TV perceptions shifting, but viewers trust broadcasters more than streaming

Finecast recently worked alongside Dipsticks Research Group to explore the medium of TV in the world today.

The research project entitled 'Thinking Outside the Box' seeks to understand what TV means to viewers, how they consume it, and how they respond to to the content delivered within the TV environment.

Outlined below are some of the key findings from the report.

Perceptions of TV are changing

• The report established that 60% of viewers feel their perception of what TV is has shifted over the last five years.

• Some habits die hard, however, and 85% are confident they will always have a TV in the house.

• A further 74% classify broadcast video on demand (BVOD) as TV, while 53% include streaming video on demand (SVOD) and 9% even include YouTube in the broadest of definitions.

What mediums do viewers trust most?

• TV, especially BVOD, remains the gold standard for high quality viewing for 74% - with online video respected as high-quality content by just 57%.

• These figures closely correlate to trust with 75 and 57% respectively willing to put their faith in what they see on BVOD and online material.

• Among all media channels, 59% of those open to advertising trusted TV the mot, way ahead of other channels such as Press (11%), Cinema (9%), OOH (9%) Radio (6%) and Online (6%).

• However fully 50% of respondents told Finecast that they did not trust any of these channels.

• A third of those quizzed said they would be more likely to give their time to an advert if it was relevant to them, highlighting the potential power of targetted addressable advertising to reach specific audiences.

• Addressable advertising is cited as a potential TV entry point for brands by enabling highly focussed investment targetting particular audiences and locations.

• Phoebe Casey-Miller, research manager at DRG, commented: “These changes mean exciting new opportunities to reach consumers in different states of need, viewing contexts and across different devices and platforms. However, execution is key.

• "Viewers want relevancy, creativity and TV ads that they genuinely enjoy watching rather than find annoying and intrusive," states Casey-Miller. "There is a clear line between using data-driven advertising solutions to create relevancy and engagement amongst viewers vs making them feel as if they’ve lost all sense of control with creepy targeting."

• Casey-Miller concludes: "Viewers might not be clear on ‘What TV is?’ but from having the opportunity to enter their homes and observe their viewing experiences, TV continues to play an important and evolving role in the lives of consumers in 2020.”