iWorld
Indians consume 76% mobile content on Android device: Outbrain
MUMBAI: As new technology and platforms come in, digital content consumption witnesses a wave of change. In a scenario like this, highlighting the key digital content consumption trend in India, an Outbrain research titled ‘Content Consumption Trends’ shows that the Indian mobile market is clearly dominated by the Android user, where a staggering 76 per cent of the overall content consumed on smart phones is consumed on an Android device – second only to Malaysia.
According to the report, in Southeast Asia, Android is now in a truly dominant and almost unchallengeable position, probably due to its more affordable price-point and its availability on a much wider range of models. On the other hand, in a number of key markets such as Australia, Japan, the UK and the US, Apple’s iPhone still enjoys its best engagement rates, according to the report.
Additionally, the report also shows that India is the most engaged market when it comes to consumption through mobile devices like tablets and smart phones and is overtaking the US market.
The report is the first in its kind in the region and compares India to other mature markets: Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, UK and the US.
Data reveals a powerful connection between the growth in mobile technology and the increase in content consumption on smart phones and tablets. For example, in Singapore, Japan and the UK, people consume more than half of their content on a smart phone or tablet.
On the other hand, when it comes to content preferences, factors like cultural differences and seasonality play an important role. For example, for the period analysed (October to 31 December, 2014), of the overall health-related content consumed in Australia, a stunning 39 per cent was about nutrition. That could be due to the upcoming summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, when people try to get in shape and lose some extra pounds.
As per Outbrain’s study, effectively measured content marketing is not easy, but those who measure and optimise the right metrics will be the ones who ultimately see the greatest return on investment.
In the next chart, the company has measured engagement on PC, smart phone and tablet by looking at a combination of Page views per Session and Minutes per Session.
Outbrain GM India and SEA Gulshan Verma said, “The Content Consumption Trends report aims to highlight some of the key facts, figures and trends on how people are reading and watching online content. It’s fascinating to see both the similarities and differences in terms of how and when content is consumed in India compared to other major markets globally. The report not only delivers analyses of consumption trends, but also helps to provide marketers with insights to help them better understand how to develop and place their content.”
iWorld
WhatsApp emerges as key commerce channel in India: Meta report
Whitepaper shows 77 per cent of purchases influenced by social media and shoppers spend 2.5 times more across channels
MUMBAI: If shopping once meant a stroll down the high street, today it begins with a scroll on a smartphone. India’s retail journey is being rewritten in real time, as consumers glide between Instagram Reels, WhatsApp chats and physical stores with barely a pause for thought. A new whitepaper by Meta in collaboration with the Retailers Association of India argues that this shift is not cosmetic but structural, powered by artificial intelligence, short form video, creators and conversational commerce.
The numbers underline the scale of the change.
Social media now influences 77 per cent of retail purchase decisions in India, with Meta’s platforms accounting for 96 per cent of social driven discovery. Discovery itself is increasingly passive and visual rather than deliberate and search led. As much as 97 per cent of consumers watch short form video daily, and 60 per cent of time spent on Facebook and Instagram is devoted to video content.
In other words, the shop window has moved to the feed.
The report highlights the growing dominance of the omnichannel shopper, a consumer who researches and buys fluidly across online and offline environments. More than 50 per cent of retail consumers research products online before purchasing in store. Equally, over 50 per cent browse in store before completing their purchase online.
This blended behaviour is lucrative. Shoppers who buy across channels spend 2.5 times more than single channel shoppers. When customers engage across multiple touchpoints, spending rises by as much as 73 per cent. For retailers, unified commerce is no longer a strategy slide. It is a revenue imperative.
Meta India director of E commerce and retail Meghna Apparao, urged brands to focus on three pillars: Reels and creators for authentic storytelling, omnichannel performance marketing to connect platforms, and WhatsApp as a personalised commerce channel. Hitesh Bhatt of RAI noted that the challenge is no longer adopting digital tools but integrating them to deliver measurable outcomes.
Artificial intelligence sits at the heart of this integration. Indian retailers using Meta’s omnichannel optimisation have recorded more than fourfold improvements in omnichannel return on ad spend. Businesses that integrated in store sales data through Meta’s Conversions API have reported Roas uplift ranging from 2 times to 5 times or more, alongside incremental sales growth of up to 9 times depending on category and market.
Integrated data strategies have also delivered revenue growth of up to 15 per cent, suggesting that when digital signals are tied to offline outcomes, marketing efficiency sharpens considerably.
Retailers are already putting this into practice. Reliance Digital has leaned into a Reels first strategy, working with regional creators to drive engagement and measurable business impact. Croma says Meta’s AI powered tools have enabled it to integrate offline data and activate performance marketing across touchpoints, strengthening both footfall and revenue across online and physical stores.
Trust is increasingly creator led. The report finds that 71 per cent of consumers make a purchase within a couple of days of seeing creator content on Meta’s technologies. Campaigns that leverage reels and creators have delivered 71 per cent higher brand intent lift and 19 per cent lower acquisition costs.
Micro and nano creators, in particular, are accelerating purchase decisions by embedding products into relatable, local narratives. Influence is no longer confined to celebrity endorsements. It is distributed, conversational and continuous.
If Instagram and Facebook drive discovery, WhatsApp is emerging as the conversion engine. According to the report, 72 per cent of product discovery now happens on WhatsApp. Retailers using business messaging and click to WhatsApp campaigns are seeing a 61 per cent average improvement in return on ad spend, a 62 per cent increase in leads and 22 per cent higher order values.
The implication is clear. Commerce is shifting from clicks to conversations. Discovery, purchase and post purchase support increasingly unfold within a single chat thread.
The whitepaper argues that omnichannel maturity will define competitiveness in Indian retail. Consumers no longer toggle between online and offline modes. They operate across both simultaneously, often within the same buying journey.
For brands, the task is no longer about being present on digital platforms. It is about stitching together discovery, data, conversation and store experience into a unified loop that can be measured in footfall, revenue and repeat purchase.
As India’s shoppers continue to scroll before they stroll, the retailers who align AI, creators and messaging into one seamless experience may find that the path to growth is less about adding new channels and more about connecting the ones they already have.
