Opinion: The generation shift in content consumption

Girish Upadhyay of Axis My India gives a rundown on changing content consumption behavior and why gauging future preferences for delivering sharper and more relevant content is important.

Content preferences are changing at a rapid pace! The content that viewers like today might not be of interest to them tomorrow. Some of the factors which are influencing this phenomenon of evolving content preferences are – Better connectivity, Cheaper data plans, Convenience, Binge Watching, More Choices, Localized content, Personalized Content, Lesser ad breaks.  

The preferences differ basis platform (such as Paid TV, Free TV, CTV & Smartphone consumption), geographies, and gender among several other factors. 

Here are 7 observations on content consumption behavior:

1. It’s the age of platform-first content strategy and your screen size determines the viewability of a particular content. You prefer to watch bite-size content using Instagram Stories, Reels, and YouTube Shorts on your mobile, general entertainment shows like Anupamaa on TV & magnum opus movies like RRR or Pathan on cinema screens. 

2. The content consumption spectrum has increased, at one end viewers want to watch the best of global series like Squid Game on Netflix, and on another end, series like Panchayat & Gullak feature in the top 10 IMDb list.

3. No matter what the nature of the content is or the platform you watch it on, engaging with the audience is still the key. Stories that build real connections with the target audience are still the ones that succeed.

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4. Stereotyping audiences for a specific genre might not be relevant anymore. Female viewers are increasingly watching Cricket & News. 

5. No doubt the attention span of consumers is getting shorter, but they will still binge-watch a series if they find it interesting. Good content is still the king.

6. Reasons for liking a particular entertainment show are dependent on multiple factors – the show story, characters of the show, theme of the show, look & feel of the show and the element of unpredictability in the show. These factors vary by audiences, and time bands, hence design content keeping your core audience in mind.  

7. For brands, it’s imperative to have a platform-wise content strategy. Advertising which you show on TV might not be relevant for YouTube, social media, or your native app. 

However, as a basic, no matter what the nature of the content is or the platform you watch it on, engaging with the audience is still the key. Stories that build real connections with the target audience are still the ones that succeed. Hence, it's critical for any content creator be it a TV channel or OTT, or a movie production company to keep assessing what content people are currently watching. The way brands invest in measuring brand health, content creators need to invest in content preference studies, which help them in understanding the content consumption habits of audiences in detail across varied traditional and new media platforms. The challenge is not just to understand the current preferences but also to gauge future preferences for delivering sharper and more relevant content which connects with the audience.

Creating content that works, is both an art & science.

The article is penned by Girish Upadhyay, Chief Marketing Officer, Axis My India.

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.