Internet penetration: Switzerland is the European champion
With an Internet penetration rate of 89 percent, Switzerland—along with Norway—has the highest proportion of Internet users in Europe. This is according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe.
According to Mediascope, two out of three Europeans use the internet in spring 2012, spending almost 15 hours a week online. The online medium has thus further consolidated its prominent place in the media menu and continues to record the highest growth rates compared to other media types. The most important driver of this dynamic is the shift in online usage to mobile devices. Two out of five respondents across Europe use smartphones and tablets to surf the internet, and in the countries of Northern and Western Europe this already applies to one in three. Mobile access is most popular in the 16 to 24 age group.
Web offerings of traditional media very popular
Among the content used, the digitally distributed offerings of traditional media prove to be extremely popular. 91% of internet users consume the websites of print media, 73% use TV offerings and two thirds listen to online radio. It is also worth noting that this content is popular across all population groups and that the corresponding figures vary only slightly between genders or generations.
Focus on media multi-tasking
In contrast to comparable studies, the Mediascope survey also allows analyses to be carried out on the overlap in usage between the internet and other media channels. For example, every second respondent stated that they also use the internet while watching TV. This means that 16 out of every 100 TV minutes are spent surfing the Internet at the same time. This multitasking is often linked to content. Every third parallel user states that their online activity is related to the current TV program. This is an important finding for the planning of multi-channel campaigns.
Central platform in the purchasing process
Finally, the internet has also established itself as a central platform in the purchasing process in Europe. Of the online shoppers surveyed, 96% say they search for product information online; 87% say they store online, making around a fifth of their total purchases, and 51% are convinced that the internet helps them to improve their choice of products or services.
The data collection in Switzerland was financed and methodologically supported by IAB Switzerland. It is based on the current edition of the Mediascope Survey, a survey of media use among 50,000 people in 28 European countries.
(Image: Keystone)
