For The First Time Ever Aussies Now Spend More Time On Tablets Than On PCs: IAB Australia

The September edition of the IAB Australia and Nielsen Mobile Ratings Report has revealed that for the first time Australians 18-plus spent more time browsing content or interacting with apps on a tablet device, than on a PC.

Smartphones still remain the preferred device overall though, with average time per person among the active internet population 1-plus+ spent either browsing content or on applications on a smartphone, at just under 35 hours per person.

According to Alice Manners, IAB Australia’s CEO, growth in mobile audiences and increases in time spent on a mobile screen, is resulting in a shift of focus for brands and advertisers.

“Companies have invested heavily in desktop, but as consumers increasingly turn to mobile devices to view and engage with content, companies have had to shift their focus and investment to this medium. This preview information is the first step in verifying their efforts and investments, and helps companies plan for the future,” said Manners.

Entertainment – Video Streaming
Smartphones are the dominant mobile device selected for viewing video/movie content, recording a unique audience of 8.6 million compared to 4.8 million on a tablet. However, once engaged, Australians 18+ spent just over two hours consuming video content on a tablet compared to just over one hour on a smartphone.

The video streaming category is dominated by YouTube, with Netflix leading from a video on demand perspective and Yahoo7 TV (PLUS7) leading the catch-up services on mobile devices. Video streaming services are spread across two entertainment subcategories –video / movies and broadcast media.

Looking to the U.S. market, 78% of American smartphone users accessed a video site or application during September 2015, compared to 68% of Australians. Americans spent nearly double the amount of time per person than Australians.

More Financial Activity on Mobile Devices
In September 2015, close to eight million Australians 18-plus used their smartphone for their banking needs and three million Australians 18-plus did the same on tablet devices.  In terms of the biggest unique audience, Commonwealth Bank is the leader in this category on both smartphone and tablet devices, followed by ANZ.  Over 80 per cent of the active reach on smartphones for the top four banks – Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB and Westpac – is generated by their respective applications.

Australian Smartphone Engagement Still Has Room to Grow
Australia is seeing impressive growth in smartphone and tablet usage, although we continue to trail other leading markets in relation to time spent browsing the web or using applications.

Head of Nielsen’s Media Industry Group, Monique Perry, said if you look at content, there are real divides in categories that lead compared to the U.S. and others that have huge opportunity to grow.

“Some categories in particular have shown real leadership in providing consumers with a sophisticated yet simple and reliable mobile offering. Categories such as government and finance really lead compared to the U.S., whereas categories such as News, e-Commerce and Music will no doubt continue to grow their audience percentages to align with what we are seeing abroad,” said Perry.

“The launch of Mobile Ratings data validates efforts and educates the industry even more about consumers’ mobile behaviours. We believe we will see real growth in audience numbers with the confidence these industry metrics give companies to further invest in this space and appeal to the consumer experience,” added Perry.

News & Information Anytime, Anywhere
The IAB Australia and Nielsen Mobile Ratings September report found that News and Information content rankings for smartphone and tablet use are dominated by the same brands that have historically been strong in desktop rankings. News.com.au toped the news rankings on both smartphone and tablet devices for the largest unique audience in September, 2015.

“The News & Information category continues to see growth on mobile devices, so much so that Australians 18+ now prefer to consume their news and information content on their smartphones over any other digital device. We expect to see this category continue to surge on mobile devices,” added Manners.
 
Final Preview Report: Next Step Is Digital Ratings Monthly
The release of the Nielsen Mobile Ratings report preview data is the first phase of major upgrades to the digital audience measurement system in Australia. This September edition of the report is the third and final edition. The next step for the industry will be the launch of Digital Ratings Monthly, early in 2016. Digital Ratings Monthly will give the industry smartphone and tablet panel data fully-fused with Nielsen’s home/work PC panel data and tagged website data.

Digital Ratings Monthly will be the base for further development which will see Nielsen transition to daily delivery of digital audience data through Digital Content Ratings, which is slated for launch in mid-2016.

The Mobile Ratings Report results are based on the mobile panel which consists of 2,000 iOS and Android smartphone users and 500 iOS and Android tablet users aged 18+. This panel is nationally representative of Australian smartphone and tablet internet users, has individual privacy agreements in place with all panellists and passively measures the online behaviour of panellists on their mobile device through an on-device meter (Android) or proxy solution (iOS).

The panels provide granular data on a monthly basis that can be used by media buyers and sellers to better understand the mobile consumer and assess the opportunities available in what is now a significant media channel. It includes audiences from both web browsers on mobile devices and for the first time, mobile applications.