MEDIA AD AVOIDANCE & DISTRACTION December 2016
2 SURVEY OVERVIEW Survey Background and Objectives NPR has conducted research in Q4 2016 to understand how the NPR audience compares to other Americans in their efforts to avoid advertising in media and how distracted they are during media use. The research covers the following topics: Importance of factors in selecting media options Subscription to video- and audio-on-demand services Likelihood to skip/avoid ads on media platforms Use of online ad blockers Frequency of multitasking while using TV, radio, NPR Perception of attention given to NPR vs. TV 2
3 SURVEY OVERVIEW Survey Method In Q4 2016, 500 NPR listeners and 500 nonlisteners were surveyed online by Lightspeed Research on behalf of NPR. Survey Qualification Criteria: Age 25 to 64 Not employed in a sensitive industry (marketing, marketing research, broadcasting etc.) The sample is divided into two groups as follows: Regular NPR listeners who listened to either Morning Edition or All Things Considered within the past week. Nonlisteners who have not listened to NPR at all in the past year. Margin of error within the total listener and nonlistener samples: +/- 4.6% at 95% confidence Weighting was applied to the survey data to standardize the samples of listeners and nonlisteners to match the NPR listener profile with respect to gender, age and educational attainment. 3
4 KEY FINDINGS NPR listeners are even more likely than the general public to seek to avoid advertising in media but are much less likely to avoid NPR sponsorship messages. Americans increasingly use video services that help them avoid ads and NPR listeners are even more likely to use these services. Avoiding ads is especially important to NPR listeners when making their media choices. When using media, NPR listeners are more likely to skip or change channels to avoid ads but are much less likely to tune out of sponsorship messages on NPR 4
5 KEY FINDINGS Audience attention tends to be divided when watching TV while NPR is more effective in holding the listener s attention. Multitasking during TV viewing is now the norm with those under 50 averaging 3-4 activities concurrent with watching TV. NPR listeners are much less likely to multitask while listening to NPR 24% use other media all/most of the time when listening to NPR vs. 45% when watching TV. It is even harder to get NPR s podcast listeners attention during TV viewing 66% are using other media all or most of the time. Three-quarters of NPR listeners agree that they are more attentive to NPR content than they are to television. 5
6 NPR listeners try to avoid advertising in media but are much less likely to avoid NPR sponsorship messages.
7 Americans increasingly use video services that help them avoid ads Less than half of 18-54 year olds primarily view TV shows via live TV 1 83% say I use my DVR to fast-forward through ads most or all of the time 2 1.Hub Research 2016: Decoding the Default. July 2016 2. Hub Research TV and Advertising. August 2016
NPR Listeners are more likely to use on-demand media services Q: Do you have a subscription, or use someone else's subscription, for... 8 Any Listed Service 65% 83% Netflix 43% 61% Amazon Prime Video 28% 43% Premium cable channels like HBO 25% 36% Pandora (basic) Hulu (limited ads) 8% 15% 18% 25% NPR Listener Non-listener Spotify (basic ) 6% 15% Spotify Premium (ad-free) 5% 9% Hulu with No Commercials 3% 7% Pandora Plus (ad-free) 7% 5% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Nonlisteners = listen regularly to radio but no NPR in past 12 mos. Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016 Arrows indicate statistically significant differences vs. non-listeners at 90% confidence level.
9 Ad avoidance is especially important to NPR listeners Q: When selecting the media options you use (such as TV, radio, podcasts, streaming services), how important is it to you that the option % Rating 4-5 where 5=extremely important Has no or minimal advertising Listeners Non-Listeners 52% 64% Makes it easy to skip over advertising 40% 56% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Nonlisteners = listen regularly to radio but no NPR in past 12 mos. Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016
Across platforms, NPR listeners are more likely to skip ads % likely to skip advertising either via a skipping tool or by just changing the channel when you watch/listen to 10 Online video Listeners Non-Listeners 56% 64% Broadcast television 55% 60% Music on the radio 39% 45% Podcasts 36% 43% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Nonlisteners = listen regularly to radio but no NPR in past 12 mos. Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016 Arrows indicate statistically significant differences vs. non-listeners at 90% confidence level.
But they are much less likely to avoid NPR sponsor messages % likely to skip advertising either via a skipping tool or by just changing the channel when you watch/listen to Among NPR Listeners 11 Online video 64% Broadcast television 60% Music on the radio 45% Podcasts 43% NPR 34% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Nonlisteners = listen regularly to radio but no NPR in past 12 mos. Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016 Arrows indicate statistically significant differences vs. non-listeners at 90% confidence level.
12 NPR Listeners are more attentive to the content when using NPR vs. other media
Multitasking during TV viewing is the norm 13
Listeners are less likely to be distracted by other media when listening to NPR Q: When you have the on, how often are you also using other media at the same time, such as using a computer or smartphone or reading? Among NPR Listeners 14 All the time Most of the time Occasionally Rarely Never TV 13% 32% 33% 15% 8% Radio 11% 26% 26% 22% 15% NPR 9% 15% 28% 25% 23% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016
15 NPR Podcast Listeners are especially prone to being distracted when watching TV % Using Other Media at the Same Time - All or Most of the time 66% Non Listeners 38% 45% 33% NPR Broadcast Listeners 24% NPR Broadcast & Podcast When watching television When listening to NPR Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Podcast listeners n=93 Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016
16 Listeners report that they are more attentive to NPR content Q: How much do you agree or disagree that... "I am more attentive to the content when listening to NPR than I am when watching TV" Among NPR Listeners Somewhat disagree 10% Strongly disagree 2% Strongly agree 25% Not sure 14% 36% among heavy listeners Somewhat agree 49% Base: Listeners = Morning Edition/All Things Considered listeners (n=500). Source: Lightspeed Research, NPR Sponsorship Survey, November 2016