A new
study from Horizon Media and Fizziology has identified four different segments
within the Gen Y demographic and has identified tv media habits for each.
The
largest group, at 32%, is the “Confident Connecteds.” They are knowledgeable, sociable and
hardworking. They like to watch Dateline, Ellen, American Idol and CSI.
Next
we have the Indie Dreamers (25%) who are ambitious, creative and
individualistic. They like to watch Glee and Big Bang Theory.
The
“Creatures of Comfort” (also 25%) want the simple life, are unmotivated, and
easygoing. They watch Vampire Diaries and Downton Abbey.
That
leaves the “Youthful Pursuits,” (18%) who are image-seekers, live for now and
embrace youth. They like Pretty Little Liars, and Vampire Diaries too.
So
what about you? Do you fit into one of
these four segments? Do you watch the same
tv shows the others do?
Friedman,
W. (2013, July 8) Millennial Groups Favor Specific TV
Shows. mediapost.com. Retrieved
July 10, 2013, from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/204015/millennial-groups-favor-specific-tv.html?edition=61991#axzz2YeOzhXba
4 comments:
These findings don't seem useful to me yet.
First, the article isn't telling me if these people are consuming these shows on television during the actual broadcast or digitally, after the fact (whether by ad-free Netflix, DVR while fast-forwarding through ads, or by other less-than-legal means which usually excise advertising content). So the question of the efficacy of using these shows to reach these targets is still not fully answered, for me.
Second, while the categories themselves seem descriptive enough for these purposes, I don't find the lists of archetypal shows that these groups like to watch very helpful.
"Confident Connecteds" watch
-Dateline
-Ellen
-Katie
-Pretty Little Liars
-American Idol
-CSI
-Walking Dead
...save for the two syndicated talk shows, these are all vastly different shows. I have no way of knowing if there's a common element in these shows that this group connects to, or what specific reasons this group is watching these shows. I don't even have enough information to know what shows are similar enough to shows in this list to be applicable to these targets. All I'm given here is a correlation, and without any data to support it, I have no idea how strong the correlation is.
Third, the lists are also unhelpful because there are common shows.
"Confident Connecteds" and "Youthful Pursuits" share viewership of "Pretty Little Liars."
"Creatures of Comfort" and "Youthful Pursuits" share "The Vampire Diaries."
"Indie Dreamers" and "Creatures of Comfort" share "Glee."
If these correlations are true for each of these groups, then using any of the shared shows to reach any one of these targets is already not as effective because there's another group within this framework that you're paying more money to reach even though they may be outside of your strategy.
Attempting to apply this rubric to myself... I would have to say I would most strongly (but not very strongly, even so) align myself with the "Confident Connecteds." However, I don't watch primetime news, talk shows, reality TV, or police procedurals.
I have seen other procedural shows, but "Bones," "Numb3rs," and "Psych" are not "CSI," and I don't think I've ever been able to catch an episode during broadcast.
I do suppose "Gossip Girl" is enough like "Pretty Little Liars," but it's rather anomalous for my gender in this age range. And am I engaging with it in the same way others in my self-chosen group do, or do I channel the mentality of a "Youthful Pursuits" when I watch this sort of show?
This article at Brief (http://brief.promaxbda.org/content/breaking-down-millennials-for-brands) and this article at CMO (http://www.cmo.com/articles/2013/6/6/marketing_to_millenn.html) provide more conclusions from the same study, and this other information seems more useful for guiding strategy facing these groups, but neither includes information about which shows to target.
In the end, I just don't know if these leads provide for more effective targeting than broader demographics. I would have liked to have found the actual study and found more information to corroborate these findings. But, I realize that I'm actually looking for the underlying principles that led to these conclusions, because I'm not convinced that these conclusions are helpful by themselves.
Having spent more than 27 years of my beginnings in India, and watching all kinds of Serials on more than a hundred Channels that operate on the Indian horizon, I find myself inadequate in commenting on the American TV Channels. Yes, I need to beef up on that front to do justice to the subject that I am delving deep. So, I will refrain from passing judgment, or comment on the particular blog, as it will be unfair.
As per the blog per say, I think I fit into the category of " Indie Dreamers”, not because I relate myself to all the traits mentioned, but, having now started watching Big Bang Theory, and having seen a few episodes of American Idol and Vampire Diaries I feel I fall into the other categories too, taking into cognizance the audience research.
I personally feel ultimately it is an individual’s choice or mood to watch what they want and when instead of categorizing.
In my opinion do not really like television and when I look, it is rather to inform or distract a while watching something not much thinking. You can see I do a mix depending on the day I done.
So I think that in my case, not fit much in any of the previous segments.
I can say that one of my favorite shows is American Idol, but occasionally i like to see Pretty Little Liar to rest my mind, and also because I am a romantic and dreamy person never hurts to see a movie like Vampire Diaries
as you see I have definitely not a line to follow. But on second thought, in general I think many people who like the television, fit perfect in to the segmentation that Horizon Media and Fizziology done .
There is the possibility that in my case is not distinguished well , because i´m not see of television daily. So you can´t follow my line.
Thanks
--
María Urzúa R.
I agree with previous comments that the choice in the TV show is very narrow in this study. However, I think it's interesting.
I believe that the types of movies we like to watch, books to read or our preferences in music can tell a lot about our personality. Of course, anyone can say "it depends on my mood and I can watch any show," but there is still something remains in our preferences more than the other. Our personality, like our various of differents tastes. We have a huge number of different traits in the character, but there is still something prevails (more melancholic or extroversion etc) , as well as our preferences in TV-shows.
I'm not very familiar with american TV yet, but I checked all of these from the post. Well, I guess I'm in largest group... :)
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