YouTube generation

In particular, the study examined how the viewing habits of 16–34-year-olds have shifted from commercial tv channels to the video-sharing site. Some 41% of 16–34-year-olds in the UK prefer to watch digital videos through YouTube than on tv. And 59% attributed this to the ease of content they are passionate about on YouTube.

There are now over 50% more UK YouTube channels with 1bn subscribers than just 12 months ago, cementing YouTube as a valuable medium for advertising campaigns. The study also highlighted how 16–34-year-olds choose YouTube over tv channels because of the variety of content available. It therefore makes sense for advertisers to have greater flexibility to provide more targeted content.

‘This research will make a lot of media agency planners sit up and take notice, and adds useful, robust data to the debate about where brands looking to reach young people can best focus their spending,’ says Chris Binns, managing partner and head of new business strategy at Mediacom.

Following this study, YouTube has announced the release of a new free app, YouTube Director, created in collaboration with Google and designed to empower small to medium-sized businesses with tight marketing budgets to create independent commercials.

YouTube claims the app can help entrepreneurs create video content within 20 minutes, shot directly through an iPhone device and edited using pre-made templates. YouTube Director also works to connect business owners with nearby film-makers.