Of video content explosion, digital experience and streaming apps

Apps and digital interfaces have come to play an intrinsic role in our daily lives. Aside from utility and information, apps have also taken centre stage when it comes to consumption of entertainment. In this context, specialist video-on-demand apps have been on the rise in India and elsewhere. An explosion in video content, increased penetration of smartphones and high-speed cellular networks are the driving forces behind the uptick in OTT apps. Such OTT apps are both advertising video on demand (AVoD) services and subscription video on demand (SVoD) services. India is expected to have 28.3 million fixed broadband subscribers and 622.1 million wireless broadband subscribers by 2021. No wonder OTT brands are betting big on this domain. Add to this mix, our rich heritage, unique culture across many regions and you have the full potential of the domain. All of which augurs well for consumers presenting them with plenty of choices for video content consumption.

Source: Deloitte

A key driver of this experience will be digital experiences, primarily through mobile apps and other digital interfaces. However OTT apps are no child’s play, as they are far more complex than your average app. This category has given rise to binge watching and put paid to appointment viewing. In this on-demand scenarion, consumer expectations are also high – the margin for error is small.

The starting point of delivering a delightful experience is understanding target users and their pain points when it comes to the category. The option of offline viewing is a good example in this context – users can download movies while using WiFi at home and listen to uninterrupted music while commuting.  It removes the fear of data overload and contributes to peace of mind while using the app. In advertising it is said that the target audience doesn’t cre about the strategy document and only the creative output is relevant to them. Similarly when it comes to entertainment apps, users are goal driven and expect the app to work intuitively. Following the mobile platform’s design guidelines while designing an app’s navigation and interactions will make the app easy-to-use and intuitive. The app’s backend development, front-end development including push notifications, billing, payments, app bundle size are issues best left in the hands of experienced tech partners.

Planning to craft a digital experience for an OTT brand? Download the free e-book ‘The expert's guide to developing engaging entertainment apps’.