Given the explosion in methods of accessing the internet through tablets, smartphones, games consoles, and televisions there is certainly less reliance on the desktop computer.

Indeed Apple’s Quarter 4 results revealed a record breaking swell of revenue coming from non-pc products, notably iPads and iPhones, exceeding even their own sales forecasts. Similarly, Google’s Android is making some serious inroads into the smart device world. Globally, it accounts for around half of the smartphone market (though Kantar’s US Worldpanel data shows that, coinciding with their Q4 boom, Apple has just taken the lead in the ‘States in the run up to Christmas).

Thanks to the impressive sales of the Kindle fire, Android now makes up 39% of tablet sales too. Results released last week indicate that global tablet sales for 2011 exceeded 66.9 million, up 260% from 2010’s numbers and the growth is likely to continue into 2012. Interestingly, Deloitte predict that 5% of tablet owners, in 2012, will own multiple tablet devices.

Whilst these increases are undoubtedly impressive, tablets do however still remain a relatively niche product.

Tablets are not the only means of accessing the internet in an always-on post-pc world. Recent research from Google shows 45% of the UK population now have a smartphone and this is backed up by new proprietary research from Kantar Media which indicates that smartphone penetration exceeds 50% of urban audiences in the UK, something that is anticipated to continue growing through 2012.

At last week’s MPMIS conference, ESPN further underlined the importance of the mobile market with the bold claim that in 2012 they would be treating the mobile as the first screen.

In addition to smartphones and tablets, games are increasingly played online. The Gaming Britain study conducted by Kantar Media for the IAB indicates that 34% of the UK population have played games on a PC or laptop in the last six months (42% have done so using a mobile phone). Then there are streaming media services which connect the internet to various other devices including the television. Amazon-owned Lovefilm offer their streaming services across various devices and the recent arrival of Netflix in the UK is further evidence that this is an area of huge potential growth through 2012.

This brings us to the area of connected TV. Although still in its infancy, research suggests that 90% of televisions will be connected to the internet by 2014 so this is likely to strike yet another blow for the desktop computer.

Given the enormous potential importance of connected TV, Kantar Media is leveraging key data from its futurePROOF study into take-up and usage of digital devices and media to provide further insight into this burgeoning area. A deep dive initiative into connected TV called TVolution will provide subscribers with a regularly updated snapshot of TV-related technology ownership among the British adult population, linked to Kantar Media’s TGI study. The first results of this study are due in Q2 of 2012.

So what does all this mean for the humble PC? Calling time on the desktop seems a little premature, although signals that the PC bubble may have burst are starting to emerge. Gartner analysis on the PC market shows that PC shipments in the US declined by 1.4% in Q4 2011 and are expected to slow more significantly through 2012.

Smartphones and new upstarts such as tablets are undoubtedly making waves and perhaps rightfully hogging the press column inches whilst at the same time enabling digital natives to access the web 24/7. The humble PC will remain an important player in the mainstream connected world through 2012 though for how much longer beyond this remains to be seen.

Perhaps a more PC line on the subject is that the desktop is not dead, but there is a suggestion that glory days may be gone.

Euan Mackay
Senior Associate Director, Kantar Media Custom

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/telecoms-research/filesharing/kantar.pdf

Best Overall Paper was awarded to Peter Callius, Senior Advisor at Kantar Media Sweden and Peter Masson from Masson and Bucknull, UK.

The paper, entitled ‘If You Build It, Will They Come?’, examines developments in multimedia planning and the benefits and challenges for media planners. The paper also won the award for Best Presentation.

Andy Brown, Chairman of Kantar Media commented, “We’re delighted and extremely proud at having received these accolades at what is regarded as one of the industry’s most prestigious events. They highlight Kantar’s hard work and continual dedication towards cementing its expertise in print, readership and digital media research throughout the global industry.”

This year Kantar Media also received runner-up accolades for Best Presentation with ‘Creative Benchmarking: A new answer to an old question’ by Liz McMahon, Head of UK Custom; and ‘UGC: Friend or Foe?’ by Geoff Wicken, Head of TGI International. In addition, the runner-up for the Chairman’s Prize was given to ‘Linking Website Exposure Data to Survey Data’ by Jayne Krahn, Kantar Media  and Jeff Landi, Safecount.

The top two awards were also won by Kantar Media in 2009.

About the Print and Digital Research Forum

The biennial session took place this year from 10-13 October. It provides a global forum for advertising agencies, publishers, industry bodies and researcher and software providers to share expertise and develop credible business models based on thorough research papers.  It attracts leading professionals on research in the print and digital readership industry.

The Forum continues in the tradition of its forerunner, the Worldwide Readership Research Symposium, whose first Symposium was held in 1981. The organisation is not-for-profit. This year’s Print and Digital Research Forum was attended by 155 delegates from 27 countries and 55 papers were discussed and evaluated during the event.

About Kantar Media

Kantar Media provides strategic advice and competitive intelligence to the world’s leading brands, publishers and agencies, helping them navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving media industry. This includes analysis of paid media opportunities; counsel on brand reputation, corporate management and consumer engagement through owned media; and, evaluating consumers’ reactions in earned media.  Kantar Media provides clients with a broad range of insights, from audience research, competitive intelligence, vital consumer behaviour and digital insightsto marketing effectiveness and online influence. Our experts currently work with 22,000 companies tracking 3 million brands in 50 countries.

There was yet another international break on the weekend that followed, where England managed to surrender a two-goal lead to Montenegro but still qualify for Euro 2012.  Pointless, really, because we know what will happen.

Gameweek 8 wasn’t great and was lucky to have followed an International break. Man City won easily again, Chelsea beat Everton and at Anfield, Liverpool and Man Utd played out a bore-draw.

In Gamweek 9 there was a phenomenon. There was another shock at Loftus Road, where QPR scraped a win against Chelsea, who had two men sent off, and one man who represents everything that is wrong with English football.

In Gameweek 10, Arsenal fans were happy – this was why. An early call, but it’ll most likely take game of the season. The Gameweek finished with Newcastle winning at Stoke, thus extending their unbeaten opening to this campaign, and leapfrogging Chelsea into third in the process. Well done, but it’s potently clear they’ll come crashing down soon.

So another entertaining month in real life – but did it transpire in Fantasy world?

The answer is ‘maybe’ – my records of the league standings in Gameweek 7 and 8 were somehow lost (or stolen). Apologies to anyone who took big steps in these weeks. One thing we can assume without a reference-point, though, is that bottom place was filled by its rightful owner*.

Luckily Gameweeks 9 and 10 were the more entertaining of the month. In Gameweek 9 Chris Branford was Terminal Decline by name but not by nature – rising all the way to top spot after joint-top scoring with Julie Forey’s Dodgy Knees (not literal). Towards the bottom, Kantar Media’s Euan Mackay, Charlie Gordon and Graeme Griffiths all gained ground – but all still remained at least 100 points off top spot.

Gameweek 10 saw Stephen Callow’s wevewonitfivetimes reclaim pole position – thanks largely to the excellent Robin Van Persie. Gentel FC, who finished September on top spot, are now down to 8^th, seemingly suffering the effects of a quiet Wayne Rooney. Danny Kay caused a stir after moving into third place – the first time that Kantar Media have held a position in the top 3 since Trevor Vagg dropped from first in September. Keep an eye on Channel 4’s Nick Blake, too, whose Blake Panthers have moved up 10 places in the space of a month, and are now within 9 points of the top.

In September James Burke took the crown for the month’s highest scorer. Different story this time round – Sky’s Ian McDougall, who guided his Jimmy Buzzard XI to 222 points across October. That has earned him a place in the top 10 – a huge improvement from 33^rd at the end of September.

So, October did enough to cause havoc across the Kantar Media Premiership – even if the usual high-flyers are still… well, flying high. There are just three Gameweeks in November so it’s unlikely we’ll see the same level of movement but I’m sure something will change. And in fact, my parting tip for November is to consider Fernando Torres in Gameweek 12 – his former Liverpool side visit Stamford Bridge that week, so what better way to end his scoring drought than against them.

Good Luck.

*Wilshee Win? subsequently escaped bottom spot in Gameweek 10 at the expense of Jennie Beck’s (even grumpier) Grumpy Global

Just as interesting was September in the Premier League. The international break at the start of the month meant we had to wait a while to see some games, but when we did, it was business as usual – for Man Utd and Man City, at least, who both picked up from where they left off with big wins.

Not quite business as usual at the Emirates though, where Arsenal actually managed (to scrape) a first league win of the season – an improvement, definitely, but fans knew better than to get ahead of themselves after the Old Trafford nightmare a fortnight earlier.

And how right they were to stay reserved . That same weekend saw Man Utd prove that there is a definite gulf between them and Chelsea – helped just a smidgen by that Torres miss. And on the same day, Man City drew away at Fulham, thereby losing the “who’ll-slip-up-first?” battle of Manchester, and giving Utd a leg-up to the top of the league.

Luckily, though, the Premier League is good at making things complicated – cue Crouch and co, who held Utd 1-1 at the Britannia a week later. Naturally, Man City (before their Bayern Munich Teveztation) won their match, and it was all square again. There were convincing wins too for Chelsea and Arsenal (what the hell?).

So, September ended with Manchester ruling – and sharing – the roost. But September threw up a couple of other interestingtons: Newcastle and Bolton. Basically, one was good and one was bad; but the reason this is interesting is because you’d imagine that the good one would be the one you thought would be good, and the one who was bad would be the other one – but it turned out that it was the other one that was good, meaning they were actually the bad one. Too many ones? Here’s a two.

So an interesting (and confusing, apparently) month in the Premier League. And things weren’t entirely straightforward in Fantasyland either. As expected, there was plenty of transfer activity after the (real) window had shut: people seemed keen on Parker after he’d (foolishly) gone to Spurs, and Crouch once he’d (reluctantly) headed to Stoke. Barton going to QPR was popular too. Not so much buzz around Arsenal’s acquisitions though (except maybe Arteta).

But I bet what you really want to know is who the movers and shakers were? Well, after ending August on top spot, NMA’s Henry Vernon was down to 3rd in Gameweek 4, as Gareth Barr of BBC Trust continued his impressive August form to take pole position – helped a lot by a shrewd vice-captain choice in the hat-trick scoring Wayne Rooney (Dzeko didn’t feature that week). This first round of September matches were also kind to Alfredo Raydha, whose Gentel FC shot up to 2nd after posting a score of 83 – beaten only by Andrew Moffat of the NMA.

Gameweek 5 was capitalised on by Shortlist’s Mark Jefford, whose 69 points propelled him from 15th to 5th; Simon Johnson, of RSMB, top-scored with 70 to move from 9th to 2nd. As a comparison, Kantar Media’s Rachel Willshee scored a massive 9. Willshee win? No.

After that surprising Gameweek 6 (remember – when Arsenal were convincing and Man Utd drew), the league now looks in familiar shape. Slowly but surely, that familiar shape is becoming defined by Kantar Media’s managers* showing exactly what is meant by a “mid-table” team.

But there’s a bit of hope inside these walls: filter the league on only September’s results, and who do you find at the top? Our very own James Burke. If that isn’t enough to spur you on for the rest of October, I don’t know what will.

Good luck…

* Fantasy League managers, not actual managers (just in case…)

To Pay Or Not To Pay

The fully refurbished site was always going to make managers a little wary. By the evening of Friday 12th, faced with a login page that just wouldn’t budge, the doubters were proved right – but I’m betting the reactions went a little further than ‘I told you so’.

As it was, selections in Gameweek 1 weren’t necessarily the conscious pick of managers, and, insane computer killing or not, everyone agreed it just wasn’t good enough. FPL knew this and gave us their heartfelt apology – and what a truly sincere one it was. Of course, as glory-hunting FPL managers we’re trained not to appreciate this kind of sentiment. Nope, we’re just after the compensation. And we got it: unlimited free transfers for Gameweek 2.

But not everyone could take advantage. The average points scored across every FPL user for Gameweek 2 actually dropped from Gameweek 1 – a trend that most of the Kantar Media Premiership suffered too. Let’s just blame that on silly results like the QPR away win – or the even sillier Arsenal defeat to Liverpool.

That lovely FPL apology also offered leagues a fresh start, the chance to scrap the scoring of Gameweek 1 and start afresh from Gameweek 2. We toyed with doing this but guessed that were more folk who had constructed their team prior to the site crashing (and probably even more who hadn’t even noticed!) than those who were left incredibly frustrated.

The drama continued into Gameweek 3, which will be remembered for that result. You’d 8-2 be a Gunner at a time like this; but this is all about the KMP, and this match (plus others) added a bit of a twist to the league. BBC Trust’s Gareth Barr profited most, posting the league’s first 3 digit score – a perfectly crisp 100 points – and overtaking Simon Johnson of RSMB in the process. If you’re wondering how Gareth did that, here are the maths he used: Rooney (c) + Dzeko. God help the rest of us if he’d chosen Ashley Young ahead of Nani.
Gareth’s superweek was impressive but it couldn’t knock the NMA’s Henry Vernon off of the summit. Henry will be glad he side-stepped the turmoil of Gameweek 1 when he scored 80 points, because since then his score has gradually dropped – a dangerous slip in form when you’ve got The Guardian’s Dan Botten and Peter Gradidge of Associated waiting in the wings.

Kantar Media’s Trevor Vagg is going through a similarly tough time after occupying top spot for a short while in Gameweek 1. He dropped places like most of the Kantar Media clan did this week; something in the water, I imagine. Either that or we just don’t know football like we thought we did – #shouldsticktomedia.

If the drama has left you dazed, don’t rest up now, because there’s plenty more on the way for September. True, we start with an International break, but this just means managers get plenty of time to think about what Transfer Deadline Day signings they think are worth adding, and how best to get rid of those who have ended up being shipped off abroad. Be ready to see this turn into a flurry of Wildcards being played. If you’re thinking of playing a Wildcard, though, remember one thing: it’s a marathon – not a sprint.

Good luck!

Young women today are juggling multiple interests and expectations. They feel empowered to be independent and take charge of their lives. They have more choices than ever before. They want careers and success. They’re also interested in fashion and fun. And like their male peers, they perceive themselves as individuals first and foremost.

Celebrities continue to be a fascination, even if to some the phenomenon feels tarnished when “people are just famous for the sake of being famous”. Alexa and Adele inspire, but Kerry and Jordan just grate – though they do provide grist for the mill.

The collages our young women made were put together into an exhibition to produce a visual record of young women today. Visual metaphors tap into a rich seam of emotions. You can immerse in them by watching the video below.

For more information contact Jason.Vir (at) kantarmedia (dot) com

The research shows that this weekend’s claimed readership of The Sunday Mirror has increased 50% from that recorded on the previous week. The data also indicate a significant increase in readership for The Mail on Sunday, up 38% from last weekend.

The survey followed a period of aggressive marketing activity among rival newspaper groups in the wake of the final edition of the News of the World on 10th July. Tactics included increased print runs, promotions and price cuts (the Mail on Sunday reduced its cover price from £1.50 to £1).

The survey suggests that readers are rapidly adjusting to a post News of the World era. The majority of former News of the World readers who bought another title this week are likely to buy again next Sunday.

Liz McMahon, Director, customised solutions at Kantar Media, comments: “The Sunday newspaper reading habit is deeply engrained with the British public and shows little sign of being diminished by the closure of the News of the World. These survey results provide an initial snapshot of how readers have responded to the new Sunday newspaper landscape, but we expect further changes in reader allegiances as the marketing activity subsides and, potentially, new Sunday titles emerge.”

When asked about new Sunday newspapers that may be launched in the future, 49% of respondents said that they would consider buying the Sun on Sunday, if it were available, and 71% said that they would consider a similar Sunday tabloid from the publishers of the Daily Mail.

McMahon comments: “The data suggest a remarkable openness on the part of readers to changes in the popular Sunday newspaper market. The early signs are that, even without the News of the World, the overall size of the market will be relatively unaffected while publishers continue to invest in attracting and retaining new readers. We see opportunities for publishers to develop successful new Sunday titles, but they will require careful positioning and clear differentiation to avoid the long-term cannibalisation of existing Sunday newspaper audiences.”

Editor’s notes

Research methodology
A representative sample of 1,001 GB Sunday newspaper readers took part in an online survey conducted by Kantar Media on Monday 18 July 2011. A reader was defined as those who have read a Sunday newspaper for at least two minutes in the last four weeks. The survey data were weighted to match the profile of GB Sunday newspaper readers (Almost Always or Quite Often) as determined by NRS.

About Kantar Media
Established in more than 50 countries, Kantar Media helps clients master the world’s multimedia momentum through analysis of print, radio, TV, internet, cinema, mobile, social media, and outdoor worldwide. Kantar Media offers a full range of media insights and audience measurement services through its global business sectors – Intelligence, Audiences, TGI and Custom. Kantar Media companies also include Compete, Cymfony and SRDS. Drawing upon the deepest expertise in the industry, Kantar Media tracks more than 3 million brands and delivers insight to more than 22,000 customers worldwide. For more information, please visit us at www.kantarmedia-custom.com

For further information please contact:
Teresa Horscroft
PR Consultant
Eureka Communications
+44 (0)1420 564346
teresa@eurekacomms.co.uk

Here’s a montage of some of the key themes…

Here we demonstrate some feelings around one of the buzz issues – Video on Demand

Here we demonstrate some feelings around the year’s must have gadget – the iPad

For further information on this study or the 2011 project please contact Jason Vir or Trevor Vagg