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BBDO, Microsoft study to help find the next bn consumers
MUMBAI: BBDO Worldwide and Microsoft Advertising have unveiled findings from a global study that aims to help marketers find “the next billion consumers”, by exploring consumers’ emotional connections with television, PCs, and mobile devices.
The report says that TV is like an old, reliable and entertaining friend, an everyman that sits comfortably and passively in your home.
However, there are differences around the world, and among age groups, especially in Russia and China where TV grew up as something viewers were wary of, given that it was state-owned.
The study also claims that PC is like an older sibling … someone to learn from, show off to, and compete with. It’s far more trusted than TV, especially in Eastern countries and among younger consumers because they can control/choose the content on their PCs.
The research has termed mobile device, a “new lover”. According to the report, it’s the most personal device and something users feel close to. They want it with them at all times. It is a relationship that is just beginning and, as such, cuts across all age groups and geographies because of its “newness.”
“Tablets are actually something of a mix of the other screens”, the study reveals.
BBDO North America CMO Simon Bond said, “Archetypes will continue to evolve as devices become more sophisticated, and audiences grow older, younger or more mature. While some marketers may have mastered individual screens, no one has mastered them all. Therefore, when advertising is optimised for these screens, it could have the potential to attract ‘the next billion customers,’ especially when you look at places like India where there are more than 100 million PC users or in China where there are three times as many mobile users.”
Microsoft Advertising VP global marketing Marc Bresseel said there’s empirical evidence to prove that when a consumer is more receptive to a message, that message will be far more effective.
BBDO and Microsoft worked with Ipsos, a global research company, utilising projection techniques, picture interpretation, quantitative and qualitative analyses to gather survey feedback from more than 1,500 consumers in five different countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UK and the U.S.
The report was revealed at the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes.
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.
