Applications
Mobile phone the real mass medium: Lodestar study
MUMBAI: The mobile phone is no longer an add-on medium for advertisers to engage users. It has in-fact turned into a mass medium. That‘s one of key inferences made in the Lodestar Universal research study ‘Mobility Research: Understanding the connected generation‘ for portable devices in India. The study quotes statistics pegging the Indian mobile market at approximately 200 million users, which is higher than the viewer base of a conventional mass medium like a TV channel – about 140 million. The study sampled 10,000 respondents worldwide in the age-group of 16-54 of mobile and internet users. The research was conducted across 21 global markets, via Intuition, Universal McCann‘s online research tool. While India still has some catching up to do in terms of growth in services consumed through mobile-phones, the younger segment of the population is driving growth. “Moreover, mobile can today be an alternative to out-of-home (OOH) media. People carry the mobile phone with them wherever they go, and especially in India, which has one of the highest travel-times in the world. That‘s about one in three people spending an average of 90 minutes traveling, everyday,” said Dias. Interestingly, the study pointed out that the media convergence is not being driven by affluent markets. “Contrary to popular opinion, users in US and Japan are not yearning for convergence. It is in fact being driven by financial necessity. Convergence, therefore is already happening in India,” the study says. Another feature of the study is the transition of the mobile phone from a mere voice device to a data device. While currently entertainment based content is most preferred on these devices, in the coming days there will be increase in the demand for info-based content like travel directions, product info and M-commerce. Users are more open to relevant customized content. E.g Advertisements on public transport that send info to mobile phones. The study further points out that emerging markets including India are most open to advertising on portable devices. However, users are more open to branded content, rather than invasive formats. i.e. About 65 per cent of users think of adverts coming in the middle of video-clips and shows as interruptive. Moreover, according to the study, portable devices make the ‘Connected generation‘ feel empowered and allows the devices to become an extension of them. As an example, the study states that over 50 per cent of its sample size voted for competitions on TV.
“In fact, telecom players Reliance and Airtel together are with as many subscribers as a Star Plus viewer base,” stated Lodestar Universal COO Nandini Dias, announcing the results of the study.
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.
