The Canada Media Fund recently redesigned its CMF Trends website. It’s an extremely valuable source for current information on the media scene in Canada. Don’t miss its excellent collection of Crowdfunding resources.
CMF Trends recently released ‘Learning from Documentary Audiences: A Market Research Study’ — 56 pages of data, analysis and insight.
Key findings:
- Documentary Viewing is Popular on All Platforms
- Participants are Socially Engaged and Keenly Interested in Viewing Documentaries on All Platforms
- Three Market Segments Identified: Connected Super Users, Discerning Documentary Lovers and Traditionals
- Greater Tools are Needed for Discovery and Promotion
- Greater Access to Content Online [Wanted]: curated choices, convenient access and interesting cinematic and social experiences
The research confirms Youtube as the primary source for free documentaries and Netflix as the top paid online source (and almost four times more popular than iTunes.)
One interesting takeaway is that 80% of respondents learn about new documentaries from reviews or articles, followed by word-of-mouth at 67%. Trailers come next at 48%. Just 28% learn of new documentaries on Facebook or Twitter. But:
“After seeing friends on Facebook “like” the page of a documentary, or post something about it on Twitter, 71 per cent of respondents said they search online for more information about the documentary. Sixty-seven per cent said they watch the film’s trailer. Fifty-two per cent said they visit the film’s Facebook page or follow it on Twitter.”
My take: this makes for fascinating reading. I wonder if the numbers are similar for Canadian narrative films?