Consumption. I like that word for several reasons: I enjoy typing it…like most words that end in -tion. “Consumption.” I also like saying it, but more importantly, understanding consumption in the context of key audiences is an important part of what we do every day. How your key audience consumes information, news, entertainment, advertising affects the conversation — the conversation we (as PR people) need to have with our key audience.
As we know, consumer’s habits are always changing. One only has to look in the mirror to understand. If you told me 10 years ago that I would prefer to order a pizza online as opposed to over the phone, I wouldn’t have believed you. I am as fast at texting as I am at typing, and that was one of those changes I made reluctantly. The point is my habits changed, eventually. And I’m certain they will change again.
That’s what makes consumption so unique — we all adopt technology at different times, and we become more adept at varying speeds. We have more options than ever before when it comes to consumption. This presents quite a challenge when trying to reach a certain group of people, whether the key audience is made up of baby boomers looking to retire or pet owners wtih a minimum income of $150,000. It keeps it interesting.
And tidbits like these help us have better conversations:
A recent study by Media Planning Group found 90% of people with DVRs don’t watch commercials in recorded programming. As a result of this shift, spending on paid product placements in the U.S. increased by 33.7% in 2007; that’s according to PQ Media.
