• 8 out of 10 Australians own a smartphone and use this device to connect daily
• Millennials watch 1.5 hours of online video per week
• 40% of Australians are online in a retail environment

Nielsen’s 2017 Australian Connected Consumers Report has revealed what marketers need to focus on to maximise their consumer engagement and advertising spend.

The first area of focus is to cater for Australians’ appetite for smartphone content throughout the day and then adapt when consumers are at home in the evening when their attention becomes fragmented across devices.

Consumers are increasingly connected online – in and out of the home and Australians are increasingly engaging with online video via smartphones.

Monique Perry, head of media industry group Nielsen, recommends on the back of the research that brands need to ensure they have an in-home multidevice media plan.

“Consumers should be able to follow you from platform to platform. In the home Millennials and Generation X use three different devices on average and even Baby Boomers and The Silent Generation are connected on average to two different devices while in the home.”

New technologies such as near-field communication allows brands to target consumers with more personalised content and using proximity marketing is a great way to influence consumer’s decisions prior to purchase.

“We know that over the past 12 months, 40% of Australians are online while in a retail environment and the high prevalence of out-of-home connectivity presents opportunities to engage with consumers right before the point of purchase,” Perry added.

“Increasingly this technology is being used and one in three Australians have already been exposed to proximity based marketing communications. They would be open to receiving personalised marketing messages and this is especially the case for Millennials who are 44% more likely to be open to receiving these messages.”

Perry added marketers need to understand their consumers beyond traditional measures such as age and gender.

“To communicate to your target audiences, dig deeper into their interests, desires, lifestyles and needs. You’ll be able to engage with your consumers in a way that is personal, engaging and relevant.”