In this first egtabite of the year, we go to Switzerland, where Goldbach Media and the Electronic Media Interest Group (IGEM) recently conducted a study in cooperation with WEMF AG für Werbemedienforschung in which they compared the media usage of marketing and media professionals (‘ad people’) with that of the general population. The purpose was to present ad people with real figures showing whether their assumptions concerning general media usage differ from actual usage by the general population and how ad people use media differently.
Similarly to those markets where such studies were also carried out, the comparison revealed that ad people’s estimates are off by an average of 10 percentage points, as they use newer media, such as streaming services, social media and messenger services, to a much greater extent than the general population.
Ad people incorrectly estimate media usage
Over 650 individuals took part in the online survey, carried out in the autumn of 2021. The respondents were asked questions about their media usage habits as well as their assumptions about media usage in general. The questions about electronic media were taken from the IGEM Digimonitor questionnaire to provide a viable basis for comparing the responses with the survey of the general population on media usage. For print media usage, the MA Strategy was chosen as the comparison study.
Whilst the greatest difference between estimation and effective usage was found in the print segment, the extent of the underestimate by ad people was 18 percentage points for TV, or 1.1 million users out of the 8.7 million population in Switzerland. 94% of both groups use TV at least occasionally. However, the frequency of use among the general population (65%) is much greater than among ad people (42%). Ad people, on the other hand, use more time-shifted TV (85% use it at least occasionally) than the general population (72%).
Precisely the opposite was true for newer forms of media, in particular social media platforms. The professionals overestimated effective usage of TikTok by 19 percentage points, Instagram by 15 and LinkedIn by 9. The survey shows that ad people use media platforms intensively and are much more likely to use the platforms than the general public, especially Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
In short, the survey revealed that media usage among ad people, in some cases, differs considerably from that of the general population. Ad people use more media on average and while both groups exhibit quite heavy usage of traditional media (print, TV and radio), ad people use newer media (streaming services, social media, messenger service, etc.) to a much greater extend. The key insight from the study is that ad people incorrectly estimate media usage among the key population by an average of 10 percentage points, underestimating traditional media and overestimating newer media. The results, Goldbach says, once again highlight why it is worthwhile researching media usage and using the data as a basis for marketing decisions and media planning.
OTHER CASE STUDIES
A BIG-SCREEN STUDY FINDS STRONGER ATTENTION ON TV4 PLAY THAN ON YOUTUBE
24. 4. 2026TV4 just launched its third attention study, comparing the viewing experience on its streaming service (TV4 Play) with YouTube’s big screen experience at home. It confirms once again the assumption that the streaming environment provided by a qualitative TV network (BVOD) delivers a much bigger attention than UGC platforms, such as YouTube. An at-home test… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
THE TV ADVERTISING PARADOX, A THINKTV NEW ZEALAND CASE STUDY (1/2)
24. 4. 2026In late 2024, ThinkTV New Zealand, under the leadership of Jacqueline Freeman, GM Communications, undertook a full market review to understand how television was being perceived, valued, and used across the New Zealand marketing ecosystem. This was a broad diagnostic rather than a simple pulse check. It drew on perspectives from CMOs, CFOs, insights people,… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
AD EMISSIONS MEASUREMENT: LESSONS FROM THE FINNISH MARKET
31. 3. 2026Finland’s commercial TV broadcasters spent the past year developing a carbon emissions measurement framework for linear TV advertising, starting with no local methodology and ending with a validated model owned by an industry body. For markets facing the same challenge, the experience offers a useful reference point. Start narrow, then scale The project focused exclusively… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
A NEW WAY FOR FRANCETV PUBLICITÉ TO SELL CONTEXTUAL VIDEO ADVERTISING
27. 3. 2026FranceTV Publicité (FTP), the advertising sales house for French public television, has introduced Context.IA into its digital video offer. The solution uses programme context to decide when an ad should appear, instead of relying only on fixed scheduling. That makes Context.IA a new commercial tool inside FranceTV Publicité’s own video inventory. Context.IA links programme cues… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
BUILDING A SHOPPABLE, ATTENTION-READY CTV OFFER: THE BIG BROTHER CONTEXTUAL CASE
26. 3. 2026In 2025, Paramount Australia, in partnership with FreeWheel and egta, hosted a webinar outlining a forward-looking view of the evolving advertising market. One key topic explored the industry’s shift to pull-based discovery, experience-driven engagement, and frictionless content-commerce integration. Paramount Australia’s Contextual Advertising Suite directly responds to these trends, reinforcing the company’s leadership in premium CTV… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
GLOBO CREATES HOME SCREEN PROMINENCE FOR FREE-TO-AIR TV ON SMART TVS
26. 2. 2026Globo, Brazil’s largest commercial TV group, is rolling out DTV+, a next-generation free-to-air TV standard designed for connected TVs. It brings broadcast channels into the TV operating system, with app-like navigation, login and interactive layers placed directly on top of live programming. The move fits Brazil’s viewing reality. Linear TV accounts for 57.9% of total… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
THE VISUAL TRANSFER EFFECT: HOW SOUND BUILDS BRANDS
24. 2. 2026In collaboration with neuro-marketing agency Unravel, Talpa Media has produced the scientific proof that audio does not just complement TV. It actively reactivates it, reconstructing visual brand memories in the consumer’s mind through sound. The findings carry significant implications for how audio is planned, sold, and valued within the wider media mix. Context Talpa Media… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
RMB TURNS QR CODE VOTING INTO A SHARED VIEWING MOMENT THAT STRENGTHS BRAND IMAGE FOR SPRITE AND DELI CHOC
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives The chocolate snack Deli Choc and soft drink Sprite brands worked with RMB to reach younger audiences by becoming part of Belgian hip-hop show “PLAYGROUND”, supporting new rap talent through a live QR vote and cross-platform content. This helps the brands appear as enablers of the format rather than separate ads. For RMB… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
CANADIAN SUPERSTAR ANDREW PHUNG HELPS VIA RAIL CHALLENGE CAR CONVENIENCE ASSUMPTIONS WITH LONG-FORM STORYTELLING ACROSS CBC’S TV ECOSYSTEM
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives VIA Rail, the company operating Canada’s national passenger rail service, combined a new product launch with brand building, using long-form content to tackle misconceptions that tend to block conversion in travel: comfort, ease, and whether rail feels like a realistic alternative to driving for intercity trips. The objectives behind this campaign were to… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
HOW L’ORÉAL PARIS AND RTL MADE STREET HARASSMENT HARD TO IGNORE
24. 2. 2026Context Sexual harassment in public spaces is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence in the world. Two figures frame the issue: 80% of women have experienced street harassment, but 85% of people say they lack training on how to intervene. Ad Alliance and L’Oréal created a campaign to respond to this problem… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
HOW AD ALLIANCE USED VIRTUAL SET GRAPHICS TO RESKIN THE LET’S DANCE STAGE FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES
24. 2. 2026Context This campaign promotes a film by changing the look of a well-known TV studio during the ad break, so the show setting becomes part of the idea. Universal Pictures International Germany supported the live-action version (made with real actors) of How to Train Your Dragon, based on a well-known animated franchise. The ad special… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE
CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
24. 2. 2026Context Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award 2025 set its brief under the theme “Inclusive by Design”. It asked brands to embed inclusive practices into the creative, rather than at the end of production. The initiative linked that ambition to airtime: £1m of advertising space across Channel 4’s portfolio sat behind the winning campaign. The… Continue reading EGTABITE 367: GOLDBACH’S SURVEY REVEALS HOW AD PEOPLE INCORRECTLY ESTIMATE MEDIA USAGE