GroupM Predict Global Online Media Consumption Will Overtake Linear TV For The First Time In 2018

The latest ‘State of Digital’ report to be compiled by GroupM establishes 2018 as a landmark year in the advance of the sector amidst a prediction that consumption of online media will overtake linear TV for the first time.

WPP’s media investment arm calculates that consumers will spend 9.73 hours with media in 2018, up from 9.68 hours in 2017 – with online accounting for a 38% share (3.69 hours) of this total and linear TV falling a smidgen behind at 37% (3.63 hours).

This eclipse has been made possible by 15% growth in e-commerce, creating a market worth $2.442tn, the equivalent of 10% of all retail.

Kelly Clark, chief executive officer, GroupM Global commented: “Automation and talent are the big themes in advertising’s current revolution. One of the downsides of specialization is the increase in specialists who know more and more about less and less. We have to use automation to liberate brain-power, so talented people can look across the entire media ecosystem to help clients optimize short-term results and create long-term brand value.”

Print and radio, the also rans of media consumption, are predicted to account for 0.68 hours and 1.73 hours respectively for the year, equating to a share of 7 and 18% respectively.

Going against the grain of these trends GroupM actually expects TV advertising spend will increase as digital slows owing to the headwinds created by fraud concerns.

Credit: The Drum