Media Consumption Habits

There have been changes in media consumption habits driven by the emergence and popularity of multiple online platforms. Indian consumers have upscaled the learning curve to become more acceptable to the new and emerging platforms for entertainment, information, and social connection. Dabbling between platforms often fueled by more disposable time during the pandemic, there has been an accelerated adoption leading to quick innovation in content.  It is therefore important to review these new & emerging trends and ponder on the implications for brands on leveraging them for communication to the intended audience.

Everyone is looking to court the consumer—streamers, television companies, social media services, and advertisers. But courtship is likely only the first step toward building a lasting relationship. In this world of choice, where consumers are “the belle of the ball,” we wanted to understand their behaviors, how they differ, and how M&E companies can best position themselves as long-term partners.

Market Xcel conducted a survey to understand changing media consumption habits. In this survey, the focus was essentially on

• The state of the entertainment landscape—consumer preferences and how they engage with the many entertainments options vying for their time and money

  • The role of media as an aggregator of news and entertainment, and implications for brands.

  • The Interrelationship between Streaming apps and how they could leverage it for more potential subscribers

  
  

The state of entertainment landscape

• We found that the Internet is the most popular media, with nearly all respondents recalling using it daily. Television is used by three fourth of respondents, while newspapers in online and offline format used by nearly half the respondents.

• The timeshare is almost a day long phenomenon for all media activities; newspapers and radio are more relevant in the morning, while television is preferred in the evening and midnight zone.

• Consumers are accustomed to including Internet Broadband bill in their monthly utilities’ basket with an average spending at INR 712. Again dependent on Internet , OTT’s also enjoy an average monthly ARPU of INR 400 albeit amongst restricted set.

The role of media

• Media includes any platform for the purpose of Entertainment, education, general knowledge, and sports

• Television is at the top of the list for entertainment and sports. Three fourth of television viewers watch it for entertainment.

• The internet is widely utilized for entertainment and education

• Online and offline Newspapers still lead on preferred media for general knowledge

The Streaming apps and the interrelationship between them

• Disney Hotstar is the most popular OTT platform, followed by Amazon Prime and Netflix

• Nearly three fourth people prefer personalized entertainment devices for consumption of online content for entertainment, and one fourth prefer television.

The rising popularity of the digital media and OTT options are hard to ignore for any media planning professional. Consumer’s increasing indulgence and time spent on consumption is a topic of research that will provide and edge to target the right consumer. It is imperative for brand professionals to understand these emerging codes of media consumption to plan their communication strategies.