In 2008, traditional media made up 80 percent of all entertainment and marketing spending globally, while digital made up 21 percent. By 2013, digital is expected to reach a market share of 31 percent, pushing traditional media's share to 69 percent, according to the report.
"Newspapers around the world are mapping out the media mix best suited for their readership, as well as seeking revenue streams and monetization possibilities," said Martha Stone, Director of the WAN-IFRA Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, which publishes the annual report.
"Publishers are learning that challenges and solutions are no longer the same at every newspaper, and are digging into demographic and geographic data to help them tailor their offerings to the unique needs and wants of their readers," she said.
WAN-IFRA partnered with 66 research companies for World Digital Media Trends, to piece together the world's media and advertising landscapes, define media usage trends on different platforms, and a look at how those trends impact the newspaper industry. As change accelerates, publishers must make good decisions quickly, and the report aims to better inform those decisions.
World Digital Media Trends is offered free to WAN-IFRA members and can be purchased by non-members. Full details can be found online.
The global media market continues to grow as new channels develop and mature.
The media industry is expected to grow from US$1.32 trillion in 2009 to $1.69 trillion in 2014, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers and Wilkofsky Gruen & Associates.
Mobile holds much promise when it comes to the newspaper industry's future, as its potential for content, distribution and revenues is starting to be realized, the report said. To cater for mobile readers, news publishers have been developing applications and specialty offerings, and monetizing mobile content through advertising, sponsorships and app fees.
Charging for content online is also a growing trend, as the value of online advertising continues to decline overall. Advertising-only models do not appear to be sustainable in many markets, so publishers are increasingly experimenting with different types of paid models, the study reports.
But finding the right models is a "balancing act," as publishers try to attract enough paying customers to attract high-yield advertising, while continuing to serve larger audiences with some free content. Publishers are experimenting with a variety of models, from making only a small amount of content paid, to putting all content behind a paywall.
WAN-IFRA is a leading provider of industry research and analysis. Its SFN project identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world. SFN provides WAN-IFRA members with Strategy Reports on these developments, a library of case studies and business ideas, and a wealth of other vital information for all those who need to follow press industry trends. For information on membership in WAN-IFRA, please contact Birke Becker, Director of Membership, at membership@wan-ifra.org.
WAN-IFRA conducts the SFN project with support from four international partners - manroland, a leading company for newspaper production systems; Telenor, the leading Norwegian telecommunications, IT and media group; Atex, the leading supplier of solutions and services for advertising, content management, circulation and online applications; and Norske Skog, the Norway-based global paper producer.
