The market for video news is changing and consumer demand for video news on all platforms has never been stronger. As the world’s leading video news agency, Associated Press is committed to helping its customers understand and deal with the changes in consumer demand for news.
AP, in partnership with Deloitte released the first in-depth study into video news consumption in a report entitled 'White Smoke: The new era for video news' on April 16, 2013.
The fieldwork was carried out by Gfk in Germany, Spain and the UK using an online study with representative samples of 1,500 respondents per country.
The report looks at consumer demand for video news content and the implications for broadcasters and online publishers. It highlights the increasingly important role that video plays in the online news user experience and provides insights into market behaviour, consumption across platforms, differences in consumption by demographic, attitudes to advertising and finally the role video can play in strengthening loyalty and engagement to a news brand.
This presentation was shared at Digital Media Europe 2013 by Associated Press and Deloitte and summarises some of the key findings of the report.
4. ENGAGEMENT WITH NEWS IS STRONG.
TV is the most common device used to access it in the three markets we surveyed.
4
TabletRadio
34%
17%
Smartphone
61%
Print
63%
Computer
83%
TV
92%
UK: What devices do you use to access news?
% of respondents
Source: GfK survey data
5. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Other
Business
Education
Finance
Health
Travel
Politics
Technology
Science & Environment
Entertainment & Arts
Sport
Weather
Strange or quirky news
Regional News
World/International
National
UK
Spain
Germany
National and international news are the most popular genres of online news clip
(self reporting may exaggerate actual consumption of serious genres)
6. Over 50% of consumers who access news online also access video news.
Typically these consumers display higher engagement with news.
6Source: GfK survey data
61%
86%
100%
Video
news user
Online
news user
Any news
72%
89%
100%
Video
news user
Online
news user
Any news
50%
85%
100%
Video
news user
Online
news user
Any news
Breakdown of consumers by news type consumed
% of respondents
Proportion of consumers who consider keeping up to date with news important
88% 90% 93% 94% 94% 96% 91% 93% 94%
Online video news users tend
to place greater importance
on keeping up with news
Penetration of
online video
news is lowest in
Germany
UK Spain Germany
7. Consumers primarily accessed online video content to aid their understanding of a
news story, although demographics appear to impact reason for use.
7
Video makes news
easier to follow
61%
Video improves
understanding of a
story
77%
Video brings the
story to life
85%
It is quicker to
watch video than
to read text
46%
Video makes a story
more believable
44%
Video explores the
story in more
depth
58%
Key reasons for accessing video content
% of UK respondents
16 – 24 92% 90% 74% 67% 61% 58%
65+ 85% 75% 61% 56% 38% 42%
Male 84% 79% 63% 57% 50% 46%
Female 87% 74% 58% 60% 43% 43%
Source: GfK survey data
8. Use of online for breaking news varies by age:
TV dominates for older age groups, whereas younger respondents go online
8
UK: Primary sources of breaking news
% of UK respondents
Note: 1. Other includes: newspapers, word of mouth, magazines, blogs and unspecified; 2. Other includes magazines, blogs and unspecified
Source: GfK survey data
9%
12%
19%
22%
19%
22%
TV
Websites
Radio
Social
Networks
Apps
Other1
65+
59%
13%
1%
2%
55 - 64
53%
16%
3%
1%
45 - 54
42%
24%
3%
3%
35 - 44
33%
24%
6%
4%
25 - 34
27%
31%
11%
7%
16 - 24
30%
22%
18%
9%
10. Younger demographics are significantly more likely to use a
smartphone to access news than older generations
10
Devices used to access news
% of UK respondents
Tablet
67%
Print
51%
71%
64%
96%
92%
Radio
87%
Computer SmartphoneTV
13%
32%
77%
86%85%
58%
12%
62%
57%
21%
18%
• There is strong correlation between popularity of device and age:
‒ Across more traditional sources of news (TV, print, radio), popularity of device increases with age
‒ Across newer, technology-enabled sources of news, popularity decreases with age
• 16 – 34 show a higher propensity to use smartphones than print media to access news content
55+
35 - 54
16 - 34
Source: GfK survey data
11. 11
45 - 54
18%
55 - 64
11%
65+
15%
Regularity of access
Everyday
12%
Most days
23%
2 – 3 times
a week
18%
Once a week
14%
Less often
33%
All video users
16 – 24
21%
25 - 34
16%
35 - 44
19%
16 – 24s appear to engage more with video content than other types of news. The group invest the least amount of time per day into consuming
news generally, however watch more videos per visit to a news provider than any other age group
16 – 24 access to video news
% of respondents
Source: GfK survey data
In the UK, 16 – 24 year olds are the primary users of online video news,
despite having lower general engagement with the news.
The availability of good video content may be a way to attract this age group to news sites or apps.
12. In the UK, 16 – 24 year olds are the primary users of online video news,
despite having lower general engagement with the news.
The availability of good video content may be a way to attract this age group to news sites or apps.
12
Source: GfK survey data
Attitudes to video content
% of 16 – 24 year olds
Video is essential to a good news website/app
10%
Disagree
2%
Disagree
strongly
24%
Strongly agree
47%
Neither agree
or disagree
Agree
16%
How likely are you to click on a story with video content than text only?
2%
Less likely
1%
Much less likely
31%
Much more
likely
37%
No differenceMore likely
29%
13. The younger demographic also appears to favour more interactive tools when
consuming news online. Of these, video content is one of the most regularly accessed
13
16 – 24 year olds: Content regularly accessed on news websites1
% of respondents, n = 226
Notes: 1. Regular access defined as 2 – 3 times + per week
Source: GfK survey data
Live news
40%
35%
Sharing buttons 22%
Videos
41%
Blogs /
commentary
Comments from
other users
58%Photos
25%Email alerts
65%
Podcast /
Audio clips
53%
= UK national average (%)
15. How online video news is accessed
% of respondents who accessed video online
Relative ubiquity makes the PC the most commonly used device for
accessing online video news…
15
Source: GfK survey data; Ofcom device penetration data, October 2012
43%
97%
Spain
18%
Germany
94%
42%
16%
UK
21%
44%
96%
Tablet
Smart phone
Computer
16. … but a high proportion of smartphone and tablet owners use these
devices to consume video
16
Source: GfK survey data; Ofcom device penetration data, October 2012
Proportion of device owners who access online video news
% of respondents who own device and access video news online
59%
89%
UK
63%
57%
Germany
70%
77%
Spain
Tablet
Smart phone
17. Within the countries we surveyed, Spanish consumers appear to place most importance on
video content when choosing a news provider
17
Impact of availability of video content on consumer choice of news provider by market
% of video users who agreed with the statement
Availability of video content influences my choice of provider
Spain
38%
Germany
31%
UK
25%
If video content was not available at my preferred source, I would look elsewhere
GermanySpainUK
32%
46%
29%
Spain
36%
Germany
30%
UK
25%
I tend to go straight to news sites that I know will have video clips
Spain
53%
Germany
52%
UK
49%
Video content is essential to a good news site or app
Source: GfK survey data
19. Advertising on video content does not appear to deter user access, with the majority
accepting it as necessary to find good content, and around a third finding it engaging
19
Video user attitudes to advertising in video content, by market
% of video users
Germany
31%
59%
Spain
38%
64%
UK
27%
58%
38%
30%
24%
Advertising is a necessary evil
Adverts can be engaging
I actively seek out advert free content
• Although many consumers indicated that advertising in video content was irritating, this does not appear to influence consumer choice of provider
• The demographic groups which have a higher tendency to consume online video content also have a more tolerant attitude towards advertising:
‒ 16 – 24 year olds and SEG group DE both showed an above average tendency to find advertising engaging and high quality
• This may indicate that not only does video content attract users who typically engage less with news, but also that these users are more engaged by
advertising
Source: GfK survey data
20. Video is by and large an expected part of consumers’ expectations
for paid-for news websites and applications
Positive answers to the question: “I expect to find video on news sites or apps that I pay for”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
UK Spain Germany
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Average
19
21. UK consumers show the lowest tendency to expect video on pay-for-access websites or
apps, whilst Germans appear to place the most importance on video in this context
21
I expect to find video on a news site or app that I pay for
% of video users
45-54
34%
55-64
34%
35-44
37%
64%
23%
65+
Ø 40%
25-34
41%
16-24
Ø 45%
65+
34%
55-64
36%
45-54
36%
35-44
44%
25-34
58%
16-24
55%
UK
Spain
45-54
56%
55-64
62%
35-44
59%
50%
42%
65+
Ø 55%
25-34
61%
16-24
Germany
22. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
I tend to go straight to sites that I know will have video clips
If I couldn't find video clips on my usual news sites for a story
that I was interested in, I would look for them on other sites
UK
Germany
Spain
Online video news appears to engender and sustain loyalty; as bandwidths increase
and device resolution rises, the criticality of online video should increase.
22
So – you’ve heard the clever guys talk numbers: now I’m going to talk real-life: What this means is that far from the shift online being the threat we’ve all been worrying about these past few years: the addition of video to the story-telling tool-box is creating a massive OPPORTUNITY for us all because it: Engages the illusive 16-24-year-olds with the newsBrings a story to life Makes news easier to follow And – crucially – can enhance your brand.
So – you’ve heard the clever guys talk numbers: now I’m going to talk real-life: What this means is that far from the shift online being the threat we’ve all been worrying about these past few years: the addition of video to the story-telling tool-box is creating a massive OPPORTUNITY for us all because it: Engages the illusive 16-24-year-olds with the newsBrings a story to life Makes news easier to follow And – crucially – can enhance your brand.
So how do you make video work for you?The bad news is there is no silver bullet, or magic formula… it’s much too early for that. The good news is that there is no silver bullet or magic formula… This means you can experiment with the medium, use the creativity that already exists within your news organisation to invent new ways to tell the story.
So how do you make video work for you?The bad news is there is no silver bullet, or magic formula… it’s much too early for that. The good news is that there is no silver bullet or magic formula… This means you can experiment with the medium, use the creativity that already exists within your news organisation to invent new ways to tell the story.
So how do you make video work for you?The bad news is there is no silver bullet, or magic formula… it’s much too early for that. The good news is that there is no silver bullet or magic formula… This means you can experiment with the medium, use the creativity that already exists within your news organisation to invent new ways to tell the story.
So – you’ve heard the clever guys talk numbers: now I’m going to talk real-life: What this means is that far from the shift online being the threat we’ve all been worrying about these past few years: the addition of video to the story-telling tool-box is creating a massive OPPORTUNITY for us all because it: Engages the illusive 16-24-year-olds with the newsBrings a story to life Makes news easier to follow And – crucially – can enhance your brand.
Here are some examples of video being used really effectively – and the thing they all have in common is that they are presenting an EXPERIENCE which is entirely in keeping with the platform. So, instead of trying to beat the broadcasters at their own game – not something anyone but the richest and most established news organisations are likely to win – they have reinvented the playing field. Here viewers are being encouraged to get involved: as the president takes his oath of office they are part of the experience… This immersive experience just isn’t as rich on the telly because there’s always someone – the anchor - in between you and the action.
Likewise Bild had live coverage of the new Pope’s first appearance alongside tweets from its correspondent in the crowd. Viewers get the best of both worlds: they can see the action for themselves and get the context from the correspondent..
More Pope here and this is an imaginative way the Daily Telegraph is monitizing its video…. With an ad behind a live stream: almost looks like sponsorship… These examples of new ways to enrich a story are all built around live events, and there is no doubt that live streaming on news sites is becoming a must-have: but it’s not without it’s challenges.
Some of the bigger brands, who’ve been experimenting with the medium for some time, now have a video infrastructure to rival small broadcasters. And they seem to be settling on a hybrid approach: a linear tv-like experience at set times of the day which is then almost deconstructed to create a self-serve, browse approach. The newspapers who’ve been most successful in this are the big beasts: they have resources and expertise at hand
Some of the bigger brands, who’ve been experimenting with the medium for some time, now have a video infrastructure to rival small broadcasters. And they seem to be settling on a hybrid approach: a linear tv-like experience at set times of the day which is then almost deconstructed to create a self-serve, browse approach. The newspapers who’ve been most successful in this are the big beasts: they have resources and expertise at hand
So – you’ve heard the clever guys talk numbers: now I’m going to talk real-life: What this means is that far from the shift online being the threat we’ve all been worrying about these past few years: the addition of video to the story-telling tool-box is creating a massive OPPORTUNITY for us all because it: Engages the illusive 16-24-year-olds with the newsBrings a story to life Makes news easier to follow And – crucially – can enhance your brand.
You don’t have to invest millions of dollars in a newsroom TV studio though: there are baby steps you could be taking right now: ONLINE VIDEO IS NOT TV: don’t try to reinvent the wheel: broadcasters have been successfully using the medium in one way for decades – newspapers can do it differently. Don’t be scared - video isn’t rocket-science. BE AGILE: the digital landscape changes so quickly you need to be prepared to constantly change tactics and direction. Partner when you can and “rent” expertise while you work out what works for you. EMBRACE FAILURE: Fail fast, fail cheap, but fail. That way you’ll learn. Before investing in that TV studio with several cameras and autocue, try asking your restaurant reviewer to video his meal next time : it’ll add another dimension to his coverage… If it doesn’t resonate with your audience, fine but it sure beats failing slow and expensively…IT’S THE EXPERIENCE , NOT THE MEDIUM, THAT MATTERS: Your online audience is looking for engagement: we know video gives them that but so do interactives and photo galleries: the important thing is to ensure all these new tools are used in a way that resonates with YOUR brand and YOUR values.
You don’t have to invest millions of dollars in a newsroom TV studio though: there are baby steps you could be taking right now: ONLINE VIDEO IS NOT TV: don’t try to reinvent the wheel: broadcasters have been successfully using the medium in one way for decades – newspapers can do it differently. Don’t be scared - video isn’t rocket-science. BE AGILE: the digital landscape changes so quickly you need to be prepared to constantly change tactics and direction. Partner when you can and “rent” expertise while you work out what works for you. EMBRACE FAILURE: Fail fast, fail cheap, but fail. That way you’ll learn. Before investing in that TV studio with several cameras and autocue, try asking your restaurant reviewer to video his meal next time : it’ll add another dimension to his coverage… If it doesn’t resonate with your audience, fine but it sure beats failing slow and expensively…IT’S THE EXPERIENCE , NOT THE MEDIUM, THAT MATTERS: Your online audience is looking for engagement: we know video gives them that but so do interactives and photo galleries: the important thing is to ensure all these new tools are used in a way that resonates with YOUR brand and YOUR values.
You don’t have to invest millions of dollars in a newsroom TV studio though: there are baby steps you could be taking right now: ONLINE VIDEO IS NOT TV: don’t try to reinvent the wheel: broadcasters have been successfully using the medium in one way for decades – newspapers can do it differently. Don’t be scared - video isn’t rocket-science. BE AGILE: the digital landscape changes so quickly you need to be prepared to constantly change tactics and direction. Partner when you can and “rent” expertise while you work out what works for you. EMBRACE FAILURE: Fail fast, fail cheap, but fail. That way you’ll learn. Before investing in that TV studio with several cameras and autocue, try asking your restaurant reviewer to video his meal next time : it’ll add another dimension to his coverage… If it doesn’t resonate with your audience, fine but it sure beats failing slow and expensively…IT’S THE EXPERIENCE , NOT THE MEDIUM, THAT MATTERS: Your online audience is looking for engagement: we know video gives them that but so do interactives and photo galleries: the important thing is to ensure all these new tools are used in a way that resonates with YOUR brand and YOUR values.