More than 3 million New Zealanders aged 15+ now access the Internet, spending two working days online each week. The first New Zealand Connected Consumer Report shows that the home is the most common place for online access, however Generation Y are leading the trend to access the Internet while out and about. These 15-34 year olds spend 35% more time going online on their phone than other groups.
Tony Boyte, Research Director, Nielsen NZ says: “Our ‘connected generations’ or ‘digital natives’ are exhibiting a comfortable, dynamic relationship with mobile devices that highlight the importance for marketers to understand these behaviours to get their marketing mix just right.”
Generation Y are early adapters of new services and have set trends with the adoption of new arrivals such as Spotify and Netflix. Internet TV is a key trend being driven by younger New Zealanders, with the 15-24 year old age group are leading the country. 42% of this group have watched shows on YouTube in the past month, while 23% have watched Netflix, ten percentage points higher than the rest of the population. Likewise, almost a third of 25-34 year olds (32%) have watched TVNZ OnDemand in the past month, more than all other age groups.
Social media is a dominant part of young people’s lives today. Over a quarter (26%) of 15-24 year olds and just under a quarter (22%) of 25-34 year olds are interacting daily with organisations or companies on social media platforms. This is above the national average of 16%.
Generation Y are more receptive towards digital advertising format than older age groups. They are more likely to recall all types of digital advertising and more likely to take an action using a mobile device following exposure to an ad or product. Around two-in-five recall banner ads on their mobile phones, recall video ads on mobile phones and ads within mobile aps (in the last week).
Boyte summarises: “This constant connection to the Internet provides marketers with increasing opportunities to engage their audience, employing ‘right place, right time, right screen’ tactics across a broader range of marketing environments. It also highlights the importance of creating content that is easy to find, easy to share and easy to digest – particularly for the ‘digital native’ generation whose savvy will only increase.”
