Starcom Romania Sheds Light on Romanian Consumer Insights with Its Latest Consumer Report

Starcom Romania recently launched the latest edition of its Consumer Report which sheds light on the trends in Romanian behaviour, both online and offline. The report, now in its 10th edition, uncover insights that enable brand marketers to better understand their target audience uncovering insights from the top electronic devices used, music or reading preferences to purchase habits.

Structured by topics reflecting the behaviour of four main consumer segments, it can also be accessed in an interactive version with additional information on audiences or data from studies conducted by Starcom Media.

The consumer segments used for benchmarking are:

• Families with children - families with children up to the age of 14, with most aged 18-45;
• Teenagers - young people aged 14-17, mostly schoolchildren;
• Unmarried youth - aged 18-34, without children;
• Families without children in care - most family members are over 45 and do not care for children under 14.

About the Consumer Report

"The Consumer Report is not just a survey; it is a compilation incorporating multiple sources of data, including from the #HumanGraphExperience studies we conduct at Starcom. It becomes an important tool that can support companies to better understand consumer needs and behaviour in order to communicate more relevantly with their audience.

The report provides information on media consumption, buying behaviour, information sources, E-commerce, Black Friday, content types, social media, reading preferences, gaming, music and events, to name just a few of the data categories available.

By regularly updating the data, the report captures the current reality while allowing for trend analysis, making it a solid starting point for companies. A data-driven approach that makes it easier to adapt strategies to meet the changing needs of consumers," said Mihaela Nouraș, consumer strategist, Starcom Romania.

Highlights from the 10th edition Consumer Report

The data collected by Starcom Romania in the 10th edition Consumer Report presents a comprehensive analysis of the current technology landscape, providing interesting insights into consumer preferences, industry trends and the relationship between the public and technology in the past year.

The report covers the most popular choices defining the digital landscape, from cutting-edge gadgets to futuristic smart solutions.

The TV, part of everyday life

TV remains part of everyday life for all consumer segments, although online TV services are becoming increasingly popular, among teenagers (60%) and young single people (49%).

The battle between laptops and tablets

Compared to previous years, tablets are overtaking classic desktop computers when it comes to consumer preferences for electronic devices. However, laptops remain in first place, especially among young singles and families with children (41%).

The audience groups that spend the most time on the internet are undoubtedly the younger generations, who spend more than 240 minutes a day on online content.

The phone is at the heart of virtual socialising

More so than in previous years, mobile phones serve as fundamental communication tools, giving users the opportunity to use various messaging applications to stay connected with family, friends and virtual communities. Among teenagers, mobile phones are mainly used for socialising and entertainment, while families with children and young singles prefer to send emails, read the latest news or capture important moments with their mobile phones.

Instagram overtaken by TikTok in rural areas

While the established trio of Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram are the top social media platforms for consumers, TikTok is quickly climbing the rankings, overtaking Instagram in rural areas.

The battle for 5th and 6th place is between Pinterest, the network of choice for teenagers, and Telegram, a platform used by both young people and families with children.

Younger generations lead the way in video game use

Romanian consumer trends in video games are evolving rapidly, demonstrating changes in technology, culture and gaming preferences. FIFA is again this year the favourite game of Romanians, followed by active games such as Call of Duty and Counter Strike. Nationally, teenagers and unmarried young people spend the most time playing video games, but

"The media market is diversifying and expanding and companies are always looking for the most effective channels to communicate to their consumers. Through Consumer Report, we provide a wide range of information about consumer behaviour and preferences, including which media channels they consume. We find out about favourite TV shows and time spent in front of the phone screen, where radio is listened to most often, and favourite activities outside the home. It's important to track changes in consumer behaviour and keep up with them," said Irina Draghici, category insights specialist, Starcom Romania.

The information was extracted from Consumer Report 2023 and is based on data from industry media behaviour monitoring studies (SNA FOCUS, Masor, Gemius), as well as data from studies conducted by agency Starcom (Black Friday, Women Study, Events Behavior) or data from partner studies (GWI).

Consumer Report is a data solution from the Data Intelligence portfolio of Publicis Groupe Romania, also available in an interactive version. More details in the video here.

All Data solutions can be found here.