ASSESSMENT OF CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND BRAND CHOICE FACTORS OF MEDIA COMPANIES

Abstract

The article explores the peculiarities of assessing consumer preferences and factors influencing the choice of media companies' brands in the modern digital media space. The relevance of the topic is substantiated in view of increased competition, audience fragmentation, the growing role of personalized content, and increased requirements for the emotional, functional, and ethical components of the brand. Approaches to the study of consumer behavior in modern and foreign literature are outlined, but the specifics of media brand perception are still poorly understood in the Ukrainian context. The article reveals the existence of a dependence of motivation and type of content consumed on the age of the audience. The paper analyzes the consumers of media products by consumption criteria and substantiates the decline in the role of printed content for consumers due to the development of IT technologies. The author proposes a classification of groups of media consumers and describes the predominant consumption of media content by age categories of consumers on different platforms. Based on the analysis of consumer groups, depending on the motivation and type of content, a “portrait” is formed and the features of consumers of the media product of the most progressive media companies in Ukraine are outlined. Based on a comparative analysis of the psycho-physical characteristics of consumer groups loyal to the studied brands, the main behavioral factors that influence the choice of a media brand are identified. The author systematizes and summarizes the factors influencing the choice of a media brand into three main groups: emotional, digital and practical. It is proved that the motives of media content consumers are dominated by the quality of content, expertise and specialization, speed of updating and timeliness of news, and availability of the format. Based on the data obtained, a typology of media consumers is proposed by the level of involvement and expectations from the brand. The conclusions emphasize the importance of an integrated approach to assessing consumer preferences as a factor in the formation of effective marketing management strategies and ensuring a stable brand presence in a dynamic information environment.