This week, eMarketer released their annual Global Media Intelligence Report (available for free download here), a great resource for not only staying informed about key online media trends, but also for providing a benchmark to help shape your company’s strategic digital direction.

Following are my key standouts from the report, and what they may mean for your business.

1. The explosion of digital video in the US

In 2015, an estimated 61% of people used a tablet at least once a month in the US – that’s a headcount of around 159 million. This figure is set to grow (and will surely receive a further boost by the just-announced release of the family-friendly, $49 Fire tablet from Amazon), with eMarketer predicting 180 million tablet users in the US by 2019. This, along with the continued proliferation of smartphone usage, is heavily driving digital video viewing with an estimated 204 million people watching video online at least once a month.

Insight: If you aren’t already, it’s time to consider putting video into your content marketing mix. Whether it is about using it to educated customers on your products and services (or post-purchase “how to” content) or finding an irreverent way to share insights into your company’s culture, video can be a powerful form of communication that consumers are increasingly going to expect.

2. Online adoption and penetration: not all countries are equal

There are significant and surprising differences between countries in the developed world, particularly in Western Europe. For example, in 2015 Norway and Denmark has the highest levels of internet penetration, at 87% and 85% respectively. The UK hovered around the 77% mark, with Italy way back at around 58%. The report also found that in Germany, traditional media is still alive and very well with  95.5% of people reading magazines, 93.0% reading newspapers and 89.5% listening to radio.

Insight: A little local knowledge can go a long way. Don’t assume a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to media planning. Getting the distribution channels right is just as important as getting the messaging market-specific.

3. Massive growth coming in smartphone usage in Latin America

Currently there is 40% smartphone penetration in Mexico (around 31 million users), and by 2019 that is set to rocket to 70%. The same pattern is predicted for Chile, Argentina, Colombia and across the region as a whole. The report also noted that as with the US, there has been an increase in digital video viewing, which will of course continue as smartphone penetration rises.

Insight: If you operate in this market, it is essential to have a responsive design website, of which video should in some way feature. Additionally, if mobile advertising has yet to be part of your media spend, now is the time to correct that and recognize that mobile will likely take up more advertising dollars over the coming years.

If you’d like to discuss how ARTÉMIA can help you succeed and gain competitive edge in markets all over the world as ever, please get in touch.