LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At Adobe MAX 2015, the world’s leading creativity conference, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today released findings from a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers that shows standards for digital content are rising as people are inundated with content across multiple devices. The report, “The State of Content: Expectations on the Rise,” highlights consumers’ changing attitudes about content, including a growing skepticism about online content, and reveals a new imperative for brands and creators to develop content that is well-designed, easily accessible and authentic.
According to the study, consumers are embracing content across screens. They are accessing an average of 12 sources of content through an average of six different devices, with smartphones ranking as the most frequently used device by Millennials daily. Eighty-eight percent of consumers report they “multiscreen,” using an average of nearly three devices simultaneously. Forty percent find this deluge of information distracting.
Barrage of Content Leaves Consumers Skeptical
The research shows that perceptions about the accuracy of content are under attack as people focus on entertainment value to break through the noise.
- More than one-third of Millennials value entertainment over accuracy and more than 40 percent of Millennials don’t regularly fact-check content they are sharing.
- Consumers are increasingly questioning the authenticity of content; more than 60 percent question whether a news article is biased, a photo has been altered or the author has been paid or incented to post a positive review.
- Trust of brands and content creators hangs in the balance, as more than 70 percent trust content from a family member or friend more than celebrities or YouTubers.
Wake-up Call for Creators
A previous study from Adobe found that creatives feel pressure to create more content at a faster rate than ever before and, to keep up, more than 40 percent use mobile devices to create content wherever they are. Today’s report indicates that pressure is continuing to build, with time-constrained consumers demanding a great experience:
- With limited time, nearly seven in 10 would choose to view something that is beautifully designed vs something that is plain.
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Consumers report they’re likely to stop viewing content or switch
devices:
- If the content (layout, imagery) is unattractive (73 percent)
- If the content is too long (68 percent)
- If the images won’t load (85 percent) or take too long to load (83 percent)
“The message from consumers is clear: the bar is higher for content creators than it has ever been,” said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president and general manager Digital Media, Adobe. “People are overwhelmed by an ever-increasing volume of media and apps. Creatives and brands need to focus even more on great design to maximize the impact of their experiences.
About The State of Content: Expectations on the Rise
“The State of Content: Expectations on the Rise” is a two-part online survey of 2,008 US consumers ages 18+ commissioned by Adobe and produced by research firm Edelman Berland. Data was collected Sept. 12-16, 2015 by Edelman Berland. The margin of error is +/- 2.19%. For more information and graphics on the research results, see the blog and today’s report. Full global results from the study will be available later this year.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
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