Image from the Quartz Global Executives Study
A fact-filled report from Quartz offers fascinating insights into how executives get information.
I believe that some of the highlights of this report may be applicable to a lot of digital-savvy members of our audience—not just the 940 executives in the Quartz study.
It’s all about those mobile devices
—75% of executives spend at least 30 minutes consuming news each day (I like that 36% spend over one hour and I think this is more in line from what we hear at various focus groups). It is also one of the arguments I use when confronted with statements about “people don't read as much today as they used to.” They do, indeed, and there is greater and longer exposure to our news brands.
Lots of activity in the morning
-60% of executives are most focused on news in the morning, particularly upon waking. So are the rest of us, no doubt about that. When it comes to mobile devices and news: it is that wake up call that can get and should get things going. The smart news brands will be the first to say Good Morning to us, and follow with a light but fulfilling “news breakfast”.
News on the smaller screens
–61% of executives primarily use mobile devices to consume news; only 5% report reading a newspaper or turning on the TV first.
Again, this may not be just executives. This, in my view, is how a large segment of the population is consuming information.
…and what about print use?
-61% of the executives subscribe to newspapers and magazines, but only 3% use them as a primary news source. 37% of executives pay for digital news; executives in the finance industry are more likely than others to pay. While this number is healthy, I am surprised it is not a bit higher. Maybe next year.
Keep those email newsletters coming
Here is one part of the Quartz report that should satisfy and reassure all those newspapers sending daily email newsletters to their subscribers: 60% of executives said that an email newsletter is one of the first three sources they turn to in the mornings for news. Contrary to what many think, it is those newsletters and not networks like Twitter, or news sites on mobile or desktop.
The takeaway from the study
This study is reassuring and will make us put greater effort in conceptualizing and designing for better storytelling on the smaller mobile screens, something we have been doing actively for months, but that we now can proceed to execute with greater certainty.
Of related interest:
Probably not a surprise: Turns out your boss spends a lot of time in email — reading news
Getting real survey answers out of smart, busy people
How Quartz got 940 of the world’s business leaders to tell us how they consume news and respond to advertising