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Circuits of Cool:

Key Themes and Findings

Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions


and MTV Networks global youth research project
Circuits of Cool: Key Themes and Findings
Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions and MTV Networks
- global youth research project

Globally, the average young person connected to digital technology has 94 phone numbers in his or her
mobile, 78 people on a Messenger buddy list and 86 people in their social networking community.

These are just some of the findings from the largest-ever global study undertaken by Microsoft Digital
Advertising Solutions and MTV Networks. The Circuits of Cool study challenges traditional assumptions
about youth relationships with digital technology, and examines the impact of culture, age and gender
on technology use. It examined young people‟s interaction and engagement with different
technologies including Instant Messenger (IM), social networks, email, mobile phones, TV, music, gaming
and online video.

“Digital communications – from IM, SMS, social networking to email – have all revolutionised how young
people communicate with their peers. We wanted to understand more deeply how young people
interact with these technologies and consequently what this means for our advertising partners focused
on reaching this highly engaged and influential audience. Working with MTV Networks globally on this
study enable us to do so”, said Chris Dobson, Vice President, Global Advertising Sales, Microsoft Digital
Advertising Solutions.

Conducted in sixteen markets* across Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America, and speaking to
almost 10,000 youths globally aged between 14-24 years, the objectives were to shed light on issues such
as how today‟s youth differ from their predecessors; whether boys or girls use technology differently and
why; understanding global differences across devices; and the role of entertainment media and brands
in the future.

The study was conducted in two phases – a qualitative (focus groups) stage undertaken by Sadek
Wynberg, Millward Brown; and a quantitative stage (questionnaire to 500 respondents per country)
undertaken by OTX;

Launched in July 2007, press coverage around the globe has been extensive, reaching over two million
people in Europe alone, including a pre-launch exclusive with the Financial Times, and coverage by
Reuters, The Guardian and Marketing Magazine. Externally, it‟s had exposure at numerous conferences
and events including the Lowe Creative Global Summit in New York, The Internet World Conference in
London and the Digital Youth Conference in London to name a few.

This booklet is a summary of the key findings and messages from the main „themes‟ studied – Email, IM,
Social Networks, Mobile, Online Video and Gaming.

Summed up by one youth: “The way to communicate, to research something and to be entertained,
that is what has completely changed” (male, 14, Mexico).

*UK, Germany, Holland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, China, India, Japan, Australia and New
Zealand.

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Email

Email Continues to be Valued by the Youth Generation


Email remains extremely popular with young people across the globe. It is the second most loved
technology device by youths, behind the Internet, but ahead of all other technology devices studied.

Globally, 66% of youths claim to love email, with this „love‟ increasing to 72% when they also own the
device they are emailing on. Young people from Holland „love‟ email the most, and are also the
heaviest users. Danish and Italian youths also score high on the „loving email‟ scale, but New Zealander
and Mexican youths follow Holland as being the heaviest email users.
The power and fun value of IM came through strongly, however email still plays an important role,
particularly among older youths (20-24) who feel more at home using E-mail for school/work and social
reasons.
Although face to face communication is critically important for young people, they also value the role
email plays in helping them stay in touch with their friendship group. 42% of females aged 14-24 think it‟s
important that a friend is someone who they can contact via email, while the same is true for 38% of
males in the same age group.

Email continues to play an important function by enabling young people to communicate to their wider
circle of friends and acquaintances – and help them to get to know their friends better by offering the
opportunity for constant connectivity.

Entertainment Plays a Role in Driving Email Conversations


Email serves a different role to IM when it comes to online communication. In comparison with IM
conversations which are seen as fun, social and flirty, email conversations are largely depicted as short
and serious, with the majority of conversations on work/school topics. Unlike IM, email is seen as a less
intrusive way of keeping in contact with people.

However, a similarity between IM and email


conversations is that both are being driven by
entertainment. Over a third of young people share
links to websites and clips/photos through email, and
over a quarter are share music files as well as
content on films, music and TV with their friends via
email.

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Instant Messenger (IM)
The Role of IM - Enabling Constant Connectivity
IM is viewed as a tool that enables constant connectivity, allowing young people to feel
connected with their friends and keeping them from feeling left out. IM is the preferred
communication method used by young people to catch up with someone they don‟t
know well, and is seen as being a light-hearted medium to communicate with friends,
both individually and as a group.
Globally, young people on average have 78 IM buddies, with Brazil, India and New Zealand having the
highest with 136, 135 and 115 respectively. Japanese youths have the lowest number of buddies at only
27 (largely driven by Japanese youths having a stronger relationship with their mobile phone and not
owning a PC or laptop), followed by Germany at 41 and China at 50.

IM features driving popularity:


● Free to use
● Private form of communication
● Youths feeling they have more control over the conversation
● Safe method for communication
● Instant but not too instant – allowing them to express themselves better
● Forward – youths can be braver on IM than in face to face communication

Opportunities for Advertisers - Entertainment is Fuelling Conversations


Youths describe their IM conversations as funny, flirty and social (involving lots of people), with the
majority of IM conversations centred on gossip (62%), making social arrangements (57%) and flirting
(55%), with one youth revealing “Actually we talk about nothing. It‟s all about flirting” (Female, 16,
Netherlands).

However, entertainment is also fuelling IM conversations. Young people talk about and share content on
films/music/TV (52%), links to websites (50%), clips and photos they have found (46%), and sport (37%).

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Social Networks
Brazil, India and Sweden are the heaviest users of
social networking sites with Holland, Denmark and
Germany using these sites the least. Globally on
average young people have 84 contacts in their
social networks, with Brazil having the highest at 239
and Japan the lowest at only 18 contacts.

Young people are generally aware of social networks – only 18% of those are yet to use them or have
never heard of these sites. 70% of 14-24 year olds use social networking sites and over half of them have
a profile which they keep up-to-date regularly. Young females (14-17 years) visit these sites most
frequently – 63% visit on a weekly basis, compared with 54% of males in the same age group.

How Are Social Networks Being Used?


From flirting to „checking people out‟, for the most part, the networks tend to be relatively small. Almost
no-one said they would ever meet a stranger (for fear of stranger dating), but rather they are using social
networking sites as a means of staying in touch and chatting to friends. There was scepticism over
members with thousands of contacts who weren‟t promoting something as there is a feeling no-one can
have thousands of “real” friends. The idea of social networks being open to everyone seems to have less
appeal going forward than the idea of smaller communities among the people they know.

While a technology such as IM is used by youths to arrange their social lives, social networking sites are
used as forums to share and relive their experiences.

Be there or Be Left Out of the Conversation


Globally, the role of social networks is that of allowing young people to feel connected. The UK and US
are slightly different in that social networks „stop youths from feeling left out of their friendship and social
groups. In these markets, penetration of social networks is high, young people are on these sites
because all their friends are and as such are mostly using these sites to chat to existing friends.

Motivations for Having a Personal Profile on a Social Network


Globally, chatting to existing friends is the main motivation for using these
sites however there are some country differences:
● Germany – penetration of social networks is low. German youths are
using these sites to meet new friends and meet people with similar
interests.
● China – youths use social networks as a form of self-expression, to keep a
blog and upload content. Meeting new friends is also a driver, as many
Chinese youths the only child within their families with no siblings.
Photos are the most popular form of content to put on their personal pages:
whether it‟s photos they have taken or pictures they have made themselves, to
ones they have found or been sent. Over a third of youths are also adding
music and videos to their pages. When viewing other people‟s pages, 57% of
youths said they want to see content about them to see what they have in
common with that person.
Are Social Networks Here to Stay?
The jury is out! An increasing amount of time is being spent on social networks (36% of users claim to be
spending more time on these sites vs. a year ago), more users are coming onboard (16% have only just
started using them), 48%of users think these sites are going to get bigger, and only 13% claim that they
and their friends are getting bored of these sites.
Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Mobile Phones
The mobile phone is ingrained into young people‟s everyday lives with 42% claiming it‟s
the first thing they look at in the morning and they last thing they do at night .

The mobile provides a private form of connection and communication as it helps youths
feel safe and is seen as a sign of being allowed more freedom from home. In contrast,
parents use it as a form of control to know where their children are. There are some
gender differences – for females, the safety and connectivity elements of mobiles are
important, while for males, looking smart is a bigger driver.

On average, youths have 94 names in their mobile address book, with Italy having the
highest at 150 and Canada the lowest at 52.
Texting is More Common Than Calling
Although young people use mobiles for multiple reasons, talking and texting remain the most common.
Globally, texting is preferred over calling as it fulfils a number of roles from social co-ordination,
communicating with a wider circle of friends and flirting. Calls are generally reserved for communication
with closer friends or for passing on good news.

Mobile is Becoming a Personal Entertainment Device


The mobile is extending into a personal entertainment and sharing device, with youths using mobiles to
take pictures (82% globally, 91% UK), play games (76% globally, 82% UK), to send pictures or video clips
(66% globally, 74% UK) or bluetooth stuff to each other (56% globally, 73% UK).

Pictures are important, particularly for girls, as they wish to capture and keep experiences, share them
and re-live them. Playing games, sharing content, listening to music and going online are other ways in
which mobiles are used.
Those who watch content via a mobile are still in the minority but there is interest in viewing content in
the future via their mobile, with more interest shown by males. For example, 27% of youths said they‟d be
interested in watching music videos on their mobile and 22% would be interested in watching film trailers.
Interest in watching full-length TV shows on their mobile is still low with only 16% of youths saying they‟d be
interested in doing this.

There Are Barriers to Using a Mobile for Entertainment Purposes


Cost is one of the barriers preventing mobiles being used for
entertainment purposes. Youths appear to be aware of the cost
associated with mobiles but are finding ways to reduce the
charges, through swapping info via bluetooth or only making
calls that are free. The small screen size and perception that a
phone isn‟t for watching TV are the biggest barriers for youths
not wanting to watch TV shows on a mobile.

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Online Video

Who Are the Biggest Users of Video Sharing Sites?


Brazilians are the biggest users of online video sharing sites, followed by youths
in the UK, Japan and Mexico. China and Denmark use these sites the least.

Globally, 80% of young people have visited sites like YouTube to watch online video clips. Males tend to
be the heaviest users of online video sites – 87% males compared to 74% females. These sites are most
popular among the under 20s (in particular males 14-21 and females 14-17) with 40% of 18-21 year old
males visiting online video sites regularly, compared to 24 percent of females in the same age group.
Only 20% who took part in this survey have yet to use these sites or have not heard of them.

Very few of this generation do not consume some form of content, although the extent to which they are
doing this does vary:
● 80% of youths view some form of social media content;
● 61% are “contributors” – add comments to content;
● 60% are “forwarders” – they will share links with their friends;
● 40% are “creators” – keep a regular blog, upload videos or photos;
● 19% are “finders” – they will actively look for content to share with their friends.

The Primary Motivation to View and Create Content is for Humour


Humorous clips are searched for or uploaded (predominately by males), sometimes just for the benefit of
their friends, or to see if people will like it. Other reasons are that it provides an opportunity for young
people to look good by sharing funny content, and that it‟s the cheapest and easiest way to share stuff
with friends.

Links From Friends Dominate Navigation to Online Video Clips


This is particularly evident among young people in the US and UK, where 51% act as „forwarders‟ as they
send links and clips to their friends through IM and email. Searching for clips is also common.

Are Youths Just Watching Short Clips of User Generated Content?


Watching content via a PC is now widespread, with two-thirds of
youths having watched film trailers, music videos and clips from
YouTube. However 46% watch previews of TV shows from the
Internet, 45% watch highlights of TV shows/sports and 43% watch
full-length TV shows. In addition, there was a significant increase
amongst those interested in watching full-length TV shows in the
future (56%).

Via a PC, young people are generally prepared to


watch online video for around 40 minutes compared to
less than 30 minutes on a mobile phone.

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Gaming

Still More Popular With Boys Than Girls


90% of males aged 14-17 are playing games compared with 67% of girls
in the same age group. Interest in games begins young, around 5-10
years, often when they get their first computer game.

Male gamers spend 13 hours a week playing games, compared to 7.5


hours for females.

For boys, gaming offers a competitive outlet as well as a focus for their play activities. Although isolation
and aggression concerns have been raised by parents and the boys themselves, one of the positives for
gaming is that it builds up a sense of achievement on completion of a game or a level within a game.

Girls have a different relationship with games. Gaming doesn‟t become an identity to them as it does for
boys – very few girls see themselves as „gamers‟. For girls, games are downtime rather than uptime and
they prefer casual games such as tetris and solitaire. This is not saying that girls lack competitive spirit but
that games do not provide the same reward to them as they do for boys.
Interest in gaming drops with age, primarily because connecting and socialising with friends becomes
more important for youths as they get older and as such technologies that offer this feeling of „being
connected‟ dominate (email, IM, mobile, social networks).

Gaming delivers strongly across multiple needs compared to other technologies – from helping youths to
relax and wind down, solving puzzles and problems, escapism, competition and creativity to name a
few.

Games Enjoyed Vary by Person and by Platform


68% of games are played both offline and online, 23% offline only and 10% online only. When they are
online, they are more likely to be games with strangers rather than with people they know. And when
playing offline, they are more likely to be playing on their own than with other people.

There is also gender preference to different types of


games:
● Males prefer war, sports, racing, strategy, role
playing.
● Females prefer puzzles, strategy, role playing, racing.

The types of games that are played online and offline


also differ. Online games are more likely to be those
around role playing or puzzles compared with offline
games that are about racing or sports. When playing
with friends, acing, war and sports games dominate.
When playing alone it‟s strategy/simulation, role
playing and puzzles.

Where Do They Get Their Games?


From?
Gifts are still the most popular source followed by
downloads and then borrowing/swapping games
among friends.

Source: Microsoft/MTV Circuits of Cool project 2006/7 (Millward Brown Sadek Wynberg, OTX)
Contacts

Caroline Vogt, Head of International Research EMEA & Americas, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions
cavogt@microsoft.com +44 (0)203 139 6039

Alex Kingdon, PR Manager EMEA, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions


alexking@microsoft.com +44 (0)203 139 6033

Other Research Studies

Windows Live Spaces


Caroline Vogt, Head of International Research EMEA & Americas, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions
Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions commissioned global research into the personal spaces and social
networking market in summer 2006. The research was qualitative based speaking to nearly 200 social
networkers in six different countries – UK, France, the US, Canada, China and Brazil. The aim of the
research was to provide an understanding of the marketplace; WL Spaces positioning within this as well
as provide insight into advertising receptivity and acceptability. The study has delivered key insights into
the main strengths of WL Spaces, such as photos and Messenger, and the findings have been used
extensively with agencies to help them understand how best to approach advertising in social networks.

Case Study Compendium


Anita Caras, Market Insight Manager EMEA, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions
The EMEA Case Study Compendium is a collection of the best case studies by vertical sector including
Automotive, Entertainment, Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Food & Beverages, Healthcare, Retail,
Telecoms & Media, Travel & Tourism and Charity & NGO.

Ad Avoiders
Beth Uyenco Shatto, Global Research Director, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions
Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions and Starcom recently sponsored a study focused on reaching the
elusive “Ad Avoiders” segment. These young consumers use various methods to avoid brand messaging
– and their methods work. Some of the findings include:
 Don‟t be a “marketer over shoulder”. A consumer‟s space is private and it‟s best to be invited in.
 Don‟t expect something for nothing. Give them something in exchange for accepting your
message – even if it‟s just a laugh.

Context Matters
Caroline Vogt, Head of International Research EMEA & Americas, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions
A study delving beyond the „time spent‟ online measure and identifies online activity amongst 16-54 year
olds across six markets (UK, Germany, France, Norway, Canada and Brazil). It examines advertising
receptivity across over 20,000 online „occasions‟ in order to help partners optimise their online media
planning. The research included an online diary of respondents, blogs and a questionnaire.

advertising.microsoft.com

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