Experian plc (ADR) : Experian reveals YouTube is fastest growing social media site in Australia

Opportunity for brands to capture active online video market

Global study casts light on Facebook usage

Sydney, Australia, 27 September 2011 – Experian® today releases insight from an international study into the use of social networks, analysing time spent on various online channels, market share of social media websites and traffic drivers to and from these sites. Examining social media behaviour in Australia against seven other countries across the world, the study highlights some stark differences in user behaviour and channel popularity. Whilst Facebook is the most visited social network in Australia with a 51.8 per cent share of visits, visits to the site have dropped by 5.09 percentage points in the year from August 2010 to August 2011.

Experian reveals that YouTube has increased its visit share in the Australian market by 6.58 percentage points in the past year, growing its share of visits compared to other social media channels from 14.91 per cent in August 2010 to 21.49 per cent in August 2011. Brands are harnessing this increase in usage and are increasing their spend in online video advertising to almost $40m annually, according to the IAB.

Table one shows the most popular social networks and forums in Australia by visit share within the category ‘Social Networking and Forums’ (August 2010 – August 2011).

Table 1.

Comparing social media behaviour in eight countries across the world, Experian reveals that Australians spend 44 per cent longer on Facebook than people living in Brazil. Australians spend an average of 26 minutes, 27 seconds per session on Facebook compared to 18 minutes, 19 seconds per session for those who live in Brazil.

Table two shows the average session time on Facebook in August 2011 across the eight countries surveyed.

Table 2.

Despite being one of the most mature social markets, Australia has one of the lowest market share of visits going to social networks and forums (13.1 per cent of internet usage). Brazil has the highest percentage of internet visits going to social sites (18.9 per cent) with 43 per cent of all social networking visits in Brazil going to Orkut, the most visited social network in Brazil.

Table three shows market share for social networks and forums in August 2011 the eight countries surveyed.

Table 3.

Matt Glasner, General Manager of Experian Marketing Services commented: “Understanding how long people spend on Facebook in different countries is vital for any brand on the social network. With Facebook still finding its feet in the emerging markets of India and Brazil, lower session times are to be expected. However that doesn’t mean brands should ignore Facebook in those countries – with market share for Facebook in India increasing by 88 per cent year on year and 16 per cent in Brazil year on year, its influence and dominance is only set to grow.”

“For brands in the Asia Pacific region looking to capture consumer attention by running digital marketing campaigns through Facebook, being aware of the nuances in behaviour is critical to developing targeted campaigns that will resonate with local audiences. The study shows that whilst Facebook continues to be the most widely used network in Australia, brands should not underestimate the importance of YouTube in deeply engaging with their audience. With video advertising set to become an even more popular channel for brands in Australia, they need to develop an understanding of how they can capture the active YouTube market to deliver content in an effective way,” Glasner concluded.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Alison Whealing

Becca Daniel

About Experian Hitwise

Experian Hitwise is the leading online competitive intelligence service. Experian Hitwise gives marketers a competitive advantage by providing daily insights on how 25 million Internet users around the world interact with more than 1 million Web sites. This external view helps companies grow and protect their businesses by identifying threats and opportunities as they develop. Experian Hitwise has more than 1,500 clients across numerous sectors, including financial services, media, travel and retail.

Experian Hitwise (FTS:EXPN), www.experianplc.com , operates in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, France and Brazil. More information about Experian Hitwise is available at www.hitwise.com/uk.

For up-to-date analysis of online trends, please visit the Experian Hitwise research blog at www.ilovedata.com and the Experian Hitwise Data Centre at www.hitwise.com/datacentre

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.