Taylor Swift, Queen Mary’s coronation in Denmark and travel searches garnered the most interest in January, according to data from Ipsos iris.
Australians are keen to make holiday plans in 2024 despite the cost-of-living crisis, with digital audiences for travel searches notching up record numbers in January, Ipsos iris data revealed.
The data showed travel content had the highest audience since Ipsos iris began, up 2.8% compared to December, and up 4.2% at the same time in 2023, indicating that Australians are still planning trips, despite rising interest and inflation rates.
Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, showed the most consumed website and app categories in January were search engines (21 million), social networking (21 million), technology (20.9 million), retail and commerce (20.7 million) and entertainment (20.6 million).
Homes and property was the fastest growing category in January, rising by 6.5% compared to December, as Australians sought out new properties and renovation inspiration in the new year.
Almost 20.3 million people used a news website or app in January – slightly down compared to December, but up slightly on the same time in 2023, according to Ipsos iris data.
Sports, floods and cyclones dominated local Australian news, with royalty and pop royalty alike, garnering interest in January.
The biggest topics of new interest were the coronation of Australian-born Queen Mary of Denmark, Taylor Swift’s Australian tour and her appearance at the Golden Globes.
Other major global and local news events continued to fuel online reading of news sites, including the release of names connected with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Princess Catherine’s surgery, the crisis in the Middle East, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami warning, tropical cyclone Kirrily and the Victorian floods.
Sport website and app viewing also peaked in January, up 5% on December and 7.1% on the same time last year, as record numbers of Australians choose to consume sport digitally. Interestingly, Ipsos iris data found 10% more women consumed sport content in January 2024, than a year ago. Tennis, particularly the Australian Open, and cricket proved to spike sporting interest over summer.
The chart below shows the sports brands’ ranking during January 2024 by online audience size.
Australians’ thirst for local and international news drove increased audience numbers for several national outlets, Ipsos iris reported. The News category includes audience and time spent online on both general news and broader news content including weather, sport, lifestyle, entertainment, and business news.
The chart below shows the News brands’ ranking during January 2024 by online audience size.
Ipsos iris, which officially launched in March 2023, provides accurate data about the 21 million Australians aged 14+ who access a wide variety of digital content and services across smartphone, PC/laptop and tablet devices.