"Our YouTube App offline feature gives India a buffer-free experience": Sandeep Menon, Google India

YouTube India has launched a new campaign to promote the 'Offline' feature in its mobile app.

The inevitable, omnipresent circular buffer will have tormented anyone who has tried to watch a video through mobile internet. While a desktop or laptop offers the option to let a video buffer in one tab while you switch and watch other tabs, this is not a luxury one has on the mobile.

YouTube India has finally solved the problem. The video streaming website recently introduced a new 'offline' feature to its mobile application, where a user may save a video for offline viewing, and play it later, without an internet connection. The offline transfer happens in the background, allowing the user to continue surfing YouTube.

Speaking about the feature, Sandeep Menon, marketing head, Google India, says that bad consumer viewing experience on mobile internet led them to launch the feature. "All our feedback from users was positive, except for the fact that the experience is not great when YouTube is accessed in a non-WiFi, mobile scenario. That is why we decided to launch the offline feature for our Indian users." While the feature was launched in December last year, Menon explains why they chose to promote it now.

"We wanted to make sure that most content on YouTube is available for offline feature before we invite more consumers to experience it. People who have discovered the feature are using it extensively," he adds. Ninety nine per cent of mainstream content like entertainment related videos, which tend to be viewed more than others, are available offline.

On being quizzed if this feature will adversely affect the business of content creators on YouTube, Menon clarifies there is no difference in the online and offline metrics. "We ensured that all reporting for offline views is also considered for video content. Offline is also advertiser supported so one can see ads appearing on YouTube pre-roll. In fact, a content creator may get more views, because once you offline a video, you are more likely to watch it again, when you want, with a buffer-free experience," he explains.

YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, has also come up with an advertising campaign to promote the new feature. The campaign, which will be rolled out on television, digital and outdoor media, has recently released a new TVC, aptly titled 'Headspin'.

The ad shows people across demographics stuck, quite literally, inside the same circle, buffering. Their heads, along with the buffer are also spinning round and round, giving the TVC its name. A song that sounds amusing yet dragging on and on is played along to communicate the boredom people suffer. The video ends with an introduction to the new feature, saying videos will now play without stumbling.

The YouTube offline feature will be heavily promoted on digital targeting existing costumers. However, the company has taken to television advertising to reach out to users who have been experiencing internet through their smartphones for the first time. "We are primarily focusing on digital and targeting existing consumers - they are most likely to use cases. We wanted to use TV because India is adding new internet users every month. We also want to reach out to those who have just started experiencing the internet," explains Menon.

Shriram Iyer, executive director at Lowe Lintas + Partners, the agency responsible for the campaign says, "The commercial is designed to showcase one's weary state when waiting for the video to buffer, which everyone will connect to. In fact, 'headspin' is a metaphor for boredom. We play with the comedy of helplessness in the scenario to generate humour in the TVC."

Glitch free?

Neville Bharucha, creative head at Foxymoron, notes that the insight is super and relatable. "I like how people from all walks of life have been included. It also explained everything clearly, which is important for many users who might not be tech-savvy or might be new to the app." However, he feels that while the proposition was built up the payoff was not good enough.

"I would have played more with the humour. Maybe added a dialogue here or there. We know how frustrating it is to wait for videos to buffer and maybe we could have touched upon that as well," he concludes.

Calling it revolutionary, Arunabh Kumar, founder and creative experiment officer, The Viral Fever Media Labs, which creates YouTube content, feels that the feature itself will enhance the app experience, "This app is one of the greatest breakthroughs that has happened on YouTube as a product, in a long time. It is a boon for both the content creator as well as the user. We do not lose out on the number of views while the user enjoy a buffer-free viewing experience." Kumar, however, is slightly disappointed with the campaign, which he feels has no new narrative to it.