Edelman study looks at entertainment in ‘era of the selfie’

In the “era of the selfie,” consumers want content to be immediate, engaging and socially driven, according to a study released by Edelman on Thursday.

The annual study, which examined 4,000 adults ages 18-54 in the U.S., Britain and China, found that consumers want entertainment “selfie-style,” meaning they want content that is centered on them, immediately gratifying and shareable across their social networks.

“People really want to be active participants in choosing the how, when, where and why in entertainment,” Gail Becker, president of strategic partnerships and global integrations at Edelman, told the Los Angeles Times.

Now in its eighth year, the Edelman study, examines consumer attitudes toward the entertainment industry.

“This notion of choice is really at the heart of today’s consumer experience,” Becker said.

An overwhelming 91% of consumers talk about entertainment with friends, family or coworkers, according to the study.

“People are so passionate about entertainment that they share as much content about entertainment as they do about their own lives,” Becker said.

Of those surveyed, 71% of consumers in the U.S. are likely to share about themselves, 70% about their friends and 68% about entertainment content.

Binge-watching also continues to escalate among consumers because of a desire to satisfy internal needs. Of those surveyed, 72% said they binge watch so they “know what happens next” and 57% said they do so to “feel caught up.”

Increasingly, consumers (83% in the U.S., 81% in Britain and 83% in China) multitask using another device unrelated to the content they are watching.

The study also suggests entertainment helps connect cultures across the globe.

According to the study, 72% of U.S. consumers, 70% of British consumers and 87% of Chinese consumers said that because of some entertainment content they have seen from all over the world, they “feel humans are more connected than ever before.”

Citing music artist Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” Becker noted that it was the first video to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube.

“It’s a great testament to the universal appeal of entertainment,” Becker said.

As far as the future goes, Becker said she thinks consumers will continue to want “entertainment on their own terms.”

“It’s hard to go backward,” she said.

Twitter: @saba_h