In bookstores as of September 16th 2020
Even if it sounds unbelievable: To date, there has been no coherent representation of digital media usage. This book closes this gap for the first time - based on scientific data of highest quality.
Anyone who deals with the various aspects of digital media lives in a paradoxical world: there is no field in which more data, information and statistics exist. But at the same time, we always know isolated, tiny particles and fragments that cannot be integrated. The problem is that we don't have a holistic view of digital media usage. There is no coherent representation of digital media based on one and the same database – and considering the various end devices used by the people (desktop or laptop, smartphone, tablet).
For the first time, the Atlas of the Digital World, provides a general frame of reference that maps all the different digital offerings (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, etc.), activities (e.g. content consumption, shopping, search, social media, etc.), the different end device categories (desktop, smartphone, tablet) and the different user profiles in a 360° representation.
This analysis was made possible by the evaluation of the GfK (Society for Consumer Research) CrossMedia Link Panel, which records the real media usage of 16,000 people in Germany (i.e. the book’s findings are not the results of surveys, but document real usage behavior).
For the first time, this type of data is being made available to the public here. The outcomes and analyses are clearly presented and illustrated with descriptive infographics, making the content understandable and accessible to everyone.
The analysis of this data provides far-reaching new insights and surprising discoveries. Here are just a few examples:
Overall, almost all analyses show that the usual market considerations based on reach are misleading. The decisive factor is the consideration of the duration of use, which is holistically measured and published here for the first time.
Fact is: Only the real duration of use measured here can determine the "stickiness" of the various digital offerings. Here is an example: although Apple achieves "only" 44.5 % penetration in terms of reach, it can attract such intensive use that it is one of the biggest players in the overall market, another surprising finding (8.0% of total usage time!).
The Atlas of the Digital World makes a key contribution to current debates, such as:
The problem with these debates is that they are often conducted based on insufficient facts and data. Here is an example: How can we rationally assess the issue of the overwhelming power of large digital corporations if there is no precise knowledge of the exact extent of this concentration?
The Atlas of the Digital World is intended to provide the first 360° orientation through comprehensive, scientifically measured data. At the same time, the publication is only the first step towards providing the public with such a reference framework. We can only hope that in the future, additional partners from the digital economy will make their data available in order to further improve the precision of the observations and measurements in the public interest.
If you are interested in interviews, guest articles etc., please contact Campus Verlag,
Inga Hoffmann
hoffmann@campus.de
Phone: +49 (0)69 97651621