Ahead of the weekend, Verto Analytics, a consumer-centric measurement company, released a new report titled “Consumer Behavior in 2018: Four Trends to Watch.”
The report analyzes trends in consumer behavior between 2016 and 2017.
Key findings include the massive growth of personal assistant devices and the increasing use of AI and voice user interfaces in digital services; stagnation in the mobile gaming market; and key shifts in consumer mobile behavior.
Verto Analytics’ findings and analysis reflect proprietary data gathered between June 2016 and July 2017 from its panel of U.S. consumers adults aged 18 and above.
Based on the data gathered, Verto identified four trends that brands, advertisers, and digital publishing companies should watch over the coming year.
Among the standout discoveries? Consumer time spent online is stabilizing, as time spent on social media drops.
Verto Analytics found that while the average time spent per user on social media, communications, and mobile gaming properties (apps and websites) either stagnated or decreased in the past year, entertainment properties (such as Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube apps and websites) saw a rise in time spent per user, to 11.5 hours per month, across PCs, smartphones, and tablets, about a 23 percent increase in time spent. As of July 2017, consumers spent more than 41 percent of their online time on communications and social media apps, which equates to an average of more than 25 hours per month per user. From June 2016 to July 2017, consumers spent about 1% less time in social media and communications apps — the first reported decrease in time spent.
“With endless options for communication, entertainment, and content consumption, it’s no surprise that consumer behavior is changing on a daily, even hourly, basis,” said Hannu Verkasalo, CEO of Verto Analytics. “As we move into 2018, the rise of consumer-targeted artificial intelligence, new and improved channels for content, and the frequency of multitasking will have a significant influence on the way consumers interact, or don’t interact, with their devices. Publishers, brand and advertisers alike must understand this fluctuating consumer behavior to maintain a healthy user base and know where to invest.”
For a full copy of the report, click here.
