Exploring What Audience Engagement Means for Media Companies

Abstract

In recent times researchers and industry have paid special attention to the concept of engagement and the academic literature on this topic is abundant. Although audience loyalty and engagement are the cornerstone of the media business, not all companies have developed strategies to further engage the audience. Taking audiences' opinions and ideas into account beyond consumption has two main risks: the first has to do with the fact that users are not necessarily experts in the topic as they do not follow the narrative structure of media contents; and the second is that audience reaction cannot be planned because it is unpredictable. A third dilemma arises, namely should such actions be considered part of a global strategy on the part of the company or simply as a marketing action to reach new audiences and retain existing ones? Therefore, some reflection is needed in order to analyze to what extent strategies aimed at increasing engagement contribute to extending the value of media brands and content properties. With this dilemma in mind and after a review of the most recent literature, we developed a questionnaire to find out how professionals and managers of media companies from different sectors define and measure engagement. At the end of the study, we conclude that for companies whose core business is linked to the digital environment, proximity with the audiences is greater than that of the traditional media or those companies, such as audiovisual producers, whose business is directed at other companies rather than, fundamentally, at the public.