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Tag: covid-19

  • Overall increase in media consumption on account of COVID-19: Kantar study

    Overall increase in media consumption on account of COVID-19: Kantar study

    MUMBAI: As the world struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in media consumption across all in-home channels, says a study by data, insights and consulting company Kantar.

    The study finds that WhatsApp is the social media app that has experienced the greatest gains in usage as people look to stay connected. Overall, the popular chat app has seen a 40 per cent increase in usage.

    In later stages of the pandemic, web browsing increased by 70 per cent, followed by an increase in (traditional) TV viewing by 63 per cent. Social media engagement increased by 61 per cent over normal usage rates.

    The largest global study into consumer attitudes, media habits and expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic surveyed more than 25,000 consumers across 30 markets. The first wave of COVID-19 Barometer research provides brand owners with clear direction on how to ensure their brands stay connected to their customers during the pandemic crisis.

    Key findings of the study are:

    Media habits

    Across all stages of the pandemic, WhatsApp is the social media app that is experiencing the greatest gains in usage as people look to stay connected. In the early phase of the pandemic, its usage increased 27 per cent.

    Spain experienced a 76 per cent increase in time spent on WhatsApp. Overall Facebook usage has increased 37 per cent. China experienced a 58 per cent increase in usage of local social media apps including Wechat and Weibo.

    Increased usage across all messaging platforms has been biggest in the 18-34 age group. WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram have all experienced a 40 per cent+ increase in usage from under 35-year olds. 

    There is a crisis in trust. Traditional nationwide news channels (broadcast and newspaper) are the most trusted sources of information with 52 per cent of people identifying them as a ‘trustworthy’ source. Government agency websites are regarded as trustworthy by only 48 per cent of people, suggesting that government measures are not providing citizens around the world with assurances and security.  Also reflecting the loss of trust from recent election cycles, social media platforms are regarded by only 11 per cent of people as a source of trustworthy information

    Expectations of Brands

    There is very little expectation that brands should stop advertising with only eight per cent of respondents identifying it as a priority for brands. As many brands consider ‘going dark’ to save costs, Kantar estimates that a six-month absence from TV will result in a 39 per cent reduction in total brand communication awareness, potentially delaying recovery in the post-pandemic world.  

  • Medlife provides workforce with medical insurance cover for Covid-19

    Medlife provides workforce with medical insurance cover for Covid-19

    MUMBAI: Medlife an e-Health platform announced extension of medical insurance cover for its employees to include Covid-19. This is applicable to all employees, which includes about 1,700 on-roll and 1,200 off-roll employees.

    Being in the business of delivering medicines to the doorsteps of millions of people across India, Medlife considers it imperative, especially for on-ground workforce, to be sufficiently protected against the risks associated with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    Apart from the standard coverage, the new package has earmarked rupees one lakh for treatment associated with Coronavirus for contract employees, for a period of 3 months from now. On-roll employees are covered in the range of one to five lakh rupees, for up to 9 months from now.   

    Medlife CEO and co-founder Ananth Narayanan said:  “We are now looking forward to quicker order fulfilments, with the government and police ensuring necessary steps for hassle-free movement of our consignments and delivery personnel. With more staff members returning to deliver medicines to the doorsteps of our customers, we are providing them with insurance that covers Covid-19, which is a necessary and important step for their safety, considering the important role they are playing at this time.”

  • Regional news channels see sharp rise in viewership during Covid-19

    Regional news channels see sharp rise in viewership during Covid-19

    MUMBAI:  There is a temporary shift in TV viewership patterns as Indians are forced to stay inside their homes due to the lock-down courtesy Covid-19, according to the latest BARC-Nielsen report. It shows that regional news channels are gaining viewership.

    While Marathi news consumption was up by 101 per cent, that of Tamil grew by 84 per cent. While Oriya news consumption was up by 78 per cent, Malayalam and Bangla news consumption grew by 75 per cent each. 

    While Gujarati news consumption witnessed a growth of 61 per cent, that of Kannada was up by 47 per cent. Whereas Telugu news consumption grew by 21 per cent, that of Punjabi was up by 16 per cent, and English news consumption grew by 39 per cent.

    This is good news given that Hindi news dominates otherwise. Hindi news consumption was up by 62 per cent with the daily average time spent (ATS) up by 17 per cent. The daily average reach witnessed a growth of 34 per cent and the weekly impressions was up by 57 per cent.

    The overall growth of the entire news industry was 57 per cent with daily average reach up by 34 per cent. Daily average time spent on total news is also up by 17 per cent.

    With people clamouring for more information, news is the primary destination for a lot of Indians. Which is why prime minister Narendra Modi’s national address on 24 March addressing the country about the 21-day lockdown had 197 million viewers. They were watching the PM through 201 news channels with a total of 3891 million minutes of viewing.

    It’s not only television where the news genre witnessed a huge increase in the viewership number; it grew on digital platforms as well. News apps saw eight per cent more users per week with an increase of 17 per cent in time spent per user per week. News websites were explored by 26 per cent more users. Additionally, the number of visits to a website by a user went up by 29 per cent. Clearly, all of them are seeking news on Covid-19.

    There was a 30 per cent jump in the news consumption in mini-metros; metro cities witnessed 12 per cent growth whereas growth in tier I and tier II cities was up by 14 per cent. As per the BARC-Nielsen report, the top 20 news apps witnessed 30 per cent increase in time spent. News aggregators saw a growth of 22 per cent and news apps saw 76 per cent increase.

    BARC also reported that even kids between the age group of two years to 14 years consumed 83 per cent of news. This is likely due to co-viewing with parents.

  • Reckitt Benckiser commits £32 mn as a part of ‘RB Fight for Access Fund’ to fight against Covid-19

    Reckitt Benckiser commits £32 mn as a part of ‘RB Fight for Access Fund’ to fight against Covid-19

    MUMBAI: Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a consumer health and hygiene company, today launched the RB fight for access fund to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. As part of this fund, an additional £32 million has been mobilized to address the urgent collective fight against the spread of Covid-19 by breaking the chain of this fast-spreading infection. The fund is, and will, be a demonstration of RB’s purpose and fight in action- to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.

    Recognising that awareness and availability are the biggest challenges in the current scenarios, RB India, commenced various activities utilizing the fund, focusing on consumers engagements to share information and product distribution.  Other activities deploying the fund through our brands include:

    Making the products available to the ones in need:

    We will be distributing 10 million units of Dettol Soap to the most vulnerable within India

    Dettol in partnership with Bikers for Good launched #HandWashCorona, a public health initiative amidst the raging spread of COVID-19. Under this campaign, volunteers rode within the streets of New Delhi-NCR and distributed 9 lakh Dettol soaps to families in weaker/unprivileged communities.

    We will also be donating 1 million litres of our disinfectant products including Lizol disinfectant liquid and Harpic toilet cleaners to aid India’s states in fighting this crisis especially in public health institutions and at the frontline with health and sanitation workers. 

    Donating critical protection equipment – 3.5 million N95 masks with a focus on pharmacists and health care workers. These will be distributed across our major markets.

    The Dettol India The Hand Wash Challenge campaign on TikTok reached 20 billion views in one week getting important behaviour change messages to young people on the necessity of handwashing. The record-breaking campaign is being rolled out across global markets

    Mass outreach through informative advertisement on TV: Dettol in partnership with leading Bollywood actress, Madhur Dixit released an engaging public service announcement #ApniSurkashaApneHaath to encourage viewers to practice handwashing.

    RB global CEO Laxman Narasimhan said, 'We have a 200-year history of making a material difference to the lives of our consumers. Our brands have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene and health in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic. I have been witness to heroic efforts across the company to live our Purpose and our Fight. I am in awe of the 'can do' attitude across the RB organisation and the relentless pursuit by my colleagues to make the world cleaner and healthier. Under this initiative, in India, we will donate 10 million bars of Dettol soap to the most vulnerable, 3.5 million N95 (medical grade) masks to frontline health workers as well as 1 million litres of disinfectant products like Lizol surface cleaner and Harpic toilet cleaners to aid public health institutions and frontline health and sanitation workers in different states who are fighting to keep the nation safe. We will continue to partner with the government on driving behaviour change and supporting the great partnership we have developed through the Dettol BSI campaign.”

    The RB Fight for Access Fund will benefit from 50 per cent funding from corporate, matched by funding from each of the three business units, Hygiene, Health and Nutrition. The maximum amount for any one initiative will be capped at £ 1 million. All programmes will be independently measured and captured on Goodera, central platform and repository of all the fantastic initiatives RB have globally.

  • Weekly TV viewing mins up by 8%, smartphone time spent up by 6.2% during Covid-19: BARC India & Nielsen

    Weekly TV viewing mins up by 8%, smartphone time spent up by 6.2% during Covid-19: BARC India & Nielsen

    MUMBAI: As India goes through an unprecedented lock-down in living memory due to the Covid-19 crisis, people are increasingly consuming more content on TV and smartphones, according to a report. BARC India and Nielsen have jointly put together a report to understand the changes in consumption behaviours of TV and smartphones, respectively, given the extraordinary situation surrounding the Covid pandemic and its fallout.

    Key highlights: –

    1.  Expectedly the COVID disruption period has seen an increase in television viewership – 6% increase in TV reach and 8 per cent increase in TV viewing minutes /week. The time spent on TV / viewer has seen a jump by 2 per cent.
    The PM’s address to the nation on complete lockdown garnered unprecedented viewership of 197 million watching it across the country. 
    2.  When we look at smartphone behaviour the time spent on smartphones per user has gone up by 6.2 per cent. The time spent/user/week on VOD apps has also seen an increase of 3 per cent. If we look at the increase in the time spent/user/week over that of the previous week (to take away the impact of cricket viewing in the PRE COVID period considered), we can see a jump of 5 per cent.
    3.  Kids’ schools being shut down and the stress of exams off their shoulders; this increase in Television viewing is driven by Kids (+20 per cent). With corporate India getting into work from home mode, we are seeing NCCS A showing an 11 per cent increase in viewership. Even on smartphone usage, the increase in driven NCCS A (+7.7 per cent) and 35-44 year olds (+10.7 per cent).
    4.  People staying at home means watching TV throughout the day and hence the growth in TV viewing is coming during non-prime time slots (8am – 5 pm).
    5.  The need for continuous updates expectedly has led to a huge increase in news consumption on television (57 per cent increase in Impressions), while spending more time as a family together could be leading to the movies genre and the kids genre also showing significant increases. 
    6.  This behaviour is seen in digital consumption as well with news and gaming showing huge increases. News apps saw 8 per cent more users per week with an increase of 17 per cent in time spent/user/week. This growth was led by non-English News apps (+87 per cent). Gaming apps saw an increase of 2 per cent in users/week and with a 11 per cent increase in time spent/user/week.
    7.  With a lot of uncertainty around what is happening, people have increased their time spent on chatting (+23 per cent) and social networking (+25 per cent) apps.  Almost all social networking apps – Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have seen significant increases not only in time spent /user/week but also in the sessions/ user/ week. 
    8.  Expectedly shopping apps, travel apps and food apps have seen a huge drop in both users/ week and time spent/user/week. 
    9.  It’s not just TV viewership that has seen an increase – we can advertising FCT on TV has increased by 13 per cent. 

    Sharing her views on the current surge in smartphone usage, Nielsen Global Media, South Asia country leader Dolly Jha said, “We are living through unprecedented times! physical social distancing seems to have led to a phenomenal growth in virtual social togetherness with an almost 20 per cent increase in time spent per user on chats, social media and news in the last one week. And we anticipate this to grow further.”

    Elaborating on the topic BARC India CEO Sunil Lulla said, “These are unfortunate and unprecedented times. Working closely with Nielsen, we bring for our customers and stake-holders, this very significant and important update, on change in content and advertising consumption behaviour, with a significant population at home. We will report soon enough, the impact of total lockdown. Our respective brave teams are working (WFH) round the clock to ensure the TV measurement currency, continues uninterrupted.” 

    On 24 March 2020, with the prime minister announcing a total lockdown in the country, peo ple are slowly coming to terms with the new normal. It started with many states enforcing the lock-down, partially and fully, and many places of work enforcing work from home (WFH). Faced with the predicament of not being able to move out of their homes, people are creating new ways of spending time productively.

    It is a well known fact that Television Viewing is an integral part of the Indian ethos. An average Indian is known to spend a considerable number of hours with 3 hours, 51 minutes every day on TV. So, it is obvious that forced confinement will lead to changes in TV consumption behaviour.

    Today if there is one device besides the TV which is an integral part of the Indian consumers’ lives, it is the smartphone. People today depend on their smartphones not just for communication and social interactions, but also for entertainment, banking and financial transactions, purchase of daily need goods like groceries, personal care to durables.  It is but natural that this period of forced confinement would also engender some change in the way people interact with their smartphones.

    As the situation continues to evolve in the coming weeks, BARC and Nielsen will also continue to track shifts in TV and Smartphone audience behaviour. Future reports will be released on a weekly basis to keep the ecosystem abreast of how audiences in India are adjusting their TV and Smartphones consumption around the new normal.

    BARC is the official currency on Television Measurement in India and Nielsen runs a 12000 strong smartphone panel passively capturing smartphone behaviour.
     

  • Time spent on OTT audio streaming apps goes up by 42%

    Time spent on OTT audio streaming apps goes up by 42%

    MUMBAI: The COVID19 crisis has changed the average Indian’s life. With schools and colleges being shut coupled with corporates and governments encouraging employees to work from home, Indians in the metropolitan cities are looking at ways to keep themselves entertained and/ or to find “companions”.

    Kantar – VTION’s passive OTT Audio Audience Measurement service data reveals that there was a 42 per cent increase (amongst consumers able to consume OTT / streaming audio platforms) in time spent on listening to OTT/ streaming audio apps. 

    What is driving this growth? 

    Social distancing is the new norm! with consumers being forced to be housebound in the current environment, a large number of “new users” (consumers who were not tuning into OTT / streaming audio apps in the previous period) have started using these services

    Amongst various demographic groups that were analysed, two segments display huge growth in the time spent on listening to OTT/ Streaming Audio apps:

    Over 50 per cent growth in the time spent on listening amongst the age group of 18-24 – a reflection of the closure of colleges and youngsters being housebound and looking for alternate entertainment options?

    Consumers in the age group of 25-34 have shown a 30 per cent growth in usage – perhaps driven by the fact that they are working from home (WFH) and using the OTT/ streaming apps as a companion medium 

    In terms of day-wise consumption behaviour, the study shows that new “peaks” are emerging as far as consumption of OTT/ streaming audio apps is concerned. The report reveals a 52 per cent growth in the incidence of listening in the afternoons – between noon to 6 pm. Late night (post-midnight till 6 am in the morning) registers an 80 per cent increase in the incidence of listening, compared to the last month.

    Will the current environment change the consumer behaviour? Will the consumers continue to avail of the OTT / Streaming Audio services? Will the medium grow? Only time will tell.

    The OTT Audio Audience Measurement offering brings together Kantar’s expertise in media measurement and consumer insights with VTION’s proprietary audience measurement technology and data management framework to provide a unique, comprehensive understanding of audience behaviour, insights for communication planning as well assessment of ROI for media investments across OTT Video platforms, OTT Audio Streaming & Podcasting and Broadcast Radio FM Platforms.  

    The study is based on a robust sample size of 9000+ stretching across top 9 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad & Lucknow/Kanpur) among male and female of age group of 18+ and across SEC A, B & CDE. 

  • ZEE5 opens up premium, new original shows for free

    ZEE5 opens up premium, new original shows for free

    MUMBAI: During this unprecedented situation and lockdown across the country, ZEE5 is providing an uninterrupted dose of entertainment to all those who are confined to their home via its initiative #BeCalmBeEntertained. As part of this initiative, ZEE5 will bring a slate of new original shows for its users to stream it across devices.

    ZEE5 India realises the gloominess that the nation faces today and hence the need to boost the entertainment quotient. And with shows putting their shoots on hold at present, the lack of newer episodes would leave a void for entertainment for the viewers.

    Premium and new original content which will be available for free streaming are Kar Le Tu Bhi Mohabbat – a romantic drama starring the iconic Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar; an epic love triangle drama Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai starring Ronit Roy, Mona Singh and Gurdeep Kohli; Baarish – a classic tale of different paths united by love starring Sharman Joshi and Asha Negi; and Ishq Aaj Kal to name a few will be available on the platform. Not only that, on offer would be a large bouquet of blockbuster movies, new exclusives, binge-worthy ZEE5 Originals, and bespoke premium content, all for free.

    ZEE5 India Programming Head Aparna Acharekar said, “As a responsible video streaming player, we are totally committed to undertake any preventive measures which would collectively help the entire ecosystem curb this unprecedented situation caused due to COVID-19 outbreak. With this new initiative, we want our audiences across the country to stay calm and enjoy responsibly by staying home whilst, catching up on their favourite shows/movies uninterrupted, across 12 languages on ZEE5.”

    Today, the world is fighting a battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. The reality of individuals, families having to be confined to their homes to be safe, is not an easy task. Social distancing is the need of the hour, however, the fact of being engaged, expressive and the need for entertainment is not going to go away. And the good news is, although there is nowhere to go, the #BeCalmBeEntertained initiative from ZEE5, promises to keep viewers entertained 24×7, across devices.

    The bespoke content which will be available for free includes:

    ·         Fresh / New exclusive show for the very first time on ZEE5

    ·         Premium movies made free

    ·         Popular ZEE5 Originals

    ·         Quick catch-up seasons of classic library shows

  • Hoichoi taking measures to reduce internet consumption overload

    Hoichoi taking measures to reduce internet consumption overload

    MUMBAI: In the wake of COVID-19 security measures, where the government is advising the population to stay home, work from home and follow social distancing, internet consumption has risen to such an extent that the COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) has requested prominent streaming platforms to reduce their bitrates.

    In such a situation, it is essential for OTT platforms to cooperate and stream content strategically. Thus, Hoichoi is already taking significant steps to initiate the process of rolling back its bitrates. It will be complying with the COAI in limiting network congestion while its audience-base can enjoy their favourite content undisrupted with a seamless viewing experience.

    As per the requests laid out by the COAI, the measures being implemented are:

    -Hoichoi has disabled 1080p (HD – High Definition) downloads from its Offline Download feature.

    -There are no advertisements or pop-ups running on the platform, as Hoichoi is an SVOD streaming service.

    -Hoichoi is also working to limit streaming to 720p max, to be executed at the earliest.

    Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta commented, “Careful monitoring is being done in every step of the way so we can do our bit during these tough times. While we welcome the 4x spike in traffic we are gaining from users for our content, it is essential to also remember that requisite actions should be taken to not overburden our network providers and telecom partners.”

  • It’s learning time for honchos as they acclimatise to new workstations

    It’s learning time for honchos as they acclimatise to new workstations

    MUMBAI: Remote working is the new norm in the industry in these difficult times. With the governments across the crisis-hit countries announcing lockdown, even top-notch executives now have to confine their work space in a room. They are strategizing from their new workstations not only to stay their business afloat but to ensure the safety of their employees. While new-age companies are also working remotely, traditional players are also adapting to the situation promptly. 

    Many of the executives have also spread positivity on social networks like Linkedin in this panic-stricken situation. We at Indiantelevision.com tried to extract from them what have been the experiences and the lessons they are learning.

    “Having worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, what we are all experiencing is probably none of us have experienced in our lifetime! Even though these are challenging times for all, what I totally love is the ‘glass half full’ attitude of all at Discovery INC across the world! ‘Employee first’ is what defines the people and culture of our organisation. Whilst we all work from home across the Globe, the show must go on!,” Discovery South Asia managing director Megha Tata said.

    Tata also shared an image of how 70 employees across different time zones are meeting on video conference calls.

    TikTok India head Nikhil Gandhi has found many learnings, new perspectives and positives from work-from-home.  “It's been more than a week and I have noticed an increase in productivity and seamless coordination to ensure employee safety and business continuity. Not to mention more time on hand to indulge in ideation and self development. The backdrop of colleagues connecting over video calls on one side and family members hovering around on the other gives work-life balance a whole new meaning. This will set new imagination and ideas for companies to rethink how better work can happen in the future,” Gandhi said. 

    Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal highlights another key learning which can be maintained even after this phase is over. “Working from home, via con calls, many people are realizing that for best comprehension, they have to go on mute when someone else is talking. Hope this habit continues when we go back, once again, to in-person meetings,” he said.

    Firework India CEO Sunil Nair mentioned that the first priority is to how the entire Firework family, including creators, team members, partner, and audience, stays safe. He also added that they want to ensure the audience still gets what they love. 

    BangInTheMiddle managing partner and chief creative officer Pratap Suthan mentioned that this is a very different time. While work is certainly important, so are the lives of clients and their colleagues. He requested the industry to understand that there might be delays in delivering sometimes. 

    Transport will be erratic. People may not have wi-fi connections. We may not be able to hire out computers for home use. Electricity and back-ups may not be available. Even furniture and space may not be there. And in instances, home atmosphere may not be conducive for work; there maybe someone ill at home. Not all of us have the luxury of quiet to carry on bashing,” he said.

    “So if you are a client who has the muscle to equip your people with work-infra in quick time, agencies may not be able to mirror your efficiency. We don’t have the wallets or man power. Have a heart. Give extra rope to your agency. Don’t persecute them for missing deadlines. As much as we will stretch to deliver things, mishaps will happen – to the best of us. We are all in this together. Remember that these are exceptional times. It’s a great time to be human and to be humane,” he added.

    IBM India advisory board head Neelam Dhawan stated how digital transformation has made remote work easier. IT and communications is truly helping us manage the COVID 19 problem. “In current social distancing, we are connected and working and also trying to be safe. I see the digitally transformed companies managing better. I am banking, shopping, communicating, working and being entertained all online! And so are millions of others. The mantra, to grow revenue, grow profits and cut costs, is possible with the digital transformation. The early adopters have made it easier for us to manage this isolation. Once the world is rid of this disease it will be a different world. Future of Work and Future of life will be different,” she said.

  • Facebook ad biz weakening despite upsurge in users

    Facebook ad biz weakening despite upsurge in users

    MUMBAI: Streaming services, social media services and apps are emerging as the unwitting beneficiaries of an unprecedented situation which has forced people to stay at their homes. The usage of Facebook has gone up in many of the countries hit hardest by the novel coronavirus. Total messaging has increased more than 50 per cent over the last month. Moreover, in places hit hardest by the virus, voice and video calling have more than doubled on Messenger and WhatsApp. Despite the spike in usage, however, Facebook's ad business seems to be weakening.

    Facebook shared in its blog post that much of the increased traffic is happening on its messaging services, but it has also seen more people using its feed and stories to get updates from family and friends. 

    “At the same time, our business is being adversely affected like so many others around the world. We don’t monetise many of the services where we’re seeing increased engagement, and we’ve seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Facebook stated.

    According to Cowen & Co analysts' estimate, the two internet giants, Facebook and Google, together, could lose more than $44 billion in worldwide ad revenue. Facebook ad revenue for the year is expected to slide by $15.7 billion to reach $67.8 billion for the year. 

    “During this emergency, we’re doing everything we can to keep our apps fast, stable and reliable. Our services were built to withstand spikes during events such as the Olympics or on New Year’s Eve. However, those happen infrequently, and we have plenty of time to prepare for them. The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day,” it added further. 

    The social media giant also noted that maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual as now most of the employees are working from home. However, it has mentioned that the team is working to keep the apps running smoothly while also prioritising features such as COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook as well as the World Health Organization’s Health Alert on WhatsApp.  To help alleviate potential network congestion, Facebook is temporarily reducing bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in certain regions.