The post appears courtesy of The Economist Group and Peppercomm and the full study can be found on their website, here.
Most executives prefer traditional forms of new media such as text instead of video and audio when making business decisions, according the latest research in The Economist Generational Content Marketing Study. Only 5 percent of executives said that videos were helpful to them when making these decisions. The Economist partnered with Peppercomm to survey more than 100,000 global executives for The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Opinion Leaders Panel.
Seventy-eight percent of executives reported using desktop and laptop computers most frequently to view content. Only 7 percent said smartphones are their preferred device for content consumption and 15 percent prefer tablets, reinforcing the theory that professionals are “old school when it comes to business content” consumption.
Business veterans overwhelmingly agreed at 91 percent that they prefer receiving branded content in the form of articles– whereas only 2 percent of these individuals sought digital content on Twitter and 4 percent on LinkedIn. Professional also place a higher value on research reports and white papers compared to their younger peers. Additionally, infographics were of low importance to veteran professionals, as only 12 percent cited these visuals as a preference.
Finding ways to appeal to veteran professionals is key, as more than half of those surveyed reported spending four or more hours per week consuming branded content. For marketers looking to make an impact among leaders of the business world, taking into account device and content preferences may make all the difference as to whether content resonates with this key demographic.
Veronica Mingrone is a senior public relations student at the University of Florida and National Vice President of Career Services of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
