Big Media Brands Count as Much as Ever in the U.K.
By Richard Griffiths, Head of Strategic Media, Ketchum London
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The first thing to be clear about is that the findings from the U.K. survey show that, while consumers are accessing media from a growing range of delivery platforms, when it comes to what they regard as trustworthy and credible, the most influential news sources are the big media brands.
Some commentators had voiced concerns in recent years that as the U.K. caught up with the U.S. in terms of broadband penetration and the arrival of a multichannel broadcast environment that the influence of key media would be diluted. Our research suggests that this has not happened and people are continuing to rely most on the sources that have served them longest and the ones they already know and trust. In fact, the influence and credibility of these big media brands ranks as high as advice from friends and family.
What the findings are NOT saying is that new media does not matter. Quite the contrary. What it shows is that consumers are hungry for new methods of delivery. And almost all of the most established players (such as BBC News, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian) have invested millions of pounds in these new methods, so consumers are accessing the information where and when they want.
However, the survey also shows that British consumers are making purchasing decisions based on information from news services such as newspapers, television and radio, and on advice from family and friends rather than on information found on blogs or through social networking sites.
Among the other findings, the research showed that British consumers also rely heavily on search engines, which provide access to a range of online sources. Despite the fact that much of their content is sourced from traditional wire services, sites like Google and Yahoo have become news brands themselves.
These changes in where and how U.K. consumers are getting news hold great opportunities. Compared to 15 years ago, journalists are influencing consumers in a variety of different ways. Stories are being packaged online with an imaginative use of pictures and video, presenting new ways for brands to tell their stories. As PR practitioners, we need to understand this changing media landscape so that we can reach the most influential journalists, who will drive coverage elsewhere and reach those who are making key purchasing decisions.
