iWorld
Netflix steals the streaming crown as APAC marketers bet big on video ads
MUMBAI: Netflix has pulled off a streaming coup in Asia-Pacific, snatching the title of most preferred ad platform from its rivals—a first for any subscription service in the region. The shift marks a watershed moment as marketers scramble to follow consumer eyeballs to wherever they’re glued next.
According to Kantar Media Reactions 2025, over half of APAC marketers plan to pump more cash into online video, e-commerce and influencer content next year. But here’s the kicker: it’s Netflix that’s caught their fancy, not just YouTube’s tried-and-tested ad machine.
“Almost two in five consumers believe Netflix delivers trustworthy ads and over one-third say they are of better quality,” says Kantar APAC head of media Andy Gallagher. The streaming giant ranks highest for ad equity in South Korea and Japan, with Japanese audiences particularly sold on the platform’s quality and trustworthiness. “Ad equity matters. Our studies prove that campaigns are seven times more impactful among more receptive audiences,” Gallagher adds.
YouTube still holds court as the best platform for capturing consumer attention amongst marketers, whilst Prime Video has muscled into the top five for both camps. Pinterest—fuelled by Gen Z’s appetite for feel-good content—is the lone social platform crashing the marketers’ top five party. Meanwhile, Google Search dominates in India and the Philippines, and Amazon flexes its muscles in Australia.
In southeast Asia’s social media scrum, TikTok tops the consumer vote for attention-grabbing ads. On the e-commerce front, Grab has leapfrogged both Shopee and Lazada in winning positive consumer sentiment.
But plot twist: offline is fighting back. Digital out-of-home ads have jumped two spots to claim the number one position with consumers, whilst cinema ads have gate-crashed the top five for the first time. DOOH also nabbed the top spot with marketers—a new entrant to their rankings.
“The rise of DOOH signals a strategic opportunity for brands to leverage public spaces for creative storytelling,” notes Gallagher. “Consumer preferences extend well beyond digital media, reaffirming the enduring relevance of traditional channels. Test and learn to maximise the impact that new possibilities can bring for your brand.”
Then there’s the AI elephant in the room. Whilst 62 per cent of APAC marketers are buzzing about AI applications in advertising and 61 per cent are using generative AI to work faster, consumers aren’t quite ready to join the love-in. Some 56 per cent reckon they can spot an AI-generated ad a mile off, and 63 per cent fret that generative AI could spawn fake content.
Gallagher’s parting shot? “Efficiency may capture time for marketers, but authenticity is what will capture the hearts and trust of consumers.” Consider that the mic drop for 2025’s media landscape.
e-commerce
Visa report tracks rise of India’s affluent, experience-led spending
Affluent base doubles to 130 lakh, travel 58 per cent of elite spends.
MUMBAI: In India’s new luxury playbook, it’s less about owning more and more about living better. A new whitepaper by Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) maps a decisive shift in India’s affluent economy, where spending is becoming more intentional, experience-led, and closely tied to personal identity rather than pure income growth.
Titled India’s Affluent Economy 2025–2026, the report draws on a Visa-commissioned Yougov study and VisaNet data across travel, dining, retail and lifestyle categories. The headline number is hard to miss: individuals earning over Rs 10 lakh annually have nearly doubled from 69 lakh to 130 lakh, significantly expanding the country’s discretionary spending base.
But it’s not just about scale, it’s about behaviour. As consumers move up the affluence ladder, discretionary categories are taking a larger share of credit card spends, positioning cards as key enablers of premium, lifestyle-driven consumption.
The geography of wealth is shifting too. Affluence is no longer confined to metros such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, with cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and Lucknow increasingly mirroring metro consumption patterns.
The report highlights a clear pivot from ownership to access. More than 50 per cent of affluent consumers now use cards for elite memberships, while 7 in 10 are drawn to limited-edition drops and curated collections. Increasingly, luxury is defined by seamless access be it concierge-led travel or curated dining where time saved is as valuable as money spent.
Spending patterns reinforce this shift. Among the ultra-elite, travel accounts for 58 per cent of discretionary spends, far outpacing retail and luxury combined at 28 per cent. Cross-border spending penetration stands at 63 per cent, signalling a growing global outlook among India’s affluent.
Closer home, indulgence is becoming routine. Nearly 4 in 5 affluent consumers dine at premium establishments at least three times a year, while 1 in 4 visit luxury venues more than five times annually. Dining spends are also climbing, with Rs 20,000 emerging as a new entry-level benchmark per experience and Rs 50,000 marking premium territory.
Retail, meanwhile, is becoming more selective. Three in four affluent consumers make a high-end purchase at least once a quarter, while one in four shops premium every two weeks. Luxury retail intensity is also rising, with 2 in 5 consumers spending over Rs 5 lakh annually, and a smaller but significant segment exceeding Rs 10 lakh.
Technology and wellness are carving out new roles in this ecosystem. High-end gadgets now see average spends of Rs 60,000 or more per purchase, while ultra-elite consumers are eight times more likely to visit spas and show five times higher engagement with cosmetic stores than non-affluent groups.
The broader takeaway is structural. Affluent consumers are no longer buying products, they are buying ecosystems. Integrated experiences across travel, dining, wellness and payments are becoming central to how this segment lives and spends.
As India’s affluent base expands beyond metros and aligns more closely with global consumption patterns, the real opportunity lies not just in size, but in speed. For brands, the message is clear: relevance will be defined by how early and how seamlessly, they plug into this evolving lifestyle economy.
