Applications
Social media revitalising future of television: Initiative
MUMBAI: Social media is having a profoundly positive impact on TV viewing, as a new group of “highly-engaged” TV viewers is using social media to talk about TV programming and advertising and to influence the content and brand choices of their social peer group, according to Initiative’s latest global report, a research and analytics into social television.
Titled “The New Power of Television: How Social is Revitalising the Future of TV”, the report explores how television is enjoying a revival because of the new digital technology and the rise of social media.
Initiative, IPG‘s media agency, said over the past decade, experts across the advertising world have been proclaiming the demise of TV, and marketers and agencies have been searching out creative and media options beyond the 30 second spot. However, the research conducted by Initiative shows that the future for TV has never looked so healthy.
Using its online consumer panel The Connections Panels, Initiative spoke with consumers in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and the UK to learn about how TV and social media are now working in combination to provide a hugely powerful advertising medium.
The digital technology has given TV more screens and devices on which to broadcast and given rise to a social media phenomenon that is actually amplifying both programming and creative messaging, the report said.
Television viewing working in tandem with social media has created a new group of highly influential consumers, the “TV Talker”. Making up more than half of TV viewers aged 16-54, they share ads they like and post frequently to their larger social network, sharing brand stories and driving ad messaging.
The report also revealed that television is driving online conversation which, in turn, is driving people to watch more TV. Initiative has identified a series of key pointers for marketers looking to tap into this resource: Create fully-orchestrated TV Talking experiences over time – before, after and, critically, during broadcast, create a multi-screen and multiple element experience to make your brand easy to share and easy to explore, Implement social governance strategies to maintain your relationship with the valuable TV Talkers, Invest in analytics to prove the value of TV Talk on brand equity and Test and learn new technologies to give your brand “first-mover” advantage.
Initiative director, EVP communication planning, worldwide Sarah Ivey said, “The synergistic effects between television and social are just the beginning of the possibilities. What is fascinating is that television is now a central navigation point in a brand experience where people can engage and create their own version of the brand story across many screens. Brands are being rewarded when they innovate in this space…it‘s a truly exciting opportunity.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
