Traditional media still strong among New Zealand’s rural audience but digital gaining ground, report
Data from Nielsen’s 2022 CMI Rural Survey shows New Zealand’s rural population are increasingly going online for content, turning to websites and social media to share it, and searching the web for the latest.
The Survey found 1 in 5 rural New Zealanders will share or post online about something they’ve come across, while the majority (58%) think websites or social media is “good for finding out what’s new.”
In a typical week, 92% of NZ’s rural audience will check out one of the top 25 digital brands online.
Tony Boyte, Country Director, New Zealand, Nielsen: “The latest Rural Survey results demonstrate the importance of understanding the changing media consumption patterns in the rural sector. This information is critical for marketers, advertisers, media owners, and agencies, in order to accurately assess how to best engage with rural audiences.”
While the rise of digital in rural New Zealand makes data more important than ever to audience engagement, traditional media still retains a strong foothold, with traditional media remaining an integral part of the media mix.
Nearly 70% still read at least one of the 18 rural newspapers or publications on the Survey each month. When it comes to radio, rural audiences are even more switched on, with over 80% of them listening at least weekly, and roughly the same proportion of rural audiences tuning in to watch TV on an average week.
The Survey results highlight the need to move away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ view of rural audiences, with traditional strategies no longer having the cut-through they once did.
Cushla Baggott, Managing Partner, Harvey Cameron: “As an insight-led and performance-driven agency, we place high value on insight to develop unique strategies that deliver outstanding business results. Nielsen’s Rural Survey gives us powerful insight into the complex media landscape evolving in our agri communities. The expanded audience set makes the 2022 survey a valuable dataset with which we can more effectively tap into key audiences in the heartlands of Aotearoa, delivering better business results for our clients in the rural and primary industries.”
Nielsen’s latest CMI Rural Survey represents 310,000 rural New Zealanders and is Nielsen’s fifth Rural Survey since it was launched in 2012. For the first time, the survey goes beyond farmers and their farms, encompassing the wider local community and associated professions and industries, from beekeepers to vets.
