Brands seeking proof of the urgent need to ensure all marketing communications are ‘tablet-proof’ should look no further than a new study which shows how the devices are shaking up the way people consume media.
The survey by Gartner found the main activity moving from PCs to media tablets was checking email, with 81% of respondents admitting to this change in behaviour.
It also found 69% of consumers surveyed use tablets regularly to read news.
Other activities include checking the weather (63%) and using social media (62%).
Gartner research vice-president Carolina Milanesi said: “The rapid adoption of media tablets is substantively changing how consumers access, create and share content.
“The survey found that more than 50% of media tablet owners prefer to read news, magazines and books on screen, rather than on paper.
“On average, one in three respondents used their media tablets to read a book, compared with 13% for mobile PCs.”
Media tablets play a more dominant role in the home than mobile phones or PCs, with the highest usage taking place in the living room (87%), the bedroom (65%) and the kitchen (47%).
Milanesi concluded: “Weekday evenings are the most popular time to use media tablets, and this usage flattens out during the weekend as people tend to be away from home.”
