Consumers in India spend over 10 hours daily on devices, engaging with content: Adobe’s Brand Content Survey

The Survey also found that users would stop purchasing from a brand if they felt that the level of personalisation was creepy...

Adobe today announced the findings of its 2019 Brand Content Survey that underscores the need for businesses in India to bring digital content to the front and centre of customer experience strategies. The survey was conducted among 1,027 Indians who own at least one digital device. Of these, 53% were men and 47% were women. The age group studied was from 18-49 years and older. The study concluded that over two-thirds of consumers in the country use two devices at the same time constantly or frequently, with over 10 hours of daily usage across all devices. Here are some more findings

Consumers prefer personalized content from brands, without it being intrusive

The study found that consumers prefer personalised content from brands – as long as it’s not being intrusive. It was found that two-thirds of consumers in India are more likely to make an unplanned purchase from a brand if they see digital content personalised towards them. This is especially applicable for those aged 23-49 years. On the flip side, a majority reported that they would stop purchasing from a brand if they felt that the level of personalisation was creepy.

The study also found that consumers, specifically millennials and Gen X, have a high level of trust for the brands that respect their privacy.

“A winning customer experience can take many forms, but the most common element in every brand’s success story is personalization. Brands that can strike the right level of personalization will forge stronger connections with their customers, resulting in brand loyalty and growth,” said Sunder Madakshira, Head, Marketing, Adobe India.

The omni-channel mix in making purchase decisions

Consumers in India reported they still mainly make purchases via physical stores (31 percent), online marketplaces (69 percent), and by going directly to a brand’s website (49 percent). Notably, use of smart speakers and voice assistants to make purchases stood at 28 percent.

While consumers in India show a varying propensity for in-store and online, the online marketplace emerged as the most important channel for purchasing products.

“Given India’s rapid digitisation, mobile first story and vast millennial population, it is not surprising that online review sites, social media networking sites and video channels were voted as critical cogs of pre and post purchase interactions, especially in the younger age groups. As consumers are increasingly engaging with content on smart speakers and wearable devices, we should start seeing more brands experimenting with immersive content formats and expect related customer experiences to become mainstream over the next few years,” added Sunder.

Consumers have little patience for slow experiences

The study found that digital content and customer experiences can make and break brands. More than one-third (40 percent) of consumers expressed frustration with content that is slow to load, followed by spam email (38 percent) and irrelevant offers (34 percent). Finally, 33 percent Indian consumers indicated that they would stop engaging with a brand if content was too slow, indicating high customer expectations in today’s digital era.

Consumers continue to trust and share information on social media

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Social media continues to be the preferred way for several consumers to connect with their friends and discover content. Majority of consumers share social media content on a weekly basis, with over 50 percent of millennials sharing daily. Most Indians surveyed are also comfortable sharing their behavioral, geographic, demographic and personal information with brands, as they feel this helps them enjoy a better customer experience.

A whopping 95 percent of consumers express confidence in at least one social media channel, with YouTube and Facebook emerging as the most trusted mediums overall. Younger consumers (18 to 34 years) trust YouTube the most, while middle-aged and elderly consumers (34+ years) rely more on Facebook for their social content.

“Interestingly, YouTube celebrities are one of the most trustworthy influencers for consumers between 18 to 34, with their word being preferred over that of family and friends. Contrasting to this, elderly consumers (50+ years of age) value and trust content from a family member or a friend more than any other information avenue,” added Sunder. Online news sources are the second-best method for consumers to source and share information.

See the complete 2019 Adobe Brand Content Survey report here.