Input from international publishers including News Corp Australia forms part of a new INMA study on the impact of the 'connected' individual.

In 'How the connected consumer is redefining news media,' author Paul Berney outlines ramifications for media companies when the individual is in control of the intersection of publishers, media and their audiences.
Berney, founder of The Connected Marketer and a mobile marketing specialist, describes how "connectedness" has changed the behaviour and expectation of readers and, subsequently, should be changing how marketers communicate to this "connected individual."
Among the report highlights:

Attention as finite resource: Reduced attention spans caused by "always on" devices are turning attention into a finite resource - which is having a ripple effect on how stories get told.

Mobile driving connectedness: Mobile devices are empowering consumers to not just become multi-channel readers, but also to be connected patients, shoppers, and voters.

Consumer expectations rising: These connected individuals have higher expectations for news and information, especially via mobile devices where standards are rapidly rising.

Connected marketing emerging in response: In response, media companies are embracing a shift to "connected marketing" to meet the needs of the connected individual, which impacts the brand experience across platforms.

Emerging behavioural patterns: Behavioural patterns are emerging on connected individuals ranging from an inability to focus to the need for participation to a need for instant gratification.

Personalisation and friction points: There is an increasing need for personalisation and the elimination of friction points driven by connected individual attributes.

The INMA report is punctuated with interviews and case studies from News Corp Australia, The Wall Street Journal, Hearst Digital, Financial Times, #hashtagourstories, Mather Economics, NZZ, Axel Springer, De Persgroep, and the Washington Post.
As usual, INMA is making the report available free to members or for US$795 including a year's association membership. Details from www.inma.org/reports.cfm.