared accommodation.

Identity: From the age of 14-to-16 young people are forming their own identify and consequently they want to connect with content they can relate to and take guidance from, according to the report. It is why vloggers are emerging as a potent engagement method for advertisers. TV also has a role to play here, with younger viewers hungrier for aspirational and directional shows such as Channel 4’s ‘One Born Every Minute’, which Thinkbox highlighted had spurred applications for midwife courses.

Social maintenance: This comes in two forms: physical and virtual social maintenance. The view that streaming services have dampened the buzz around watercooler moments were dismissed by the findings, which found that people still like to talk about their favourite videos together. TV has benefited from both the physical and virtual manifestations of this dynamic with people posting about shows as a form of self-expression.

However, researchers noted that these three factors were likely to change as this generation of younger viewers get older and gain their own space, establish their own identities and have less free time. This will have an impact on the prominence that video forms like vlogging have in their lives, the report claimed.

Matt Hill, research and planning director at Thinkbox, said: “There has been an immense amount of speculation about how younger audiences are watching TV and newer forms of video. This research shows that newer forms of video have important roles to play in young people’s lives and that TV remains by far their favourite medium. Different video fulfills different needs and they co-exist happily.”

Younger viewers may watch content on more platforms but their perceptions of advertising are broadly in line with the rest of the population, the report found. They like ads that are funny and entertaining though avoid watching advertising across all forms of media even though they find it easier to talk about their favourite ones.

Younger viewers were more likely to feel affinity for brand personalities they felt an attachment to and were dismissive of ads that opted for the ad sell, a result researchers attributed to their higher propensity to rebel against orders.

The study was conducted youth research specialists Platypus on behalf of Thinkbox. It took pace in April and the quantitative analysis of total video consumption combined BARB, comScore, the IPA’s Touchpoints and Rentrak with Ofcom’s Digital Day data, which was carried out in the first half of 2014.