Millward Brown Study: Indian multiscreen users consume over six hours of screen media daily

Indian multiscreen consumers are most receptive to micro-videos; TV ads with interactivity; and TV ads promoting mobile apps, Facebook pages and websites.

According to the Millward Brown AdReaction 2014 study, a typical multiscreen user (defined as people who own, or have access to, a TV and a smartphone and/or tablet) in India consumes around six hours 24 minutes of screen media daily. This is driven mainly by a high usage of smartphones (162 minutes).

The study analysed, via smartphone or tablet, more than 12,000 multiscreen users in the age group of 16-44 years across 30 countries. Multiscreen users were defined as people who own, or have access to, a TV and a smartphone and/or a tablet. A total of 3,080 respondents from Asia Pacific participated in this study, from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. In India, it surveyed 328 multiscreen users.

Indians are reported to spend an average of 96 minutes (1 hour 36 minutes) watching TV and 95 minutes (1 hour 35 minutes) on their laptop/PC, while tablets are the least used device with about 8 per cent of their screen time.

Interestingly, daily smartphone minutes in India (162 minutes or 2 hour 42 minutes) are greater than the global average (147 minutes or 2 hour 27 minutes), even when total consumption of screen media in India (384 minutes or 6 hour 24 minutes) is lower than the global average (417 minutes or 6 hour 57 minutes). This highlights the increasing dominance of smartphones in the country.

In India, smartphones followed by laptops dominate daytime screen (till 6 pm) usage while TV followed by smartphones do well in the evenings (6 pm onwards).

Smartphones remain one of the main screens for usage throughout the day (9 am to 12 midnight).

Of the total time screens are viewed, 'shifting' between individual screens throughout the day remains the dominant form of screen use, at 69 per cent of screen time. This fact points to the huge multiscreen opportunity in India.

Simultaneous use of an additional screen with TV accounts for 31 per cent (91 minutes or 1 hour 31 minutes) of the time, thus leading to the fact that almost the entire TV viewing experience is accompanied by use of another screen.

The use of TV and a second screen simultaneously for related content, or 'meshing', as percentage of screen time (14 per cent) was at par with the global average.

However, at 17 per cent, the use of TV and a second screen simultaneously for unrelated content, or 'stacking', was amongst the lowest in comparison to the other markets surveyed. Social media and utilising time during ad breaks were the top reasons for multiscreening.

Prasun Basu, managing director, South Asia, Millward Brown, says, "A mobile first marketing world is here. Smartphones claim a significantly large share of the Indian multiscreen users' consumption. There are some great insights to be picked up when it comes to understanding what this means in India compared with the other markets. Marketers can combine this knowledge of multiscreen usage and the consumers' receptivity to advertising across these screens to lend solid guidance towards creating more impactful and engaging audience interactions."

Indian multiscreen users still remain most receptive to advertising on TV, while smartphones offer the largest media opportunity to marketers due to high consumption (162 minutes or 2 hours 42 minutes) and good receptivity of ads.

Digital ad receptivity in India is above global averages across devices. TV ads are still most associated with 'salience', 'meeting needs' and 'setting trends', while smartphone ads help brands in 'being loved'.

Specific to multiscreen marketing opportunities, AdReaction 2014 found that Indian multiscreen consumers are most receptive to micro-videos; TV ads with interactivity; and TV ads promoting mobile apps, Facebook pages and websites. Multiscreen campaigns that deliver more entertainment and rewards are generally preferred over campaigns which simply offer more information.

Ritesh Dutt, India head, media practice, Millward Brown, says, "With consumers simultaneously using multiple screens, the opportunity for marketers lies in delivering consistent, integrated multiscreen campaigns as users shift between screens. Campaigns that are consistent and connected across screens, concise and entertaining are more likely to deliver brand value."

AdReaction studies have been conducted since 2001, delivering insights on consumers' perceptions of advertising, particularly digital formats.

The study addresses key questions facing marketers, including queries on the marketing opportunity in the multiscreen world; the role of each screen in a media plan; receptivity of consumers to screen advertising; and the best practices for deploying multiscreen advertising to drive brand growth.

Millward Brown is a global research agency specialising in advertising effectiveness, strategic communication, media and brand equity research.