The belief that we live in a society comprised of individuals who consume various types of media simultaneously is not quite as true as often believed, according to MRI's 2008 MediaDay study.
The research, which involved surveying 8,000 adults in the U.S. about their media habits, found that more than half of all at-home media is consumed exclusively with consumers choosing to read a paper, watch television, go online, etc. and doing that one task alone. The one exception to the rule was radio where more than 70 percent of individuals performed another task while listening.
Anne Marie Kelly, senior VP-marketing and strategic planning at MRI, told AdAge.com that having this type of information would be valuable to media buyers looking to develop strategies across media platforms. "For example, someone who does household chores while listening to the radio would be of interest to an advertiser marketing household products," she said.
Multitasking across media also is a product of age, according to the MRI research. Exclusivity numbers were higher for internet, magazines and newspapers by an average of six percent for those in the 45- to 64-year-old group compared to those 18 to 29. Television was the only media where exclusivity was higher among the younger group.
The research also showed that when multitasking takes place in the home, it typically involves television plus another form of media. Having this kind of information is important for marketers, said Ms. Kelly, because a consumer who goes online while watching television is a perfect target for ads that contain a website address.
Finally, the exclusive use of a single media dissipates as consumers move away from home.
Discussion Question: How important is it to understand media multitasking behavior when it comes to developing ad creative and buying time/space?