European Mediascope: Europeans, more connected then ever

IAB Europe published the 8th edition of Mediascope Europe study, that shows that 426.9M online Europeans in 28 countries are more connected then ever. Mediascope Europe, launched in 2003,  is the main study on media consumption in Europe. The study measures the evolution of media consumption models between online, radio, TV, newspapers and magazines and, for the 1st time, the internet consumption on computer, mobiles, tablets and game consoles.

At Interact conference, data from Mediascope made public shows that 426.9 M European internet users (65%) spend online around 14.8 hours, with more than a third of them (37%) accessing internet from more than one device.

Moreover, the traditional media is migrating online, where 9 out of 10 internet users are accessing news websites. Europeans prefer multitasking, which means they are browsing the internet while watching TV, in order to have a complete viewing experience.

According to the study, internet became essential for brands to interact with its own users, with 4 out of 10 internet users agreeing that the way a brand is communicating online is important.  Internet also influences internet users buying decisions, with 96% searching for information online before buying and 87% shopping online.

The study was made using a mix of research methods, including online, phone and face to face interviews, and a sample of 50,000 subjects on 28 markets.

• Internet – anytime, anywhere

426.9M Europeans are using internet every week, with more than a third entering online from more than just one device, with 64% (415.7M) are browsing from their computers and 21% (139.2M) – from mobile phones. Internet usage from desktop is mainly seen in Norway and Switzerland (89%), by people aged 25 – 44 y.o. People that access internet from mobiles are aged 16-24 y.o (30%), most of them living in UK, Norway and Sweden, where 4 out of 10 users are using mobile internet.

Regions analyzed by the report are

Central and Eastern Europe – Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine
North Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland 
Southern Europe – Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece
Western Europe – UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland 

The time spent online differs, depending on the equipment used: 14.8 hours online for computer users, 9.4 hours for mobile phones users, 9.3 hours for tablets users and 6.8 hours for the game consols users.

• All media, consumed online

According to the study, even traditional media is consumed online, with 91% consumers reading the news online (388.5M), with men more eager to read online news (93% men vs. 89% women). People aged 35-54 y.o. are more likely to read online news, with a percentage of 93%.

Also, the study shows that 73% (311.6M) internet users are watching online TV, most of them belonging to 16-24 yo age group (83%), followed by people aged 35-44 yo (81%). When it comes to radio, 67% internet users are listening to online radio (286M) – 81% of them aged 16-25 yo, mainly male (68% men vs 66% women)

• Media multitasking = more active consumers 

Mediascope shows that 48% of Europeans are using internet while watching TV (297.4M), 16% of the time spend in front of the TV set being also used to navigate online. The most combined TV-internet users in Europe are Norwegians (70%), followed by French (68%) and Brits (62%). According to the study, a third of the internet users that use both media in the same time say their online activities are related to TV programs they are watching, reason why brands have here an important opportunity to engage consumers through both platforms.

• Brand relations are increasing through digital connections

Internet became an essential way to communicate and relate with consumers, as 51% are saying that internet helps them to chose the best services and products, 47% tend to look for more info on brands they see advertised online and 46% visit often the websites of their favorite brands. Also, 41% internet users consider important the way a brand communicates online and 30% tend to rather buy a brand they are following in social media.

96% European internet users are looking for online info before making a buy, 87% are buying online and nearly a fifth (19%) buy everything they need online. During last 6 months, Europeans spent Euro 188Bn shopping online, with a medium budget for online buys of Euro 544. Norwegian buyers spent the most online (Euro 1.162), followed by the ones in Switzerland (Euro 919), Danes (Euro 894). Brits are the ones that buy online the most (32%), followed by germans (25.4%).

Mediascope report include also detailed data for Romania. Its launch is scheduled to take place on June 19th. Romania’s presence in the study was possible thanks to Think Digital, Media Investment, Google Romania, Leo Burnett Group, Httpool, Vodafone and  Initiative Media.