Future Media Strategies Vs Changing Consumer Lives
Future media strategies need to take account of changing consumer lives
One of the fundamental aspects for media companies to consider when developing future business strategies is how their audience is changing. Without thorough knowledge about trends in society's make-up, decision-making becomes guesswork. In order to give publishers just such knowledge, Ifra has published "Demographic and Socio-Economic Trends in Northern America and Europe up to 2020". The report is the fourth one published as part of Ifra's three-year research initiative "Where NEWS?", which has a budget of over €1 million.
The new report was commissioned by Ifra and researched and written by IWG (Institut für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft) Bonn. As the title suggests, the 65-page report covers both purely demographic aspects, such as the ageing population, and socio-economic trends such as increased urbanisation, migration, household fragmentation, the growing income spread and changes in education. The findings are supported throughout by tables and graphs.
The objective of the "Where NEWS?" initiative is to predict changing media consumption in the coming five, ten and fifteen years, which in turn will help newspapers formulate their business development strategies. In this context, research on demographic and socio-economic change is vital. Says Jochen Dieckow, responsible for Business and New Media Research at Ifra and project leader for "Where NEWS?": "This report provides vital projections for anyone making strategic decisions about future business development in the media market. Within the "Where NEWS?" project, we considered it fundamentally important to include a report which looks at the demographics and socio-economic trends of the coming ten to fifteen years. Without knowing how consumers' lives are going to change, long-term strategy-making becomes very difficult. We hope that the new report will act as a tool and support to decision-makers in media houses throughout Europe and Northern America."
Some of the findings of "Where NEWS?"
Report No. 4
In the next ten to fifteen years
people in Northern America and Europe will be on average
older than they are today. A growing number of them will
have migrated. More often they will live in towns and cities
and despite their increasing average age they will be more
mobile or at least as mobile as today. People will live
alone or in couples more often than is the case now. With
regards to income, in most households the disposable income
will rise only slightly or even stay at today's level.
Although more people will be technically better trained in
the future, not all will be able to keep up with the growing
demands for qualifications. Education and qualification
differences will increase. More people of working age will
be pursuing gainful employment than today, although working
hours per employed will fall.
At the same time a growing proportion of the population will have free use of its time, since it will be excluded from working life. This group will spend a major part of its time consuming media. Reading newspapers will continue to be a part of this. Yet increased use of other media, such as the Internet, can be predicted for older people too.
To obtain the
Reports
Ifra members can access free of charge
all information and results of the new "Where NEWS?" project
under the web address www.ifra.com/wherenews. They can also
receive the corresponding reports free of charge by mail
and, on request, a special folder in which to file them.
Non-members can buy the reports.
Ulrike Leis-Kolb Ifra
will be pleased to provide all details about how to obtain
Ifra Special Reports. She can be contacted by phone at
+49.6151.733-772 or by e-Mail leiskolb@ifra.com.
For more
information about Ifra Special Reports, see
www.ifra.com/specialreports.
The following Reports of the
„Where NEWS?" series has been published so far:
– No.
1: "Business Models of Newspaper Publishing Companies"
(2006).
– No. 2: "Strategy-Making in Changing
Industries" (2006).
– No. 3: "The Future Development of
Media and Communication Technology (2007).
The following
reports will be released in September:
– No. 5:
"Economic and Selected General Framework Conditions in North
America and Europe up to 2020".
– No. 6: "Drivers of
Change in Media Channels".
Correlating Ifra
Event
The following Ifra Event is correlating
with the "Where NEWS?" project:
– "Business Models for
Newspaper Publishers - The conference for entrepreneurial
spirit":
25 - 26 October 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal
(languages: English, German and
Spanish).
ENDS