But, up to now, there has been little concrete data on how consumers access different types of information, such as news (headlines and commentary), sport, entertainment, radio, TV and films. So Media Week commissioned WPP firm Lightspeed Research to conduct an exclusive audit of its online panel of 2,000 UK consumers to shed some light on usage patterns in this disparate media age.
The results are analysed on pages 26 to 29 and make fascinating reading for those interested in what drives consumer media choices. And choice is the operative word - because they have more choice than ever in how to access content and the amount of content on offer.
They use different platforms depending on where they are, what time of day it is, what information they need - and what mood they are in. For example, the consumption of online radio has exploded. Traditional TV, newspapers and magazines are holding up well. But mobile still has some way to go. The iPhone or a Google phone may prove the tipping point in the latter case.
For advertisers, the key is to ensure ad models deal with changing consumer patterns and exploit them in the most effective way, so advertising messages coincide with where modern consumers are. The good news is a good proportion of consumers welcome ads - if they are properly targeted.
Media Week intends to make this survey a regular part of the calendar and we will return to the subject in 2008 to see how the media environment has changed. Hopefully, this will enable us to drill deeper, segment the information and draw some firmer conclusions.
One thing is for sure, the results will be very different to what they are now - and those differences have to be on the radar of every client, media owner or media agency worth their salt.
- You will have noticed the return of Tess Alps to our columnist pages last week, following her guest appearance back in June. I'm delighted to say that Tess has agreed to write for us on a regular basis and she will feature every other week from now on, alternating with Richard Eyre.