How co-viewing is helping brand messages hit home

The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way we consume digital content. As social distancing and work from home become the norm, the demand for digital media is growing significantly, attracting new consumers and spreading to new locations and demographics. Alongside, we are witnessing a migration of viewing from smaller screens – laptops and phones – to the significantly larger TV screens.

Overall, consumption trends are slated to grow and consequently, at-home digital options like OTT will witness an upswing. This is mainly because ‘lockdown behaviour’ will entrench itself as a habit even after people return to work and overall normalcy.

Co-viewing: A new consumption habit

There is another significant change. People are increasingly consuming content together and engaging socially around it – often called ‘co-viewing’. In fact, the consumption of content is a social activity when people engage with it together and converse either during the programme or during breaks.

This offers an important learning: what goes on between people around media can impact acceptance of what they consume. This is critical for advertisers, too, because they can deliver their message to more people in one go, especially to those that influence purchase decisions the most. As a single brand message reaches an entire family, the brand achieves a magnified reach and better bang for the buck.

What the numbers say

This is borne out by the viewing patterns on Disney+ Hotstar. Watch time on connected TVs has risen 85% during the lockdown even as daily reach has expanded by 60%. There is no longer a prime time on Disney+ Hotstar – content consumption has risen by 20% in the afternoons, especially because it offers the kind of content entire families can watch together. The platform hosts 12 of the top 15 shows on OTT platforms, as well as eight of the top 10 movies. Among genres, family-friendly mythology leads with a rise of 75%.

No wonder advertisers on the platform are clocking better results. Engagement levels show that consumers are open to marketing communication in these times, especially by brands that understand that relevance is more critical than ever.

Why co-viewing is here to stay

Even after India emerges from the lockdown, consumption will need a while to return to the ‘old normal’. This means that the pressure on advertising spends will persist. In the time of co-viewing, each message reaches a larger number of people and offers brands greater reach with the same spends.

Co-viewing, therefore, is a significant advantage for brands that choose the right platforms.