Tag: Study

Consumers subscribe to TV channels in bouquets rather than paying for individual channels: Study

Mumbai: There are gaps in the effective exercise of consumer choice in TV channel selection, according to a study on the TV consumer market, released on Wednesday.

The key findings of the report suggest that most consumers avail TV channels via bouquets or packages and rely on distributors’ basic packages to make their choice. Based on the findings, the report states that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) could review the charges for Network Capacity Fee (NCF), which is a flat fee, and instead consider a Network Access Fee (NAF), which is charged on a per-channel basis.

The nationwide survey of over 10,000 TV consumers was commissioned by Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) and Broadband India Forum (BIF) in the months of April and May 2022. The study evaluated consumers’ perception of TV channel selection and overall satisfaction.

This is a first-of-its-kind evidence-based study conducted in India which captures the consumers’ perspective and level of satisfaction regarding TV viewership.

TV consumers prefer bouquets/packages

The study found that 54 per cent of consumers surveyed buy TV channels via bouquets or packages, and 35 per cent do so via a combination of bouquets and individual channels. With an effective total of 89 per cent of consumers surveyed preferring bouquets, the survey highlighted that it was the preferred choice of channel selection.

According to 70 per cent of survey respondents, television provides good value for money, compared to only 27 per cent for digital/OTT platforms and only three per cent for TV apps.

Most consumers factor in the price of a TV package when selecting a TV subscription, and a majority subscribe to the distributors’ basic package, which includes between 100 and 200 channels. The survey found that consumers typically pay between Rs 200 and Rs 400 for their subscriptions.

40 per cent of survey respondents felt that their TV subscriptions catered to the viewing needs of the entire family. However, consumers felt that there was room for levels of satisfaction to grow, as they may want to watch new channels that they think they may like, highlighted the study.

Quality of Service (QoS) found wanting

The study pointed out that a majority of consumers, 75 per cent, were unaware of Trai’s channel selector app, launched in June 2020. Only 31 per cent were aware that they could add/remove TV channels from their subscription packages, 51 per cent were hesitant to add/remove channels themselves, and only 43 per cent of those who eventually added TV channels found the process convenient.

The majority of consumers, 60 per cent, relied on manual channel addition and removal & required direct intervention from distribution, it found.

In 2017, Trai issued quality of service (QoS) regulations requiring itemised billing, quick and convenient grievance redressal, and assistance with customer premises equipment.

The study found that one in five consumers believes there has been a decline in grievance redressal, assistance with set-top-boxes (STBs), freedom to choose which channels to watch, and an increase in the number of advertisements.

Furthermore, three out of every four customers claim to have never received an itemised bill. All of these are required by the current regulatory framework, and non-compliance with this framework is reflected in insufficient enforcement at the last mile of distribution, it said.

Empower last mile service providers

As per the conclusions of the study, the mismatch between consumer preferences and channel subscriptions could be reduced if more efforts are made to raise consumer awareness, e.g., capacity building through regional consumer cells, and if consumers have more say in deciding their bouquets.

The study suggested that the charges for Network Capacity Fee (NCF) could be reviewed to ensure that subscriptions reflect consumer choice. Alternatively, a per-channel Network Access Fee (NAF) could be considered instead of a flat NCF charge.

“Distributors could be incentivised to assist customers by providing appropriate channels and bouquets of their choice using this method,” said the statement.

The regulator could also assist credible consumer organisations in raising awareness, developing capacity and acting as watchdogs for QoS compliance, channel selection availability, quality of content, viewing experience and quality of service.

Last-mile service providers/distribution platform operators continue to be the primary point of contact for TV subscriptions, and it is crucial that QoS requirements and transparency mandates are accomplished.

CUTS International secretary general Pradeep S. Mehta said, “The major findings indicate that there are gaps in the effective exercise of consumer choice as well as channel selection. Efforts to enhance consumer awareness around their rights as well as methods of channel selection are imperative. However, any further regulatory intervention should follow a detailed cost-benefit analysis.”

Broadband India Forum president T.V. Ramachandran said, “The study assumes great significance and relevance, especially in the present times, when the general notion is that digital media and content are impacting the popularity of legacy and linear TV. The report indicates possible areas for regulatory and policy focus to help in the overall improvement of quality of services and consumer satisfaction.”

August 3, 2022
Havas Media Group, MiQ & Samsung Ads unveil India’s first brand lift study on connected TV

Mumbai: Havas Group India’s media investment and experience arm Havas Media Group India has unveiled India’s first brand lift study on CTV in collaboration with a programmatic media solutions provider and global leader in connected TV (CTV) advertising MiQ and a leading provider of advanced TV advertising Samsung Ads.

With over 20 million CTV households and a wide range of video content, India is one of the world’s fastest-growing advertising markets. With changing media habits, CTV equips advertisers to personalise and target the campaigns at the household level, which traditional TV does not allow.

The objective of this brand lift study was to demonstrate and prove the effectiveness & efficacy of CTV as an advertising medium and to enable marketers to measure the impact of their CTV campaigns on key brand KPIs such as purchase intent, brand awareness, and favourability.

The brand lift study, conducted by Kantar, included a significant number of respondents from across India, revealed that the Samsung Ads CTV campaign had a significant impact on brand lift parameters and performed well across the entire funnel. The study also revealed some campaign findings including 19 per cent lift achieved in online ad awareness, 11 per cent lift in brand favorability, 10 per cent lift in purchase intent, strengthened brand attributes among target audience and significant impact on association with the brand message.

Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua said, “As a network, we are constantly striving to be first movers in the industry in terms of innovation and thought leadership. Meaningful media has the potential to positively impact brand metrics, and we see CTV as an essential link between the digital and traditional ecosystems. The audience is changing the way they consume media, and CTV is dominating in terms of both screen impact and exponential audience growth. We want to draw attention to CTV and its ability to deliver with this first-in-the-country initiative. CTV is a future-forward dominating media space & by incorporating engagement on the same, we will further drive meaningful impact for the brand, business & people.”

Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi said, “We’re ecstatic to see these game-changing insights emerge from the brand lift survey. We’re all aware that advertisers want media formats to work harder; with connected TV, we’re shifting away from competing for eyeballs and toward creating meaningful exposures to target our captivated audience. I’m confident that it will allow us to attract more advertisers to the CTV ecosystem and allow marketers to consider more full-funnel solutions to maximise reach to the addressable segment. With the rise of connected devices and the resulting increase in time spent, marketers should consider CTV in any way that it complements digital and TV strategies.”

Commenting on the survey results, MiQ managing director – India, SAARC and China Siddharth Dabhade said, “We’re excited about the promising results of the brand lift survey, as it highlights the huge growth potential of CTV advertising in India, which is projected to have 80 million CTV households by 2025. MiQ can help Indian brands catapult into this space and leverage our global expertise in TV intelligence and data-driven programmatic. We are confident of bringing many more brands to the CTV advertising space through our collaboration with Samsung Ads and media agencies.”

Talking about the potential of advertising on Samsung TV, Samsung Ads senior director- India & South East Asia Prabhvir Sahmey said, “Marketers understand the value of CTV, and this study is a significant step to successfully prove the impact CTV can have on driving business outcomes in India. We’re excited to be working with MiQ to help marketers quantify results and validate the value CTV can have on the entire marketing funnel.”

July 13, 2022
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.

August 30, 2021
TV homes continue to grow post new tariff order implementation

MUMBAI: The recent IRS study revealed that TV homes have continued to witness growth in the post-implementation period of TRAI’s new tariff order (NTO). According to the IRS study that was conducted, post NTO period shows that in Q2 2019 TV homes grew to 194 million from 192 million TV homes in Q1 2019.

As per IRS study in 2017, there were 183 million TV homes. According to BARC India in 2016 there were 183 million TV homes and in 2018 there were 197 million TV homes.

The NTO was implemented on 1 February 2019 with an aim to allow customers to select and pay only for the channels they want. Many companies also witnessed a bad quarter during the transaction period of NTO.

After the few months of implementation of NTO, TRAI released a consultation paper to review the issues of pricing of the channels. The paper primarily discusses issues related to discounts in the formation of bouquets, ceiling price of channels for inclusion in bouquet, need for formation of bouquet by broadcasters and DPOs, variable NCF and discounts on long term plan, etc.

August 29, 2019
MPA report values Asia Pacific online video revenue opportunity at $12 billion by 2020

MUMBAI: A research report published by Media Partners Asia (MPA) indicates that the total market for online video services across 13 countries in Asia Pacific will grow from $3.5 billion in net revenues in 2014 to reach $12.4 billion by 2020, representing an average annual growth of 23.5 per cent. Advertising will contribute more than 80 per cent to the online video pie by 2020 with the subscription revenue opportunity, largely driven by subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms, growing from less than $700 million in 2014 to more than $2.3 billion by 2020.

The report, entitled ‘Asia Pacific Online Video Distribution 2015’, evaluates the commercial distribution of legal over-the-top (OTT) video services in 13 markets with historical data and forecasts plus profiles of key OTT platforms.

Commenting on the report, MPA executive director Vivek Couto said, “The market for the legal consumption of OTT services in Asia Pacific is at an early stage with monetisation models nascent in most countries. As barriers to entry reduce and broadband penetration increases, more disruptors are emerging and host of new platforms are proliferating, though business models are not always scalable and issues such as piracy; content; and platform operation remain problematic. This is especially true in a number of Asian markets where piracy is significant and the limited scale of OTT video revenues are not commensurate with content costs.”

“Meanwhile, large scale global digital brands (from YouTube to Netflix) are expanding rapidly in a number of Asian markets or readying to launch in key territories over 2015 and 2016. Major local and regional television companies are also in the early stages of launching a number of large scale advertising and subscription based OTT platforms, anchored to local, Asian and Hollywood content while telecom operators are either moving upstream into content and OTT services or providing a crucial link for the ecosystem,” he added.

Key takeouts from the report include:

•   Infrastructure. Fixed broadband subscribers reached 325.3 million in 2014 across Asia Pacific, equivalent to an average household penetration rate of 36 per cent. By 2020, MPA projections indicate that this penetration level will reach 40 per cent as fixed broadband subs grow to 403.5 million mobile broadband will grow rapidly, expanding at CAGR of 15 per cent over 2014 and 2020 to reach almost 2 billion subs by 2020 (58 per cent penetration of population) versus 866 million (26 per cent penetration) in 2014.

•   OTT Video Consumption. Active Asia Pacific OTT video subscribers reached 594 million in 2014, according to MPA. China accounted for more 85 per cent of the market size in 2014 and will represent 80 per cent by 2020. Ex-China, the largest markets in 2014 were Korea; India; Japan; and Hong Kong. By 2020, MPA projections indicate that active OTT video customers will reach 977 million. By 2020, in Asia ex-China, India will emerge as the second largest market, followed by Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia will be joined by Indonesia and the Philippines as market leaders.

The market for subscription-based OTT video reached 75.3 million active subscribers in 2014 and is expected to reach 225 million by 2020. China will be the largest contributor, driven by internet-enabled TV and set-top box platforms and online video companies offering premium services. Japan, Korea, India and Australia will emerge as material opportunities, powered by SVOD but India will trend towards more a freemium-oriented model.

•   Industry economics. MPA divides industry monetization models into distinct segments:

o    SVOD. In terms of SVOD revenue across OTT platforms, the largest markets in Asia Pacific by 2020 will be Japan; China; Korea; and Australia. New Zealand and India will lead the next best placed group of geographies. MPA projections indicate that total SVOD-based OTT revenues in Asia Pacific will grow at a CAGR of 16 per cent between 2014 and 2020, growing from $953 million in 2014 to more than $2.3 billion by 2020.

o    Online video and OTT advertising. Asia Pacific online video advertising exceeded US$3.7 billion in net terms in 2014, up 35 per cent year-on-year. The largest markets for online video advertising in 2014 were, by far, China and Japan, followed by Australia, India and Korea. By 2020, the total Asia Pacific online vide advertising pie is expected to grow to $10 billion, a CAGR of 18 per cent from 2014, with China dominant, followed by Japan and Australia. India will gain increasing scale and overtake Korea while Indonesia will be the clear leader in Southeast Asia.

OTT video advertising revenue, a subset of the online video advertising pie, reached $2.1 billion in 2014, up 43 per cent year-on-year from a low base, and almost entirely driven by China. This pie, is projected by MPA to expand to $5.5 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of ~18 per cent. China will be the largest contributor with India, Korea and Indonesia starting to become gradually significant over time.

January 13, 2015
DTH could push HD penetration in next one year: MPA

MUMBAI: As the year comes to an end, the multi system operators (MSOs) have finally come out with their packages and the pricing module for the Star India channels, after the broadcaster decided to give its channels only on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) basis.

But according to Media Partners Asia (MPA) while Star has the right intent, it has to remain flexible on the incentives offered for better ground adoption. From the operator’s viewpoint, the Star scheme needs to address the following issues:

1. Despite availing of the maximum discount on the scheme, the content cost for operators remains higher than previous CPS deals, exacerbated as operators are not receiving any carriage fees.

2. The scheme does not factor in volume discounts on the basis of an absolute number of subscribers offered through a given operator network.

3. Channel pricing is based on filed RIO rates. These are not reflective of consumer preferences. For instance, Star Plus which enjoys 2x the viewership of Life OK, has a lower price than Life OK.

4. To generate higher discounts, the scheme demands carrying maximum channels with 90 per cent penetration. This will result in a rich basic pack offering which will disincentivise future upselling to an operator’s high value packages.

5. Even if operators are able to pass through content costs to subscribers, MSOs face the risk of paying more and collecting less as the current backend systems for operators are not robust and transparent enough to collect and pass on revenues for channels on an a-la carte basis.

6. The scheme does not factor in HD channels. MSO action plan and execution risk Star has been transparent on rates and discounts for its channels. Some national MSOs have accordingly started to work on their blueprint of tiering channels through a broad revenue share arrangement with local cable operators (LCOs). On the backend, according to MPA, the operators now critically need to have their technology systems in sync with consumer preferences, collected through KYC (Know Your Customer) forms. They will also need to decentralise control by extending their consumer databases to respective LCOs to enable the upgrading and downgrading of packages as per consumer choice. As backend systems get re-engineered, MSOs will need to concurrently conduct roadshows and training programmes for LCOs. MSOs will also need to undertake marketing campaigns to create awareness on a consumer’s need to make choices on revised cable packages.

MPA also feels that MSOs intend to pass their increase in net content cost to consumers by undertaking an average price hike of Rs 40-60 ($0.7-1) per month. Even if consumers accept the price increase, the risk to MSOs lies in collecting their legitimate share of incremental revenues from LCOs. In order to offset this, MSOs plan to shift to trade prepaid services, which should have positive consequences.

Long term implications for the Pay TV industry

Broadcasters: Currently, all broadcasters are looking to reduce carriage fees and bring it to parity with DTH in terms of total payout. A number of broadcast networks are taking a wait-and-see approach. Having already eliminated carriage in DAS markets, if Star manages to obtain reasonable viewership for its driver channels with a nominal growth in subscription revenues, MPA believes that others too will broadly follow Star’s approach.

According to MPA, non-carriage discounted rate schemes could become the template for future content deals. This will have direct implications on several advertisement-skewed and reach-dependent genres, such as news and music. Channels in such genres might then remain feasible by converting to free-to-air. Launching new channels will become difficult and as a result, the industry could see rebranding and a frequent change in the programming mix of existing channels.

MSOs: As carriage and placement revenues start to dry up, the priority for MSOs for the next 12 months will be to shift to establishing robust back-end systems for better subscription monetisation in phases I and II. Consequently, voluntary digitisation and reach expansion in phases III and IV could take a back seat. MPA in its report also points out that national MSOs have already invested and outsourced backend systems to renowned IT vendors, which need to now streamline the secondary point network in order to attain authenticated customer information and deliver strong customer support services.

“Critical is the increasingly important need to successfully rollout trade prepaid services and rationalising content cost by identifying active paying subscribers which will address the current cash flow crisis and determine the future feasibility of an MSOs business model.

As the industry shifts gears, we may see more consolidation of cable players which fail to invest and execute on establishing B2C processes,” says MPA.

DTH: Over the last 30 months, the DTH industry had implemented a 53 per cent increase in its base pack pricing. Just when it seemed that rate hikes on base packs had hit a ceiling, the price hikes implemented by MSOs provided the DTH industry with additional headroom to undertake further price increases. In addition, with tiering of channels on cable, the value gap in the form of realisation per channel between cable and DTH operators will narrow, feels MPA.

As per MPA, a lighter base pack for both cable and DTH will gradually result in the upselling of subscribers to high value packs, thereby boosting ARPU growth.

Moreover, Star’s entertainment and sports channels have been key drivers for HD in India.

MPA in its concluding remarks points out that acquiring Star’s HD channels on RIO makes it unfeasible for cable and thus enables DTH operators to push HD penetration aggressively for the next one year. Through attractive pricing and marketing, DTH operators could leverage HD to win some subscribers from cable.

December 17, 2014
Women portrayal: Better days are emerging

MUMBAI: The debate over portrayal of women in our advertisements and soaps is ever going. Remember the recent Airtel advertisement which created a furor as people debated if a working woman should cook or not? Or even the last year’s Ford Figo advertisement, which saw people from creative agency JWT being asked to leave and not to forget the deodorant ads.
Many blame that the sexist or regressive portrayal of women in advertisements, soaps and movies is the reason behind the way they are treated in real life. While others say it just reflects the changing morals and values of the generation that consumes it. The advertising industry has been faced with a piquant situation, for many years now.
However, over time, steps have been taken to apply a healthy amalgam of scientific temper and good intentions to pursue the goal of gender equality.
Advertising is known to reflect societal norms and should be a torch bearer of change. Does advertising showcase the changes in women’s roles? The question is answered in a survey, of key personnel in advertising and marketing in the report titled, Changing Gender Frames.
In today’s connected and networked times, the role of media in shaping and forming public opinion and perceptions has been well documented. One such area is that of gender stereotyping. So, one of the ways to change the attitude towards women could be through the change in portrayal of women in media and advertising.
The research, included marketing and advertising professionals spread across Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, to assess and understand the status of gender stereotypes, the perceptions of the portrayal of women in advertising and an understanding of the effect of communication that challenges gender stereotypes.
In the research, professionals resoundingly endorsed that it is education and financial independence that is empowering women, giving them more decision making power and helping them enter public spaces and conversations.

There was almost unanimous agreement that gender roles are less clearly defined these days, and stereotyping and accompanying social pressures are on the wane, especially for aspects like women working out of the house and men doing housework, both of which have become acceptable. But women still feel that children are more their responsibility than that of the father.
However, there is some ambiguity on the whole sexuality or body image aspect. Women still report that men normally judge them on the basis of beauty and sex appeal.
Professionals are of the opinion that in advertising today women are being portrayed more as energetic, confident and modern multi-taskers than as ‘homely’. This then leads to the question of whether a new stereotype of supermom has arrived.
While most professionals feel that the changing trend is sustainable, it rests on the fact that marketers now look at women as a potential segment which will facilitate growth; thereby making it important to tap the potential of this segment which is now experiencing independence on the financial as well as decision making front.
Using women ‘provocatively’, in advertising is seen as a sure shot way to grab attention even today by both men and women.
The research also flagged advertising that has been noticed for its challenging of gender stereotypes. Airtel with the wife as boss, the remarriage story of Tanishq and the mother who trains her child in the Bournvita commercial, have emerged as examples of moving to the new gender conversation with style.
However, there is still a majority feeling that advertising has not been able to portray the actual status of women in society. While there seems to be a change in the portrayal of women in advertising due to her newer roles, there still seems to be a lot of opportunity to explore various facets of women and showcase them in advertising.

Click here to read the full report

December 11, 2014
Nielsen to track TV viewership on mobile devices through FB

MUMBAI: With changing times, researchers want to know more than what people are watching on their TV screens. They now want to know what people are viewing, on the go.

Nielsen, a research company, has announced a partnership with social media giant Facebook to know what TV viewers are watching on their tablets and other mobile devices. The agency currently tracks TV viewing habits through peoplemeters.

By the end of this year, Facebook will send aggregated data on the age and gender of users watching TV shows on their smartphones and tablets to the research agency. Facebook is said to have been working with Nielsen under strong privacy principles.

In the past, Facebook had came under much criticism for a research activity it had conducted in 2012 on anonymous users by modulating the user feed to elicit certain types of emotions from them.

“The world is shifting radically, and so we had to evolve our measurement so that we could capture all of this fragmented viewing,” said Nielsen EVP Cheryl Idell to LA Times.

When device users will watch TV shows on apps that have Nielsen ‘software meter’ embedded, they will be notified about their views being counted unless they wish to opt out. However, Facebook insists that this will be an anonymously collected data that will be shared with Nielsen.

The double-blind study involves Nielsen assigning numbers to names of TV shows and giving it to Facebook which will then aggregate the age and gender of the users that have seen a specific show. Nielsen claims that Facebook won’t be aware of which numbers relate to which shows while the social networking site claims that the study will not influence any type of online advertising displayed in users’ feeds.

However, the data will be used by advertisers to better target majority of mobile watchers for ads that are inserted within shows.

July 17, 2014
MTV reads ‘Curious Minds’

By 2020, the average age of an individual in India will be 29 years, making it the youngest country in the world.

Keeping this in mind, marketers, broadcasters and researchers are trying their best to understand what does the youth want? What aspires them, what holds significance in their life…There are millions of things running on their head and it doesn’t take them much to change their minds.

The dynamic, confident and always connected Millennials speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by marketers and others. In a bid to do just that, Viacom’s youth channel MTV partnered with Third Eye Qualitative Researchers and conversed with more than 11,000 young people across 40 plus cities in the country to find out what exactly makes them tick.

The study, MTV Curious Minds, throws light at various insights into the generation which likes to live it large. And this is not driven from the fear of missing out or by urgency that comes from having only one life, but it comes from the innate necessity to stay curious and curate.

Gone are the days when bumping into a stranger and starting a conversation needed courage; today they are open to new experiences and explorations. They might be called fickle minded but the generation has its head far more on its shoulders than we give them credit for.

Currently, they are all busy planning their career. For them, it’s not about just making a living; it is about living life with a sense of purpose. Hardworking, open-minded, happy and confident are the four primary values that define this generation.

Digital OD

Born with the technology gene, the youngsters have grown up on multiple screens. In the age of social media, where one can be followed, liked or favourited, nobody is a ‘nobody’ anymore. Technology has changed the lifestyle, beliefs and outlook of the young. It has removed the barriers of social status and geographic locations.

With everything happening with just a click of a button or the swipe of a finger, the youth navigate their lives smoothly intertwining the diverse elements of the internet, personal screens, apps etc. Three out of every four youth check details of a product online, if the advertising interests them.

They agree that the app-ification will only intensify and grow with passing years; 86 per cent believe app usage will be much higher in year 2020.

Hope the advertisers are paying heed.

The channel surely is listening to what the youngsters want, online. Name it and the channel is present on every social platform. From Facebook to Pinterest, it makes and promotes shows that trigger conversations on the internet including MTV Webbed and Coke Studio as well as web exclusive shows.

MTV India claims that its biggest achievement has been that it was recognised as a channel which talks back and cares for the audience. In an earlier interaction with indiantelevision.com MTV India digital head Ekalavya Bhattacharya had said, “One cannot talk or give feedback to a TV set but the TG can talk to it via the social networks. We often tailor our on-air content based on the online commentary.”

Social networking is not new, but what’s interesting is the new ways in which it is now being used. Smaller platforms that became fads are actually platforms of self-expression that are created on small and more niche circles. Then there are other networking apps that let them stay connected 24/7.

However, youngsters know it’s important to be safe and share discreetly. And yet, they cannot refuse the thrill of exploring the unknown on the internet. 83 per cent believe that social media can go terribly wrong if not handled properly. They are aware of dangers like cyber bullying, hacking, email spam, social network stalking etc.

No one is complaining about the digital OD.

Entertainment, everywhere

Entertainment is everywhere, 24/7, 365 days of a year, so there is no forgiveness for being bored or being bored. Friends and music are the most important elements for entertainment. They create and explore new trends as well as drive the nails into the coffin of all things outdated and boring.

College, school or work takes up majority of their time, closely followed by family time even as the internet as the all day companion.

When it comes to television, shows are a kind of a cultural graph. They can speak of trends and the language of these shows can quickly seep into the youth lexicon. The impact of TV on the lives of the young goes well beyond just latching on to the lingo and style statements beamed via the small screen. It’s clear that the youth picks up cues for life, bro-codes, friendship rituals and sometimes even a philosophy or an attitude from TV. The connect with TV content is something they carry into their social spaces, in the form of online and offline comments and discussions with their circles.

For today’s youth, watching TV is far from from being a passive, one-dimensional exercise. Comfortable as they are being on multiple platforms simultaneously, it is common to see them reacting live and instantaneously to TV content, as it unfolds, via Twitter or FB or even WhatsApp groups.

Also, the young don’t mind paying for the content if it provides them with flexibility in access and the choice to consume content.

They want different genres and content that catches their fancy. The channel recently launched its first fiction supernatural drama Fanaa- An Impossible Love Story.

In real life, though youngsters might resist commitment, they are exploring relationships. They romanticise the idea of eternal and true love. Building on these findings, MTV decided to come up with a unique story of teen love featuring vampires and werewolves.

MTV Insights Studio through the study aims to learn from the students and in the same bid try to give them what they want.

Times are changing and to survive in the highly volatile environment, knowing the mindset of the TG is sacrosanct.

July 15, 2014
Content marketing most tightly integrated with Search Engine Optimisation: Study

NEW DELHI: The year 2013 was marked by updates that have altered search marketing irreversibly.

Post-hummingbird, marketers are forced to think of organic search in a whole new light – with practice such as link-building taking a back-seat and SEO becoming more content-centric than ever before. Social signals are being taken seriously by brands.

According to a study by Regalix, 56 per cent marketers integrate content marketing with search engine optimisation while 61 per cent marketers use responsive web design as a part of their mobile SEO.

A total of 76 per cent marketers use social media to support and boost SEO, and 71 per cent marketers use broad-based information keywords to capture leads at the top of the purchase funnel. Around 47 per cent of B2B marketers believe that growth of mobile ads and mobile content is not significant to them.

Interestingly, 96 per cent marketers use search engine marketing to provide informational/educational content and 68 per cent marketers use paid search to accelerate lead generation.

Regalix senior vice president Nimish Vohra said, “Search is a foundational channel within the marketing mix and it plays a crucial role in making purchase decisions. For any marketer, it is obviously profitable to adopt a cost-effective marketing strategy.” He added, “Marketers today are forced to re-think and re-invent strategies for paid search, with the increased usage of mobile devices and hence mobile ad formats.”

Detailed findings of the report include an analysis of marketers’ goals for using organic and paid search and various tactics used to effectively attain those goals.

The survey found that paid search marketing is being used at the top of the purchase funnel, majorly for enhancing lead generation. Around 68 per cent marketers use paid search to accelerate lead generation; while 63 per cent marketers use it to sell products and services online.

Marketers use a variety of tactics for lead generation as a part of paid search marketing. The majority, around 71 per cent marketers, use broad-based information keywords to capture prospects at the top of the funnel.

A total of 61 per cent of marketers reported using “exact match” and “negative keywords” to avoid appropriate/irrelevant clicks.

The survey found that the top three goals for search engine marketing are providing educational/informative content (96 per cent), getting established as thought leaders (86 per cent), and enhancing brand reputation and awareness reported by 83 per cent marketers surveyed. As many as 95 per cent marketers were found using search engine marketing for promoting satisfaction and inducing loyalty among their existing customers.

It was demonstrated in the survey that Search Engine Optimisation is used by marketers to advance prospects and buyers through the purchase cycle and is not directed to any one stage in the purchase funnel. However, different keywords are used to target prospects/buyers at different stages.

The survey found that 76 per cent marketers use generic informational keywords to enhance awareness around brands, products and services and direct prospects to their site.

A total of 52 per cent marketers use keywords directing prospects to comparison pages on site to help prospects compare their solution with their competitors, and 43 per cent marketers also use keywords illustrating specific features such as cost, benefits etc.

Only 15 per cent marketers use special offers or discounts to provide them with the necessary push to make a purchasing decision, while 46 per cent marketers use the same keywords directing prospects to comparison sites.

The survey demonstrated that 50 per cent of marketers use keywords indicating discounts or special offers to induce purchase.

It was found that only 9 per cent marketers make use of keywords that direct prospects to blog posts easing the consumption process.

A total of 19 per cent marketers surveyed use keywords that direct buyers to blog posts that create a positive impression in the minds of their customers, hence leaving them content and satisfied with their purchase.

Around 53 per cent marketers use keywords that direct to blogs where buyers can engage with the brand directly.

A total of 25 per cent marketers use keywords with special discounts and offers to existing customers to make them purchase more and keep returning to the brand.

Content marketing was found to be most tightly integrated with search engine optimisation. With SEO becoming more content-centric, it was found that 42 per cent marketers apportion 20 to 40 per cent of their budgets towards content marketing. Less than 20 per cent of budgets are apportioned towards display, paid and organic search.

The survey also found that organic search marketing will see increased investment this year, while at the same time paid search will see reduced investment. Thus, 48 per cent marketers reported that they will increase investment in search engine marketing by 10 to 30 per cent in 2014 while 80 per cent marketers indicated a reduction in paid spends by 10 per cent.

The survey found that the top three metrics for gauging PPC campaigns’ performance are directly related to conversion rates. A total of 84 per cent marketers were found using conversion rates to measure the success of PPC campaigns, 72 per cent were using the number of leads and 50 per cent marketers cost per click metrics to determine the return on PPC investments.

When it comes to organic search marketing, 92 per cent marketers were found using site traffic metrics to determine the success or failure of Search Engine Optimisation efforts. Since SEO is used to target prospects/buyers during each stage of the buying cycle, marketers also use conversion metrics to determine its performance.

The survey was conducted by Regalix and respondents included CMOs and mid-level marketing professionals from leading B2B companies. The State of Search Marketing 2014 was compiled using the survey results and covers the latest search marketing trends, tactics, metrics and challenges faced by B2B marketers in today’s dynamic market environment.

Regalix is an award-winning Global Innovation company that leverages technology and marketing to help companies grow.

June 10, 2014