Applications
Popularity of online video growing in the US
MUMBAI: In the latest wave of The Kelsey Group‘s User View study in the US 59 per cent of those surveyed claimed to watch online video, and more than half said they engage in some sort of response activity, such as visiting a Web site, going to a physical location or making a purchase. The study‘s findings are highlighted in a new report by The Kelsey Group Online Video: A New Local Advertising Paradigm, which credits the popularity of YouTube with bringing online video watching to mainstream audiences. |
Kelsey Group senior analyst Michael Boland says, “YouTube has largely popularized the concept of watching short videos on a computer screen and has likewise familiarised consumers with the idea of watching short video ads. A wide range of business models are coming to market in the hopes of tapping into the growing demand for video. ” We are in a ‘wild west‘ phase of experimentation on all fronts — content generation, licensing, search and monetisation.” According to the report, production companies such as Spot Runner and TurnHere offer to produce and distribute video ads for small businesses at price points that are significantly lower than those of traditional advertising, bringing video advertising within the grasp of many small businesses for the first time. The report reasons that the value of video may be easier to comprehend for many small businesses compared with some forms of online performance-based marketing. Pay-per-click, for example, may be abstract and less attractive to certain small businesses that are more interested in leads, foot traffic or phone calls. As a result, video has the potential to be an easier integration to a cross-platform product bundle. The vanity factor that has driven significant revenues for Yellow Pages publishers is also clearly present in video. |
Additional conclusions offered in The Kelsey Group‘s online video report include: — Small-business video advertising can combine the traditional strengths of pull-based directional marketing, the Internet‘s targetting capabilities, and the emotional and dramatic power of television. Given the demographics of broadband users, the online audience reached by these ads would also be well-educated, affluent and more likely to engage in pull-based content retrieval. — The opportunity is greatest for Internet Yellow Pages publishers, given sales assets, existing SME relationships and the growing demand for video advertising in the small-business marketplace. Add to this the presence of high-margin, low ad elasticity vertical categories, such as professional services, and the potential becomes clear. |
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.
