Reports Critical Developments

The Paywall Challenge Locking Away Digital’s Most Valuable Consumers

Georgia Meyer
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The 20,000 Foot View: Music and video subscribers are the most influential amongst their peer groups and are some of the most valuable segments for advertisers and brands. The fact that they spend an increasing portion of their time behind ad-free paywalls, represents a growing challenge for marketers. These consumers are also driving growth in social ecommerce and voice-activated devices. Cumulatively, these consumers are catalysing the transition away from linear content consumption into a digital world characterised by targeting, personalisation, curation and advertising experiences.

Key Findings

  • Streaming subscribers            early adopters and Apple Music            lead the way:            of them            the first to try out            technology and services
  • Music and            subscribers are catalysing the decline            linear TV and radio:            of            subscribers mainly watch TV shows            or via an app
  • Streaming subscribers            influential cultural tastemakers:            of Netflix            and            of Apple Music subscribers            sought for tips on music            TV shows
    •            of Spotify subscribers and            of Amazon Prime Music subscribers have three or more digital subscriptions 
  • Music and            subscribers also actively avoid TV            online video ads which they            not relevant 
  • Subscribers are            social ecommerce, fuelled by increases            hyper-localised direct response advertising and            accustomed to spending cash in            digital contexts
  • Brand-centric advertising            being explored with new technology            Alexa skills 
  • Music and            subscribers are driving this voice            product innovation,            of Apple Music            voice control on a home            mobile device every day 

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon, Amazon Prime Music, Amazon Echo, Apple Home Pod, Apple Music, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Netflix, Snap Inc, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tencent, YouTube, WhatsApp, YouTube Music