Twenty-four per cent of all media consumption across the world will be on mobile devices this year, up from just 5 per cent in 2011, says a study. By 2020 this might go up to 28 per cent, says Zenith’s Media Consumption Forecasts 2018.

This phenomenon is making brands base their communication on consumer mindset rather than channels as the distinction between them is eroding. The mobile can be used for entertainment, news, information, research, socialising and communication. Focusing on mindset also dissolves the distinction between traditional and digital media: what’s important is that a consumer is reading news, than whether it’s being read in print or on newspaper websites, says Zenith. Brands need to decide the role each platform plays in their communications strategies, regardless of how the consumer happens to access it.

The forecast says that between 2011 and 2018, time spent reading has fallen by 45 per cent for newspapers and 56 per cent for magazines in print. However, the time spent reading them online is included in the internet total, and for many publications the time they have gained online more than makes up for the time they have lost from print.

Television channels and radio stations have gained audiences online but they have faced stiff competition from native digital platforms such as YouTube and Spotify.

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