TV Revenue Drop: TV ad revenues in the US are projected to slip in 2017. According to estimates from SNL Kagan, the traditional media format will generate $21.38 billion in ad revenues this year, a decline of 6.5% from last year. However, revenues will rebound in 2018 to hit an estimated $23.43 billion, bolstered by increased ad spending from the US midterm elections as well as the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Data Hit: Cyberattacks keep piling on to the cost of doing business in a digital world. Security firm Kaspersky Lab reports that data breaches cost enterprises in North America a per-breach average of $1.3 million so far this year, already exceeding 2016's average of $1.2 million. At the same time, the average IT security budget for enterprises worldwide dropped to $13.7 million this year from $25.5 million in 2016.
Hold the Mayo: Is customization the key for quick-service restaurants (QSRs)? A survey of QSR consumers in the US from AYTM Market Research found that nearly one-quarter of respondents preferred a QSR with a fully customizable or "build-your-own" menu. That was more than the 14% who desired a set menu. In addition, nearly half (44%) had eaten at a QSR with at least some type of menu customization within the previous week.
All TV Everything: GlobalWebIndex reports that the number of internet users worldwide who only use a TV to consume content is surprisingly high, at one in four. By comparison, 13% of respondents used only a digital device—such as a PC, smartphone or tablet— to watch content. Unsurprisingly, a higher percentage of older respondents relied wholly on TVs to get their fix of shows.
Love Bytes: Teens' social use may seem all about highlighting one's best self, but social media can also be used for less positive applications. According to a survey of UK teens ages 13 to 15 by YouGov, 25% said they or their friends had dumped a boyfriend or girlfriend by text message or on WhatsApp, while 30% had dumped someone in person. Snapchat was the next most popular digital dumping tool, employed by 14%, followed by Facebook (7%) and email (2%).