Halloween’s Sibling, Día De Los Muertos

Erica Saylor by Erica Saylor, Tr3s

As Halloween draws near, we recognize the holiday’s sister, El Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is quickly becoming a celebrated cultural draw among both Hispanic Millennials and non-Hispanic Millennials. In recent years, this cheerful Mexican holiday has formed part of school roster events providing American teens and twenty-somethings a window into our Hispanic culture. Read More

Colleen Fahey Rush on the Future of Media

Colleen Fahey Rush 2011 by Colleen Fahey Rush, Strategic Insights and Research, Viacom Media Networks

A common belief is that technology will shape the future of media. I’d argue that the consumer, and how consumers harness that technology, is what really drives the future of media.  Take, for example, geo-location services created in the early ’00s. It was years before consumers adopted the technology – because they weren’t ready. Now look at Foursquare and its 10 million-strong community of users. The takeaway? It’s all about how a technology satisfies consumer desires that make it hit. Read More

Consumer Insights: Nickelodeon’s ‘International GPS: Kids’ Influence’

Christian Kurz by Christian Kurz, Research & Insight, Viacom International Media Networks

Unlike previous generations, decision-making within families today is almost entirely collaborative – and as kids become more influential, they’re impacting purchasing decisions. Whether it’s to teach their kid that his/her opinion matters – or because they feel that their child has a stronger opinion or is more knowledgeable about brands than they are – parents are asking their kids for their opinions and taking them seriously. In “International GPS: Kids’ Influence,” Nickelodeon takes a look at the relationships between parents and kids across 11 countries, today’s increasingly collaborative family dynamics and the power of kids’ influence over purchasing decisions. Read More

Consumer Insights: Be Viacom’s ‘Brand Engagement Project’

Christian Kurz by Christian Kurz, Research & Insight, Viacom International Media Networks

We’ve been quantifying viewers and users through ratings, impressions and audience segmentations here at Viacom for a long time now. And while this research remains instrumental, we wanted to do more: we wanted to go beyond understanding how our viewers behave, to uncover how they feel toward our brands as well. Enter the “Brand Engagement Project,” the first-ever international neuropsychological study into understanding the emotional drivers of the Viacom audience. Conducted by Be Viacom, the international brand solutions sales business, the project won the 2012 IAB Europe Branding Research Award. Read More

Staying Connected: Hispanic Millennials and Mobile Usage

Jose Tillan by Jose Tillan, Insight Tr3s
Carly Rae Jepsen sings ‘Call Me Maybe’ at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Hispanics represent one-in-five Smartphone users in the U.S., so it’s no secret that they’re active mobile consumers. Over 40% of Hispanics have Smartphones, and that figure is expected to rise to 63% by 2016. The driving force behind the surge in overall Hispanic usage is the Hispanic Millennial segment, representing a growing number of enthusiastic mobile adopters. Read More

Consumer Insights: VH1′s ‘Meet the Adultsters’

David Giles by David Giles, Strategic Insights and Research, VH1 & CMT

Scene from Episode 11 of VH1's "Single Ladies" (Photo: Quantrell Colbert)

With a consistent median age in the upper-20s, VH1 has long super-served the young adult demo.  For the past 20 years this target has been a Gen X audience, but now a new generation has moved in, and the network’s focus has shifted to a group they have coined the “Adultsters.”

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Incoming… Viacom Media Networks Consumer Insights: April 2012

Colleen Fahey Rush 2011 by Colleen Fahey Rush, Strategic Insights and Research, Viacom Media Networks

At Viacom Media Networks, our connection to our audiences is everything.  We put an enormous amount of thought and energy into understanding our fans, and we use those insights to fuel creative inspiration and reinvention across our brands.  We work hard to translate our audience intelligence into great shows, movies and content across every platform.

Research is our secret sauce.  But, sometimes, it’s too good not to share the recipe.  For the past year or so now, we’ve picked two exemplary studies and highlighted them in a bi-monthly Consumer Insights newsletter we send to partners, press and interested parties here at Viacom.  We thought it might be fun to share the newsletter here on the blog as well, so look for Consumer Insights featured studies in this space moving forward, along with additional research we’ll post here on an ongoing basis.

For April, the two studies we’ll look at – in posts to follow this one – include:

VH1’s Meet the Adultsters: In this study, VH1 delves into the distinctive attitudes, behaviors, values, motivations, relationships and everyday lives of first-wave Millennial “Adultsters,” revealing how they’ve embraced challenges and re-written rules along the way.

Spike’s State of Man: This multi-dimensional study explores how today’s men balance home, work, relationships and parenting by using their own tools and skills to create innovative solutions.

Our networks hit a wide variety of audiences, so whether you’re looking for insights on teens, Boomers, kids, moms or young adults, chances are you’ll find them in one of our Consumer Insights posts.

Click on the Consumer Insights tag or Research page to see them all in one place, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Enjoy!

Colleen Fahey Rush is Executive Vice President of Strategic Insights and Research for Viacom.