Thinkbox
New study finds content creators and podcasts are least culturally significant media
TV has double the cultural clout of content creators
UK values lasting cultural continuity over fleeting viral currency
Despite the hype around the cultural impact of content creators and podcasts, the UK public sees them as the least culturally significant part of the media landscape.
That’s according to a new study of 2,000 people in the UK. “Cultural Advantage”, by cultural insight specialists everyday people – commissioned by Thinkbox – tested the cultural associations of 8 different media: TV, cinema, radio, podcasts, video sharing sites (e.g. YouTube), social media, newspapers / magazines, and content creators.
Key findings include:
- TV ranked the UK’s most culturally significant medium.
- Social media came second overall.
- Content creators and podcasts were ranked last.
- TV remains a dominant cultural force for 16-24s, second only to social media.
- UK values “continuity” in culture above all else – TV and cinema judged the best at delivering this.
How do media impact culture?
Using a framework developed by cultural insight specialists everyday people, and incorporating a diverse range of academic perspectives, the study tested 7 ways media shape culture, which are important to people’s lives to differing degrees. In order of importance, they are: continuity, purpose, bonding, affirmation, transformation, bridging, and currency.
Taking these into account, the researchers were able to calculate an overall cultural impact for different media as well as understand different media’s impact on different types of cultural associations.
They found that TV accounts for 21% of media’s cultural impact, followed by social media (14%), cinema (12%), radio (12%), video sharing sites (12%). The media with the least cultural impact are content creators (9%) and podcasts (8%).
For 16-24s specifically, social media had 19% and TV 17%. These were followed by video sharing sites (15%), cinema (13%), content creators (12%), radio (8%), newspapers/magazines (8%), and podcasts (8%).
Continuity is twice as important as currency
Some aspects of culture are more important than others. The study found that continuity – things with influence and relevance that last – had a 22% share of importance, playing the most important role in how media shapes culture and the way of life for people in the UK.
Purpose – how culture positively influences people’s sense of wellbeing and contributes to personal growth – is the second most important aspect in how media shapes culture in the UK with a 17% share of importance.
By contrast, currency – fashionable or faddish moments in the zeitgeist – plays the least important role with a 9% share of importance.
However, when the study looked just at 16-24s, continuity remains the most important but currency moves up to second and purpose was deemed least important.
The study found that, on average, 66% of adults associate TV with delivering continuity in culture. Cinema ranks second (48%) followed by radio (37%). By contrast, content creators were relatively weak for continuity (16%), as were podcasts (16%).
Social media excel at delivering currency (47%), followed by TV (40%), then video sharing sites (33%) and content creators (31%).
Elliott Millard, Thinkbox CSO: “All media contribute to culture, but some deliver more cultural impact than others. This study shows that people see TV as the medium with greatest and most lasting cultural influence. The findings also suggest that cultural longevity matters more to people than simply being part of the latest online fad.”
Andrew Tenzer, Co-founder everyday people: “People and culture come in all shapes and sizes. This study should challenge marketers’ cultural assumptions and encourage them to engage with diverse perspectives on the everyday things that shape people’s way of life. The goal is to plan media more inclusively, and find the mix that offers the widest network of cultural entry points for brands.”