Electronic Media Use By Generation
The Agitator has given you a healthy dose of information on Millennials so far this week, so we thought we’d broaden our generational coverage with this last post of the week.
Nielsen, the gold standard of media measurement, has issued a comprehensive study of electronic media usage by US consumers — The Nielsen Total Audience Report — based on usage patterns in the first quarter of 2017. It provides an excellent overview of the electronic devices and channels used and the time consumed in devouring content.
While there’s more detail than most fundraisers will care for, it still makes for a great weekend browse, if only to get a sense of the media environment in which your fundraising messages get delivered, flourish or die. [And admit it, you’d like to see how abnormal your digital habits are!]
Much of the analysis is reported by generation, so in keeping with our previous posts this week, you can bore in on Millennials or Boomers (or Gen X or Z).
A few ‘factoids’ caught my eye.
Boomers are untouchable when it comes to watching TV (both live and time-shifted) — 208:41 hours a month, compared to Millennials at 99:31 hours.
Boomers also lead the way considerably in listening to AM/FM radio.
On the other hand, Millennials are voracious consumers of video via other devices — via PC (Millennials 33:28 hours vs Boomers 13:44 hours), via smartphone (6:02 hours vs 2:37 hours) and via tablets (6:00 hours vs 2:38).
That’s a bit over 45 hours per month of video watching on ‘non-traditional’ devices, and while not reported in this study, other data suggests that would mostly consist of brief clips — from news items to Uncle Fred drunk at the reunion to animal tricks to ‘how to’ etc.
Maybe even fundraising videos!
Tom
P.S. There’s only one electronic device owned more by Boomers than all other generations … any guesses?
One response to “Electronic Media Use By Generation”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
Hi Tom, thanks for sharing. Regards. David