2010 was a year of recovery, innovation and progress. For publishers, advertisers and agencies alike, the Canadian digital media industry was a rewarding place to be in 2010. With today’s release of the 2010 Canada Digital Year in Review, Comscore provides a comprehensive summary of Canadian digital media usage, trends and user demographics across social media, video, search, advertising and mobile platforms over the past year and a look ahead at what to expect in 2011. Below are a few of the highlights from the report:
Social Networking Dominates Display Ad MarketOne of the fascinating stories of 2010 was the ever-increasing growth of Facebook across virtually all measures of user behavior (and monetization streams). Using Comscore Ad Metrix®, we saw that growth in the Canadian display advertising market was in fact driven by Social Networking sites, which served 37% more display ad impressions in Q4 2010 than Q4 2009. Facebook alone now accounts for 1 in 3 display ad impressions delivered to Canadians. As media dollars continue to move online in 2011, the need to measure the pre and post campaign ad effectiveness of display campaigns is growing, and it is essential to use the right measures for evaluation.
Online Video Engagement Highest Among 18-24 Year OldsOnline video continued to prove its ability to reach all Canadian demographic groups, with persons age 35 and older representing 52% of unique viewers in Q4 2010, according to Comscore Video Metrix®. However, 54% of all time spent watching video was by persons under the age of 35. 18-24 year olds were the heaviest online video viewers, watching more than 20 hours of online video per month. As the market continues to mature in 2011, there will likely be an increase in the granularity of publisher’s and advertiser’s public reporting, as agencies demand greater transparency into this fast-growing market.
Mobile Measurement in Canada Coming SoonAs we enter 2011, Comscore will expand its measurement of the digital marketing mix in Canada with the introduction of Comscore MobiLens™, the first syndicated mobile media measurement service of its kind in Canada. MobiLens will outline the major devices, operators and platforms being used by key demographic groups in Canada, and also rank the top mobile brands being accessed through mobile browsers and applications. MobiLens represents a robust consumer data set for all stakeholders in the Canadian mobile marketplace. Below is an illustration of the smartphone vs. feature phone breakdown in several other countries currently being reported in MobiLens. We’ll soon find out how Canada stacks up against these other markets.
For a full summary of the trends in 2010 and outlook for 2011, please download your copy of the 2010 Canada Digital Year in Review.
Comscore Chairman Gian Fulgoni will touch on these findings in his upcoming presentation at the IAB Mixx Canada Spring Conference on Thursday March 10.
We will also host a complimentary webinar on this report in a few weeks. Stay tuned for registration information posted on our webinars page.