Same, but different...

The IPA’s annual research into media behaviour suggests that despite 20 years of technological disruption, our basic media habits have barely changed. We may have swapped television sets for smartphones, newspapers for news feeds, and radio programmes for podcasts. But are we really behaving any differently?

Small Talk: Have you seen the latest Making Sense report from the IPA?

File under: Media habits

Conversation time: 2 minutes and 59 seconds

Apparently, everything has changed.

Has it?

Well, yes. With AI, TikTok, Netflix, smartphones…. the world is basically unrecognisable!

You sound like you are speaking at a marketing conference.

Thank you.

It wasn't a compliment.

Rude. So, what's your point?

The IPA has published its annual Making Sense report, looking at how people's media habits have changed over the last two decades.

And?

Surprisingly little.

Sorry, come again?

Between 2005 and 2020, the basic pattern of how people consumed media barely changed. And in 2026, we're largely back to those same patterns.

Despite everything we have been through?

Despite everything.

What patterns?

Well, we listen to things in the morning, consume information throughout the day and watch video in the evening. 

That's hardly groundbreaking.

Exactly. People love routines. Technology may change, but human behaviour is remarkably stubborn.

So, we're all creatures of habit?

Pretty much. Although our habits now involve considerably more charging cables.

But surely television is dying?

There it is.

What?

The marketing industry's favourite pastime. Declaring things “dead”.

Well, hasn’t traditional TV viewing collapsed?

Live and recorded commercial TV's share of commercial media time has fallen more than half from 42 per cent in 2015 to 19 per cent today.

Sounds pretty dead to me.

Only if you ignore where everyone went.

Go on…

Well, its moved to streaming services, video-on-demand and online video. When you look across different types of commercial video, the decline is much less dramatic. In fact, our overall time spent with the TV set is equal to the time spent with the smartphone screen.

So, TV isn't dying?

In rude health in fact. The way we watch it is changing, but our appetite for watching stuff hasn't disappeared.

What about advertising? Surely everyone's avoiding it these days?

Not according to the evidence. It’s actually gone up. Ten years ago, 66 per cent of adults' media time was spent in environments carrying advertising. Today it's 68 per cent, which equates to roughly five and a half hours a day spent with commercial media.

More advertising?

More time in media environments where there is advertising, yes.

Even young people?

Among 16–34-year-olds, it's actually higher and 73 per cent of their media day is spent with media with ads.

But aren’t the youth all on Netflix?

That’s a bit of an over-claim. From this report, only 5% of young people’s media time is spent with subscription video services with ads, which is about the same as their time spent with live podcasts or radio.

So more ‘The Rest is … Netflix’ and ‘Netflix … and Smooth Chill’ then?

Terrible. But yes, that’s modern fragmented media life for you.

What else has changed?

‘Older’ people.

Getting older is generally what happens to us all.

I mean the media habits of 55- to 74-year-olds.

Go on then, you ageist.

The IPA argue that people over 55s are one of advertising's biggest overlooked opportunities. Over the last 20 years they have switched their media usage to social media, video on demand and online news and video.

My Dad's on Facebook.

Probably friends with mine.

He spends most of his time liking pictures, accidently clicking links and raging in local community groups.

A valuable contribution to the digital economy.

So why do advertisers overlook them?

Because marketing has spent decades obsessing over younger audiences.

Aren't young people the future?

Yes. But older people are also the present. And many have more time and money.

Which sounds quite useful if you're selling things.

You'd think.

So, what's the lesson for marketers?

Stop confusing new technology with new human needs.

Sounds suspiciously simple.

People still want entertainment, information, connection and a way to pass the time. They just have more ways of doing them now.

And what should advertisers do?

Understand how people actually spend their day. Use different media together rather than expecting one global platform to do everything.

Not very revolutionary.

Good marketing rarely needs to be. The media world has changed enormously. Human nature, rather less.

OK I get it. Everything and nothing has changed.

Bullseye.

Thought that show was cancelled?

Actually, it’s back on ITV now with Freddie Flintoff at the oche.

Same same, but different.

Quite.

The question not to ask: "Is TV dead?"

The question to ask: "Are we mistaking a change in media for a change in people?”

James Parnum is EVP of strategy and planning for WPP Media