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Tag: research

  • India has 96 mn SVOD subscriptions, 40.7 mn subscribers: Ormax report

    India has 96 mn SVOD subscriptions, 40.7 mn subscribers: Ormax report

    Mumbai: India has 353 million OTT users and 96 active paid subscriptions, according to Ormax OTT Audience Report 2021.

    The research is based on a sample size of 12,000 across urban and rural India, was conducted from May to July 2021. The report breaks the universe by gender, age, NCCS, pop strata, states, and cities.

    The findings revealed that one in four Indians watched online videos at least once in the last one month. Apart from 96 million active paid OTT subscriptions, there are 40.7 million paying (SVOD) audiences, that is, an average of 2.4 subscriptions per paying audience member. 66 per cent of these paid subscriptions are with the male audience. The top six metros contribute only 11 per cent to India’s OTT universe but 35 per cent of total paid subscriptions. Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai are the top three cities in this regard, with more than eight million active paid subscriptions each.

    “India’s OTT audience universe is rapidly growing, and an accurate estimation of market size is a crucial strategic component in a growing category,” said Ormax Media, founder and chief executive officer, Shailesh Kapoor. “While streaming companies have data on usage and subscription of their own platforms, there is no industry-level audience research available to size and profile the Indian OTT market at large. This research, which will be conducted in the same period every year, aims to plug this significant data gap in the streaming industry in India.”

    Kapoor further said OTT is no longer a niche category, but at 25 per cent penetration, there is still a huge potential to grow the market, especially outside the top cities. “We have seen a rise in regional OTT platforms in India over the last year. This report provides market and demographic level data for platforms to take sound investment decisions on regional products, be it a stand-alone app or regional content within a national app,” he added.

  • DDB Mudra Group’s Point of New reveals shifts in 2021 consumer trends

    DDB Mudra Group’s Point of New reveals shifts in 2021 consumer trends

    New Delhi: DDB Mudra Group has unveiled Point of New, an e-book comprising a collection of essays that examine lasting shifts in consumer behaviour brought on by the pandemic. Using the group’s proprietary Signbanking process, over 600 Covid specific small signs of social change were aggregated over the course of eight months. Authored by the group’s strategy team, these 15 essays act as a guide in shaping decisions for the new world.

    Point of New showcases the impact of new rituals in a post-Covid world on people, businesses and society at large. The essays discuss the new rules of the new world modelled on themes that keep the wheel of life in motion such as being, identity, consuming and parenting amongst others.

    The research began by studying people's lifestyle and daily routines in their natural environment without intrusion. This anthropological approach to understanding consumer behaviour as it plays out in day-to-day lives helped predict larger cultural and behavioral shifts.

    DDB Mudra Group national strategy head Amit Kekre said, “The pandemic has forced us to consider a new and hopefully a better tomorrow. Just how much better this new world will be, depends on how we construct it. It depends on the choices we make on our path to the new. While a lot has been said about the pandemic from a quantitative point of view, ‘Point of New’ goes a step further. The essays contemplate what aspects of the new world could be truly meaningful and which might need us to exercise caution as brand and business owners.”

  • 97% Indians have increased their monthly spends on content: Dolby

    97% Indians have increased their monthly spends on content: Dolby

    New-Delhi: Today, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB), a leader in immersive entertainment experiences, released findings from a new global study illustrating a significant shift in consumer entertainment behaviour in India. The new homebound work and leisure economy has led to a sky-rocketing demand for new and quality content and for better devices. As per a new global consumer study by Wakefield Research conducted in four countries for Dolby, Indian consumers are now prioritizing and seeking better experiences possibly driven by long hours spent at home. Indian consumers are spending more on quality in order to better connect with content—and to connect with each other.

    “Despite all of the challenges of this past year, this study has illustrated the power of entertainment in bringing us together with those that are most important to us,” Dolby Laboratories MD emerging markets Pankaj Kedia “We take great pride in creating more immersive experiences through our technologies and see the significant growth of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as proof that consumers are seeking these experiences as well.”

    Wakefield Research senior partner Nathan Richter said, “We are all confined and what better way to use this time than to bond with friends and family, both in-person and virtually. People love entertainment and there is an exponential rise in demand for quality content that can be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home. People recognize that high quality sound and visual experiences have a huge impact and make viewing more exciting. More than that, it enhances the entertainment experience and helps people to better connect during these challenging times.”

    The Wakefield study on ‘Quality Time is Quality Picture and Sound’ highlights shifting consumer patterns for content consumption. It throws light on their preferences and the willingness to invest in premium quality content and in devices andto be able to have an enhanced audio and visual experience that is helping increase family bonding time.

    The India leg of the study conducted across six cities, including New-Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, was aimed at understanding the changing content consumption habits during the pandemic. The study cuts across generational breaks and includes the voice of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers.

    Here are some of the most interesting study findings:

    · Contented by Content-COVID-19 has driven many Indians to use entertainment as a way of unwinding, including 66 per cent of Indian respondents saying they use it as an opportunity to relax and 60 per cent saying they find it as a good social experience of watching with others.

    · Ripped from the Headlines-Current events can drive viewers to entertainment and even alter their choices. This includes 92 per cent respondents in India, who said the news impacts what they watch.

    ·Investing in the Experience-. The study shows that consumers are spending more on quality in order to better connect with content—and connect with each other.Compared to the start of the year-

    • 97 per cent of Indian respondents have increased their monthly spends on content by 48 per cent on an average compared to the start of the year

    • 88 per cent of Indians respondents have in the past six months already invested in upgrading their streaming services

    • 96 per cent Indian respondents plan to upgradetheir entertainment equipment in the next 6 months

    • Equipment upgrades include better mobile devices. In India, 61 per cent respondents plan to upgrade their mobile device to improve their viewing experience

    · Worth It- Consumers connect with their content better with enhanced picture and sound quality. 94 per cent Indian respondents would pay more for a premium subscription to receive enhanced picture and sound quality

    · Broadened Horizons- As consumers stayed at home with more time to watch, many consumers got into a genre of content they had not consumed before

    • 95 per cent Indian respondents got into new types of content they didn’t watch before

    • Those engaging with new types of content had a wide variety to pick from. In India, streaming live music events lead popular new content (50 per cent), followed by comedy (48 per cent), video game streaming (46 per cent) & DIY videos (45 per cent).

    · Multiple ways to Watch- In India, 29 per cent say their smartphone is their primary entertainment device. This is followed by 22 per cent who say television and 20 per cent who say computer.

    · Smaller Screens, Higher Quality- Consumers are particularly interested in enhanced picture and sound quality for watching movies and TV shows. In India, 49 per cent respondents rank movies as one of their top-two forms of entertainment that merit enhanced quality.

    · Work Hard, Play Hard- With work now requiring video conferencing, many are “borrowing” that tech for personal purposes. In India, 92 per cent respondents are using work video applications for social purposes, including 80 per cent who do so often or all the time.

    · First Time for Everything- In India, 65 per cent respondents of those who engaged in live-chat while watching streaming videos did so for the first time.

    At Dolby, we are committed to bringing premium, immersive experiences to as many people as possible. Just in the last year, the adoption of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos in the home has been widespread. There are hundredsof millions of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos enabled devices in market from the world’s leading devicemanufacturers.

    As this study shows, the drive for better experiences doesn’t stop at devices. Content adoption is also growing rapidly, completing the ecosystem that we have been building through global partnerships with leading streaming services that continue to release their top shows and films in Dolby technology every month.

    “Ultimately, we expect the desire for more human connection to continue in the future and immersive experiences can help fulfil this demand,” added Kedia. “Just as entertainment drives cultural conversation, that same conversation drives the connection across the globe, and we are seeing connections grow stronger every day through elevated entertainment experiences.”

  • TAM Media Research launches Crisp

    TAM Media Research launches Crisp

    NEW DELHI: TAM Media Research has launched CRISP (Consumer Reviews & Influencer Sentiments for Brand Performance) -a robust, intelligence analytics tool to help decode consumer sentiments in the Indian marketplace. The product is specially crafted for marketers to gauge and understand the actual consumer reviews/sentiments and augment the consumer product connect. It answers the need of today – to understand the need and qualitative views of the product user and improvise customer satisfaction so as to further build brand affinity and a loyal consumer. 

    TAM has partnered with Revuze – a leading company that has revolutionized product experience management globally. The AI based dashboard will be available to the users from October 2020. 

    The end consumer of a product makes the most significant contribution to a brand.  Consumer reviews, feedback and suggestions are the mirror to the brand’s image.  Today’s consumer at a click of a button can rave or rant about a product, its performance, customer service, etc. Every marketer knows the need to listen,  understand the feedback and reviews but is struggling. There is a gold mine of non-coded and unstructured information and data available in various forms across e-commerce sites, blogs, etc. Marketers do not have a quick and reliable single window means to decode, mine and analyze the data and know the actual sentiments from their direct users/influencers. 

    Crisp will help marketers with a holistic, unbiased, affordable, AI analytical tool at their fingertips.  

    This AI-based analytical tool provides actual data insights and analytics of the user sentiments. It tracks consumer sentiments across multiple e-commerce portals and decodes unstructured data in turn help marketers with valuable information to make informed decisions. The Analyzer tool is unconstrained by human bias and perception. This proprietary technology deep dives and provides Insights via tracking reviews, opinions, and messages.  

    TAM Media Research CEO LV Krishnan says, “Today’s evolved Indian consumer is not just pragmatic about the products they purchase but extremely vocal and quick to give reviews. For a marketer, this customer feedbacks can help realign product and communication strategy effectively. Hence, it is crucial for marketers to constantly keep track, understand and re-connect while managing consumer sentiments towards brands. TAM has partnered with  Revuze to bring a new age, robust, data analytics tool – Crisp, for marketers to decode the realms of unstructured feedback data from consumers and retrace it back into defining sharper brand strategies. In a fast-paced evolving environment, it can be a crucial weapon for Marketers to win additional brand sales and market shares. Crisp will help build the much-needed superior analytical prowess within  the marketers business and help analyze product usage, identify areas of  product/service improvement based on feedbacks so as to take quick-footed  decisions.”

    Revuze CRO Shai Etzion says, “After showing significant success in the USA, Revuze  is entering the Indian Market partnering with TAM Media, a natural choice being our mutual Nielsen family relationship and their 20+ years’ experience in deep understanding of the Indian media landscape. It will be a compelling product and a  game-changer for India to understand consumer sentiments and reviews.”

  • Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    As a digital marketing specialist, I often get asked by peers, clients and friends alike: “What can marketers look out for in the digital space next year? “Digital is by far the fastest growing medium and we can gear up for exciting times ahead. Here’s a peek at the top digital marketing trends (in random order) that, in my opinion, will reign supreme in 2017.

    1. Video, the shining star: Video has come to the fore like never before, with talks of it replacing television even. Video on Demand and Over the Top content on mobile are doing well and marketers will jump on the bandwagon. With the introduction of apps like Sony LIV, Hotstar and Voot performing well, this category is poised for significant growth. Research has shown that the engagement levels of video ads through mobile are significantly higher when compared to television ads. Mobile video ads too are extremely popular and an effective form of mobile advertising today, especially in the case of in-app and native video ads. Live videos especially will see great growth.

    2. My mobile strongest: With the 4G entry, increased internet speeds and the 200 million odd smartphone users in India, mobile devices have become a preferred medium to consume content. Mobile advertising is like any other exponential technology and will adorn a large part of the digital landscape in the future. Though it occupies only four per cent of the advertising pie currently, it is almost doubling every year. It could be half of all advertising in about five years. Mobile optimization will be a top priority. Over and above the upsurge in dedicated mobile apps, mobile will also be the best medium to consume local and regional content, which most industry players are attempting to ace.

    3. Intelligence goes artificial: Been reading all about Chabots lately? Yes, artificial intelligence has arrived, and will see more traction in the next couple of years. This combined with concepts like robotics and machine learning are set to revolutionize digital and disrupt most industries. It will replace the functions human beings do, not human beings altogether. The best part about machines is that once one machine makes a mistake, no other machine makes a mistake! This makes concepts like voice assistants sound last season.

    4. The rise of augmented and virtual reality: The possibility of augmented and virtual reality as an advertising format is exciting, since that pretty much increases the screen size to infinity. Apart from advertising, augmented and virtual reality will go more mainstream and create a paradigm shift in all sectors as consumers seek real life immersive experiences.Pokémon Go gave us a flavor of the same, however reflected only a fraction of capabilities of the concept. Imagine falling off a cliff into a large net with the logo of a particular brand, you will never forget the brand after that experience!

    5. Data, data and data: Data is the lifeline of marketers – its actionable insights and analysis form the crux of any brand campaign, not just digital. Technologies that can identify customer psychographics, demographics, behavioral patterns, preferences more and more minutely, will rise rapidly. Visualization and interpretation of the data will be an increasing need. If companies tried hard to crack the consumer code last year, they will try much harder this year. Automation will drive digital – as they say, there is nothing like too much data.

    6. About the Internet of Things: Wearable technology will keep looking at reinventing itself to solve more problems, change the way we interact with each other and redefine how businesses target its customers. Smart devices will get smarter as consolidation will be the answer to most services. Product experiences will take centre-stage rather than pushing mere features and capabilities. Innovation will be at its best as marketing attempts to get more real.

    7. Social media under the limelight: Research shows that a majority of the millions of Internet users in urban India regularly access social media platforms. Personalized content will gain popularity and users will demand real-time information. Brands will be compelled to shell out more monies in a bid to gain increased visibility in the cluttered space given most have turned to social media for their marketing solutions. Also, social media platforms will eventually provide end-to-end services making it more user-friendly.

    The biggest trend, however, is that we are moving from digital advertising to digital age – where digital will play the role of a catalyst and multiplier for every facet of an organization rather than being limited to advertising and communication.

      http://www.indiantelevision.com/sites/drupal7.indiantelevision.co.in/files/styles/large/public/vivek_0.jpg?itok=sKo4Mw7cVivek Bhargava is CEO, DAN Performance Group. The views expressed here are personal and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to them
  • Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    As a digital marketing specialist, I often get asked by peers, clients and friends alike: “What can marketers look out for in the digital space next year? “Digital is by far the fastest growing medium and we can gear up for exciting times ahead. Here’s a peek at the top digital marketing trends (in random order) that, in my opinion, will reign supreme in 2017.

    1. Video, the shining star: Video has come to the fore like never before, with talks of it replacing television even. Video on Demand and Over the Top content on mobile are doing well and marketers will jump on the bandwagon. With the introduction of apps like Sony LIV, Hotstar and Voot performing well, this category is poised for significant growth. Research has shown that the engagement levels of video ads through mobile are significantly higher when compared to television ads. Mobile video ads too are extremely popular and an effective form of mobile advertising today, especially in the case of in-app and native video ads. Live videos especially will see great growth.

    2. My mobile strongest: With the 4G entry, increased internet speeds and the 200 million odd smartphone users in India, mobile devices have become a preferred medium to consume content. Mobile advertising is like any other exponential technology and will adorn a large part of the digital landscape in the future. Though it occupies only four per cent of the advertising pie currently, it is almost doubling every year. It could be half of all advertising in about five years. Mobile optimization will be a top priority. Over and above the upsurge in dedicated mobile apps, mobile will also be the best medium to consume local and regional content, which most industry players are attempting to ace.

    3. Intelligence goes artificial: Been reading all about Chabots lately? Yes, artificial intelligence has arrived, and will see more traction in the next couple of years. This combined with concepts like robotics and machine learning are set to revolutionize digital and disrupt most industries. It will replace the functions human beings do, not human beings altogether. The best part about machines is that once one machine makes a mistake, no other machine makes a mistake! This makes concepts like voice assistants sound last season.

    4. The rise of augmented and virtual reality: The possibility of augmented and virtual reality as an advertising format is exciting, since that pretty much increases the screen size to infinity. Apart from advertising, augmented and virtual reality will go more mainstream and create a paradigm shift in all sectors as consumers seek real life immersive experiences.Pokémon Go gave us a flavor of the same, however reflected only a fraction of capabilities of the concept. Imagine falling off a cliff into a large net with the logo of a particular brand, you will never forget the brand after that experience!

    5. Data, data and data: Data is the lifeline of marketers – its actionable insights and analysis form the crux of any brand campaign, not just digital. Technologies that can identify customer psychographics, demographics, behavioral patterns, preferences more and more minutely, will rise rapidly. Visualization and interpretation of the data will be an increasing need. If companies tried hard to crack the consumer code last year, they will try much harder this year. Automation will drive digital – as they say, there is nothing like too much data.

    6. About the Internet of Things: Wearable technology will keep looking at reinventing itself to solve more problems, change the way we interact with each other and redefine how businesses target its customers. Smart devices will get smarter as consolidation will be the answer to most services. Product experiences will take centre-stage rather than pushing mere features and capabilities. Innovation will be at its best as marketing attempts to get more real.

    7. Social media under the limelight: Research shows that a majority of the millions of Internet users in urban India regularly access social media platforms. Personalized content will gain popularity and users will demand real-time information. Brands will be compelled to shell out more monies in a bid to gain increased visibility in the cluttered space given most have turned to social media for their marketing solutions. Also, social media platforms will eventually provide end-to-end services making it more user-friendly.

    The biggest trend, however, is that we are moving from digital advertising to digital age – where digital will play the role of a catalyst and multiplier for every facet of an organization rather than being limited to advertising and communication.

      http://www.indiantelevision.com/sites/drupal7.indiantelevision.co.in/files/styles/large/public/vivek_0.jpg?itok=sKo4Mw7cVivek Bhargava is CEO, DAN Performance Group. The views expressed here are personal and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to them
  • Indians consume 76% mobile content on Android device: Outbrain

    Indians consume 76% mobile content on Android device: Outbrain

    MUMBAI: As new technology and platforms come in, digital content consumption witnesses a wave of change. In a scenario like this, highlighting the key digital content consumption trend in India, an Outbrain research titled ‘Content Consumption Trends’ shows that the Indian mobile market is clearly dominated by the Android user, where a staggering 76 per cent of the overall content consumed on smart phones is consumed on an Android device – second only to Malaysia.

    According to the report, in Southeast Asia, Android is now in a truly dominant and almost unchallengeable position, probably due to its more affordable price-point and its availability on a much wider range of models. On the other hand, in a number of key markets such as Australia, Japan, the UK and the US, Apple’s iPhone still enjoys its best engagement rates, according to the report.

    Additionally, the report also shows that India is the most engaged market when it comes to consumption through mobile devices like tablets and smart phones and is overtaking the US market.

    The report is the first in its kind in the region and compares India to other mature markets: Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, UK and the US.

    Data reveals a powerful connection between the growth in mobile technology and the increase in content consumption on smart phones and tablets. For example, in Singapore, Japan and the UK, people consume more than half of their content on a smart phone or tablet.

    On the other hand, when it comes to content preferences, factors like cultural differences and seasonality play an important role. For example, for the period analysed (October to 31 December, 2014), of the overall health-related content consumed in Australia, a stunning 39 per cent was about nutrition. That could be due to the upcoming summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, when people try to get in shape and lose some extra pounds.

    As per Outbrain’s study, effectively measured content marketing is not easy, but those who measure and optimise the right metrics will be the ones who ultimately see the greatest return on investment.

    In the next chart, the company has measured engagement on PC, smart phone and tablet by looking at a combination of Page views per Session and Minutes per Session.

    Outbrain GM India and SEA Gulshan Verma said, “The Content Consumption Trends report aims to highlight some of the key facts, figures and trends on how people are reading and watching online content. It’s fascinating to see both the similarities and differences in terms of how and when content is consumed in India compared to other major markets globally. The report not only delivers analyses of consumption trends, but also helps to provide marketers with insights to help them better understand how to develop and place their content.”

  • Indian satellite TV revenues to touch $2.5 billion by 2020: Digital TV Research

    Indian satellite TV revenues to touch $2.5 billion by 2020: Digital TV Research

    NEW DELHI: Satellite TV (DTH or DBS) revenues will overtake total cable TV revenues in 2015, and the growth of digitisation in India will have a major role to play in this.

     

    According to Digital TV Research, India will add the most satellite TV revenues to the tune of $2.5 billion, moving from tenth to fifth place between 2014 and 2020.

     

    India will add $3.2 billion in digital cable TV revenues to take its total to $4.3 billion. India’s revenues will climb by $4.7 billion between 2014 and 2020, with China up by $1.6 billion and Japan increasing by $1.1 billion.

     

    Covering 138 countries, the Digital TV World Revenue Forecasts report estimates that satellite TV accounted for 44 per cent of the total in 2014, going up to 46 per cent by 2020. However, cable TV revenues (both analogue and digital) will drop from 46 per cent of the total in 2014 to 40 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile, IPTV – the fastest growing platform – will climb from a 10 per cent share in 2014 to 13 per cent by 2020.

     

    Satellite TV revenues will reach $94.8 billion in 2020. The United States will remain satellite TV market leader. Brazil will be second by 2020 ($6.8 billion); having overtaken the United Kingdom in 2013. However, the US will fall by $421 million, Canada by $805 million and France by $232 million.

     

    Global cable TV revenues peaked at $93.8 billion in 2012, and will fall to $81.9 billion in 2020. However, cable operators will gain extra revenues by converting subscribers to bundles. Analogue cable TV revenues will plummet by $14.4 billion between 2014 and 2020 to only $1.5 billion.

     

    Digital cable TV revenues will climb by 5.6 per cent from $76.1 billion in 2014 to $80.3 billion in 2020 – or up by nearly $19 billion between 2010 and 2020. Digital cable TV revenues in the US will fall by $8.9 billion between 2014 and 2020 to $34.1 billion. In fact, digital cable TV revenues will drop for 20 countries over the same period. Second-placed China will increase its revenues by $2.1 billion to $8.9 billion and third-placed Japan by $2.0 billion to $5.1 billion.

     

    IPTV revenues will climb to $27.9 billion in 2020; triple the 2010 figure. US IPTV revenues will increase by $1.3 billion between 2014 and 2020 to $9.5 billion, with Canada second with $2.3 billion. Third-placed China will be up by $1.1 billion to $2.1 billion – just ahead of Japan.

     

    Pay-TV revenues will more than double in 33 countries between 2014 and 2020. Most of the fast growing nations by percentage increase will be in Africa, with Myanmar, Laos and Bangladesh providing notable exceptions. India’s revenues will climb by $4.7 billion between 2014 and 2020, with China up by $1.6 billion and Japan increasing by $1.1 billion.

     

    Global pay TV revenues (subscription fees and on-demand movies and TV episodes) will only grow by 2.6 per cent between 2014 and 2020 to $207 billion. This follows 14.5 per cent growth between 2010 and 2014. 

     

    Total revenues in North America will fall by 11.7 per cent (or $12 billion) between 2014 and 2020. Western Europe will be flat at $32 billion.

     

    On a more positive note, revenues will grow by nearly $10 billion (up by 30 per cent) in the Asia Pacific region to $42 billion. Asia Pacific will overtake Western Europe in 2015, and will be larger than the whole of Europe by 2019. Eastern Europe will add $1 billion (up by 17 per cent) between 2014 and 2020. Latin America will add a further $2.6 billion (up by 13 per cent) between 2014 and 2020.

     

    Revenues will rocket by 76 per cent (up by $2.7 billion) in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and by 32 per cent (up by $1.4 billion) in Middle East and North Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa will pass Middle East region in 2018.

  • Share of news channels in total AdEx is encouraging: CVL Srinivas

    Share of news channels in total AdEx is encouraging: CVL Srinivas

    NOIDA: “Indian news industry is as vibrant as the different cultures of India,” said GroupM south Asia CVL Srinivas as he presented the keynote on Innovations in news selling at the 7th Indian News Television Summit.

     

    Srinivas, sharing a media agency’s perspective on news and brands, added that the news industry today needs a lot of balance especially in terms of reportage, content for different audiences across platforms. 

     

    As for the AdEx, he informed that in the country the advertising expenditure for television stood at Rs 16,000 crore. “The news channels take 13 per cent share of the pie which is encouraging as the viewership of news channels stood at 10 per cent,” he stressed upon.

     

    Talking about the ad spend growth in the country, he informed that the television medium was growing at a rate of 14 per cent overall. The Hindi news genre was growing at 15 per cent, closely followed by regional news at 10 per cent while English news genre stood at seven per cent.

     

    Moving then onto brand research, Srinivas felt that today brand research is undergoing a radical change and old measurement methods are being questioned. Throwing some light on GroupM’s one such initiative, Social Command Centre, he said, “It is a virtual conference room that monitors the digital space and provides rich insights about consumers and brands.” And stated the example of Nestle which uses the tool to monitor chatter and gather buzz around the brand digitally. 

     

    Honda using the popular comedian Kapil Sharma to launch a series of campaign online, which garnered 1.5 million hits, was another example, he highlighted upon. He went on to say that cause-based marketing should be initiated and brands should ask themselves, how do we evolve ourselves to become more meaningful entities?  “Once brands are able to answer the same, there will be a lot of headroom for improvement and growth,” he opined. Providing another example, he said an agency called Crayon Data was able to come up with tastegraphs that showed the purchasing and behavioural pattern of different audiences in well-segmented clusters.

     

    He further went on to add that the evolving Indian digital space sees 220 million Indians active on the digital front spending  almost 200 minutes a day online either checking mails or watching videos. “This implies that the new medium cannot be ignored,” he informed.

     

    According to Srinivas, news broadcasters need to keep in mind a few things for the future such as co creating socially responsible agendas with brands, invest more in digital, adopt new metrics such as consumer sentiment, social buzz, social impact, viewers’ profile and lastly getting into big data.

     

    In his closing remarks, he said that while the upcoming digital environment has caused a big disruption to some it will provide a huge opportunity to the news industry and sky is the limit.