Knowledge Networks report shows how growing viewer control is changing expectations about video use in both media

MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The "lean-back" medium is now more "lean-in" than ever - thanks to a variety of technologies and people's growing desire to control their viewing experiences, on TV and online. That is among the findings of a new Knowledge Networks report, which reveals that the ways in which people learn about and ultimately decide to watch video on TV or the Internet are remarkably similar - with verbal word of mouth (in-person conversations or phone calls) scoring well above social media as a regularly used source, and TV ads and search engines also playing major roles.

The report, How People Use® Video Navigation, shows that television ads are the most important source for discovering new programs and deciding what to watch on TV (see table below), with verbal word of mouth coming in second for discovery and third for decision making (behind interactive program guides).

Verbal word of mouth was also the top source for learning about and deciding to watch online videos; search engines were the second most-cited way of learning about online video.

Another similarity between viewers of TV and of streaming video is seen in the levels of "purposeful" viewing - that people go to watch with specific programs or content in mind. Among TV viewers, almost half (44%) say they usually turn the TV on with the intent to watch a specific program; among people who use streaming video to watch full-length TV episodes or movies, the proportion of purposeful viewing is even higher - about 56%. In contrast, viewers of non-professional or amateur content using streaming video report much lower levels of purposeful viewing - just 22%.

Program Discovery and Viewing Decisions: TV vs. Online

% of viewers who report they "regularly" use source as a means of content discovery

or for making decisions about what to watch at time of viewing

                                  TV Viewers             Online Viewers
                         -------------------------  -------------------------
                         Discovery     Decisions     Discovery    Decisions
                           of TV       at time of   of streaming  at time of
                         content (%)   viewing (%)  content (%)   viewing (%)
                         -----------   -----------  ------------  -----------
    TV ads                    46%         37%           24%           19%
    ------                    --          --            --            --
    TV IPG                    21          32           n/a           n/a
    ------                    --          --           ---           ---
    Verbal word of mouth      38          27            41            33
    --------------------      --          --            --            --
    Search engines           n/a         n/a            32            19
    --------------           ---         ---            --            --
    Social media
    (family/friends)          14           8            20            11
    ----------------          --          --            --            --
    Social media (others)      6           5            16             7
    ---------------------     --          --            --            --
    Stories or
    reviews on TV             32          24            24            14
    -------------             --          --            --            --
    Stories or
     reviews on
     Internet                 12           7            27            14
    -----------               --          --            --            --
    Non-interactive
     Program guide            14          21           n/a            n/a
    ---------------           --          --           ---            ---

Source: Quantitative survey of 601 KnowledgePanel® members

How People Use® Video Navigation looks at the ways people discover and decide to watch video on TV, via streaming or downloaded video, and on mobile phones, using quantitative interviews with 601 KnowledgePanel® members, ages 13 to 54. The margin of error for the quantitative study is +/- 3.4% on questions asked of the total sample. The report also includes an ethnographic component, not cited in this release.

Knowledge Networks specializes in solving complex, high-impact problems, providing extraordinary quality and service to leaders in business, government and academia. We work closely with clients to create healthy consumer-brand connections, effective marketing and advertising, sound public policies, and accurate social science research. We have established respected practices in media, marketing, advertising, and government & academic studies. KN excels in study design, analytics, and custom panel creation; we deliver affordable, statistically valid online research through KnowledgePanel® - the only available probability selected, nationally representative Internet panel.

For more information, contact David Stanton (Vice President, Marketing Communications) at dstanton@knowledgenetworks.com or (908) 497-8040.

SOURCE Knowledge Networks

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