Close to 50% of respondents claim to have enrolled for online courses during the lockdown

4 out of 5 Indians have subscribed to an OTT platform during the lockdown; Amazon Prime (67%) and Netflix (65%) saw increase in subscription – Velocity MR Study

Edutech platforms such as Byjus(33%) is favoured in the metros for online courses while Unacademy(32%) in the non-metros; Medlife (47%) & Netmeds (45%) the most preferred pharmacy apps but 50% still prefer physical pharmacy stores

Bengaluru, May 2020– Velocity MR, leading market research and new age insights provider, conducted a pan India study titled ‘Surviving COVID-19 and beyond: A Consumer Perspective- Part 2’. The data for the study was collected in April 2020 from a stratified sample size of 3,000 respondents. This was conducted to understand consumer sentiments towards COVID-19 and their behaviour during the lockdown period. The study extensively covers Consumer Engagement Habits in terms of Entertainment, Work, and Education.

The study was implemented through an online survey using the Markelytics consumer panel (Velocity MR is the full-service arm of Markelytics). The national study was conducted in both metros and non-metro cities in India.

The study reveals that Medlife and Netmeds with 47% and 45% respectively were the most preferred pharmacy apps. However, more than 50% still consider physical Medical/Pharmacy stores without home delivery. 72% of respondents feel Kirana stores are safer to buy groceries, followed by home delivery from online stores like Amazon Pantry (64%) and Big Basket (63%). Hyper-super markets like More and Big Bazaar are least preferred during this time.

With more free time due to the lockdown, 52% found it an opportunity to upgrade skills and enrol in online courses. Online learning platforms saw more enrolment from sectors like IT and Education with 56% and 58% respectively than Finance and Marketing sector. EduTech companies also saw a rise with Byjus enrolling students at 33%, followed by Unacademy (28%) and Udemy (28%).

For the working professionals, both salaried & business owners preferred video conferencing apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Google Duo, and Zoom. More than 80% of respondents use WhatsApp for video conferencing, thus, making it the top video conferencing app used during the lockdown. Skype is majorly used by salaried individuals (41%).

The study also highlights the media engagement habits of the consumers during the lockdown. More than 75% of respondents mentioned having taken a new subscription for OTT platforms during the lockdown. 73% stated watching Hotstar and YouTube, while Amazon Prime and Netflix saw an increase in subscription with 67% and 65%, respectively. Social media apps such as WhatsApp (92%), YouTube (84%), and Facebook (80%) were used regularly during the lockdown.

Jasal Shah, Managing Director & CEO, Velocity MR, adds, “It is rather interesting to note that all social media apps have been used almost equally by both genders. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat are used by respondents with less than 35 years of age, whereas respondents above 35 years of age use Facebook. Hence, brands with a young target audience can consider Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to roll their marketing campaigns.”

He further adds, “Television is another medium that noticed interesting behaviour trends. As no new daily soaps are being aired during the lockdown, 80% preferred watching movies followed by National News (65%). Among the top news channels, respondents mostly watched Aaj Tak (49%) followed by ABP News (42%) and ZEE News (39%).”

Highlights of the Study-

• Lockdown – What consumers watched / what content did they watch on various media
• More than 2/5^th claim to have taken a new DTH/TV pack subscription during this lockdown
• On TV – Movies was the top genre watched on TV followed at a distant by National News

1. Aaj Tak and ABP news are the top most-watched national news channels

• Close to 4/5^th claim to have taken a new OTT subscription (paid/free) during this lockdown

1. Hotstar & YouTube have more than 70% viewership followed by Amazon Prime & Netflix
2. Amazon Prime and Netflix have more users who have subscribed to the platform during this lockdown compared to all other OTT platforms

• Lockdown – Social Media Platforms and other apps used
• WhatsApp is the universally used social media platform followed by YouTube and Facebook
• Popular social media trends during lockdown were

1. #SafeHandsChallenge
2. Fitness Challenges
3. Instagram Live (Celebrities perform live for their fans)
4. #DalgonaCoffee

• And social media is considered to be extremely useful for getting authentic information/news during this lockdown
• Board games like Ludo King/Online Chess and online puzzle games like word, Sudoku, etc. were widely played games online
• WhatsApp is widely used for video conferencing as well. Other video conferencing apps used were Skype, Instagram, Zoom and Google Duo
• Lockdown – Online Courses enrolled during the lockdown
• Close to 50% claim to have enrolled for online courses during the lockdown. Availability of free courses and the possibility of upgrading skills during the time available and free time available are the key influencing factors for enrolling in online courses.
• Byju’s, Unacademy, and Udemy are the top online education platforms used during the lockdown. Byju’s & Unacademy are widely used among students or parents with kids, while Udemy is more popular among working people.
• Lockdown – Purchase of essentials during the lockdown
• Majority of them purchased groceries/provisions for the household from nearby Kirana shops.

1. Around 2/5^th of claim to have purchased from online stores – with Amazon Pantry and Big Basket the leading the purchase

• Medical stores without home delivery followed by stores with home delivery are the main sources from which medicines are purchased during the lockdown.

1. Around 1/3^rd claim to have bought from online pharmacies with Medlife and Netmeds leading the category