Young millennials who watch video primarily on TV sets are, on average, better than desktop and mobile viewers at connecting broadcast programme brands to network brands: however, they’re in the minority.
According to ANATOMY’s The Young and The Brandless report, the most common way for young millennials to consume television content is through over-the-top (OTT) platforms (71%). It also found that one in two are watching entertainment exclusively on desktop or mobile devices — a cause of concern for broadcast networks. Furthermore, linear viewership is declining year-over-year, while desktop and mobile viewing is growing. In order to future-proof a network brand, it is critical for networks to improve their promotion in non-linear digital spaces.
Even though young millennials who watch primarily on desktop and mobile platforms are better than TV viewers at connecting OTT programme brands to their related network brands – with the notable exception of Netflix – the overall brand awareness of these OTT networks lags behind that of the broadcast networks. Without the benefit of broadcast TV, OTT services have less room for error in their non-linear digital promotion efforts. Without a secure level of brand relevance among young viewers, outlets such as Amazon and Hulu are going to find it challenging to achieve their ambitions.
“Our study looked at young millennial consumption, discovery and brand recall habits and the impact those behaviours have on a network’s brand whether it be traditional TV or OTT,” said Gabriella Mirabelli, CEO, ANATOMY. “What is interesting is that while networks consistently indicate that the viewer is at the centre of their thinking, they don’t seem to actually analyse how users truly behave. We have learned that on-air promotion is still the most effective means of building brand awareness between a broadcast network’s programming and their brand. As for OTT – outside of Netflix – there is also work to be done as their promotional efforts need to be more precise in order to be effective.”
The report also found that 58% of young millennials learn of new programming directly through friends and family or on social media. Young millennials are less likely to recall advertising as a consequential factor in discovering new TV programmes.
In an aided brand recognition survey, Netflix yielded the highest brand awareness scores in comparison to other OTT platforms and broadcast networks. About 65% of young millennials matched Netflix programs to the Netflix brand, while in contrast only 31% of young millennials matched ABC, CBS and NBC programs to their respective brands. Amazon programmes were only linked with Amazon 20% of the time and Hulu came in at just 15%.
