TV consumers versus experts
Research: According to the Publisuisse study series, the future of television does not align with consumer preferences.
Research According to the Publisuisse study series, the future of TV does not coincide with consumer wishes. TV consumers do not want mobile TV. A TV program that is more flexible in terms of time and the possibility of putting it together according to their own taste would better meet the needs of TV consumers. This is the result of a survey of a total of 35 people aged between 16 and 72, which Publisuisse commissioned as part of its "TV - Medium of the Future" series of studies.There is disagreementThe survey of TV consumers is the second part of a five-part series of studies. In the first part, around 40 experts were questioned in writing (see WW 20/06). Based on the technical possibilities, this resulted in eleven trends regarding future TV use and needs. The most important development chosen by the experts was the "de-anchoring" trend. According to this trend, consumers want to use TV in future regardless of time and place.
However, what experts identify as a key future trend is of little interest to consumers. When confronted with the experts' ranking list, the majority of consumers responded to "de-anchoring" with a "hopefully not". In the consumers' assessment, this trend also landed near the bottom of the ranking list. The reason: a clear majority appreciates being spared television in certain places. Only a few respondents can imagine situations in which they would use mobile TV: On the move or to be able to receive weather, sports and other news.
The main preference of TV users is clear: they want to be able to decide as freely as possible what they want to watch, when and where. However, complete freedom is not desired: a certain "menu" with predefined selection alternatives is definitely in demand. For example, the wish was expressed to be able to select programs from a kind of "weekly menu" and call up the corresponding contributions at any time. The idea of compiling television programmes according to areas of interest was also mentioned. The experts ranked such needs - known as "singleization" - as the second most important trend.
In second place, two trends were important to TV consumers, which the experts rated as insignificant: "Interestification" and "Simplicity". Interestfication is the logical consequence of the first trend chosen: consumers want to focus more on the content that interests them (such as their favorite series). Who offers the content is irrelevant. Simplicity is technically oriented: Easy-to-use devices that make programming content easier are in demand. The argument for this: Devices are short-lived, so people want to find their way around quickly.
Testing the futureIt is well known that consumers tend to be cautious or negative about things that do not yet exist or are still in their infancy. It is not surprising that their assessment of trends differs from that of the experts. Interestingly, the 35 respondents did not simply have to speculate: They were able to test what the future offers them to some extent today: PVR (personal video recorder), television on the computer (IPTV), high-definition digital TV (HDTV), mobile TV and television with (limited) interaction options (Betty TV).
What's more, the participants use modern technology: Of the 24 women and 11 men, all have a PC with an Internet connection, 85 percent have a DVD player, and all but one person owns a cell phone. The survey was conducted by means of discussion in six discussion groups, two of which were made up of people who were interested in technology, two groups were made up of less "tech-savvy" people and two groups were mixed.
Low willingness to payWould you be willing to,
pay something for better or new content? This was one of the questions asked in the discussion groups. Most answered in the negative. "I don't even use what's available today," they said. It was criticized that various fees for media use (cable connection, radio and TV fees, extra satellite fee for SF1 and SF2, fee for Internet connection, telephone) already add up to a large budget item. The willingness to pay is therefore exhausted. A flat rate for all media is desired. Telephone, Internet, cable connection and pay TV or pay-per-view services should cost a maximum of CHF 100 per month. The eleven trend theses (in the order of the experts)
De-anchoring:
TV consumption is possible anywhere and at any time.singleization:
Everyone wants to decide for themselves what to consume and when.Multiplicity:
The variety of special-interest programs and offering models (free and pay TV, TV on demand...) is increasing.Insperience:
TV becomes a home event.Simplicity:
The desire for simple end devices and clear offerings.Polarization:
In future, there will be high-quality content on the one hand and "content for everyone" on the other.Interestification:
It's the content that counts, not so much the image of the provider:
In view of the flood of programs, people tend to focus on a few channels.lifestyling:
The choice of end devices is determined by design, aesthetics and also technical sophistication.Interactionism:
Interactive offers are increasingly in demand.freeriding:
People do not want to pay for everyday TV consumption in the future either.Markus Knöpfli
However, what experts identify as a key future trend is of little interest to consumers. When confronted with the experts' ranking list, the majority of consumers responded to "de-anchoring" with a "hopefully not". In the consumers' assessment, this trend also landed near the bottom of the ranking list. The reason: a clear majority appreciates being spared television in certain places. Only a few respondents can imagine situations in which they would use mobile TV: On the move or to be able to receive weather, sports and other news.
The main preference of TV users is clear: they want to be able to decide as freely as possible what they want to watch, when and where. However, complete freedom is not desired: a certain "menu" with predefined selection alternatives is definitely in demand. For example, the wish was expressed to be able to select programs from a kind of "weekly menu" and call up the corresponding contributions at any time. The idea of compiling television programmes according to areas of interest was also mentioned. The experts ranked such needs - known as "singleization" - as the second most important trend.
In second place, two trends were important to TV consumers, which the experts rated as insignificant: "Interestification" and "Simplicity". Interestfication is the logical consequence of the first trend chosen: consumers want to focus more on the content that interests them (such as their favorite series). Who offers the content is irrelevant. Simplicity is technically oriented: Easy-to-use devices that make programming content easier are in demand. The argument for this: Devices are short-lived, so people want to find their way around quickly.
Testing the futureIt is well known that consumers tend to be cautious or negative about things that do not yet exist or are still in their infancy. It is not surprising that their assessment of trends differs from that of the experts. Interestingly, the 35 respondents did not simply have to speculate: They were able to test what the future offers them to some extent today: PVR (personal video recorder), television on the computer (IPTV), high-definition digital TV (HDTV), mobile TV and television with (limited) interaction options (Betty TV).
What's more, the participants use modern technology: Of the 24 women and 11 men, all have a PC with an Internet connection, 85 percent have a DVD player, and all but one person owns a cell phone. The survey was conducted by means of discussion in six discussion groups, two of which were made up of people who were interested in technology, two groups were made up of less "tech-savvy" people and two groups were mixed.
Low willingness to payWould you be willing to,
pay something for better or new content? This was one of the questions asked in the discussion groups. Most answered in the negative. "I don't even use what's available today," they said. It was criticized that various fees for media use (cable connection, radio and TV fees, extra satellite fee for SF1 and SF2, fee for Internet connection, telephone) already add up to a large budget item. The willingness to pay is therefore exhausted. A flat rate for all media is desired. Telephone, Internet, cable connection and pay TV or pay-per-view services should cost a maximum of CHF 100 per month. The eleven trend theses (in the order of the experts)
De-anchoring:
TV consumption is possible anywhere and at any time.singleization:
Everyone wants to decide for themselves what to consume and when.Multiplicity:
The variety of special-interest programs and offering models (free and pay TV, TV on demand...) is increasing.Insperience:
TV becomes a home event.Simplicity:
The desire for simple end devices and clear offerings.Polarization:
In future, there will be high-quality content on the one hand and "content for everyone" on the other.Interestification:
It's the content that counts, not so much the image of the provider:
In view of the flood of programs, people tend to focus on a few channels.lifestyling:
The choice of end devices is determined by design, aesthetics and also technical sophistication.Interactionism:
Interactive offers are increasingly in demand.freeriding:
People do not want to pay for everyday TV consumption in the future either.Markus Knöpfli
