Young Canadian surfers cut radio/TV

As reported today in Market Watch, we have proof that young canadians aged 18-34 are spending more time on the Internet than TV or Radio. Now, if your target market is 18-34 year olds and you still use TV or Radio to reach this audience don’t panic yet, but do be very aware of how the Internet is going to change advertising for your business in the upcoming years.

Here is some insight from Catherine Rogers at IPSOS Reid,

“This is the first time we have seen this change in media consumption,” said Catherine Rogers, a senior research manager with Ipsos Reid’s media practice. “This has significant implications for advertisers and marketers.”

Rogers said her firm’s latest quarterly interactive study, including more than 1,000 people, found Canadians, 18-34 years old, spent 14.7 hours a week on the Internet, compared to 11.7 hours for radio and 11.6 hours with TV and 2.5 hours reading newspapers.

Among all Canadian Internet users, the average weekly use was 12.7 hours, up from 8.7 hours a week in 2002. “This increase appears to have come at the expense of radio,” the study said. The time spent listening, according to this report, was 11 hours a week, compared to 16 hours three years ago. “The gap between Internet and TV usage (still the dominant medium) is closing, with the Internet threatening to overtake television,” Rogers added.

In a previous post, titled Radio and Internet: A Local Company Doing It Right, I explain how one company in Calgary is combing both the reach of radio with the power of the Internet. I still strongly believe in the strategy of using traditional media, like radio and TV, to drive traffic to a web site.

What the numbers today demonstrate is that the 18-34 year old group is using the Internet for their entertainment, news, weather and sports. As a business owner, the thing to consider in your media planning and buying is what Internet web sites are used in Calgary for entertainment, news, weather and sports. Once determined this allows a business to position itself on those portals through banners, sponsorships, contests, etc. to reach their target market.

Upcoming I am writing some posts that will discuss specifics in terms of online media planning and purchasing in the Calgary market.