Can AI Counter Users’ Shortening Attention Spans?
“Balancing the utility of AI with user privacy would be interesting to see in the coming times,” says Ishan Singh, Director of Engagement and Retention at OSN+, talking about changing consumer expectations in the streaming industry.
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Artificial intelligence has taken over in performing a number of tasks for marketers, ranging from recommendations to identifying potential customers. But where the challenge remains is for the technology to back its decisions. While user patterns remain the base on which AI makes decisions, can it always justify what and why it recommends?
Ishan Singh, Director of Engagement and Retention at OSN+, says explaining the logic or reasoning behind an AI’s decision-making process is the key challenge. “Attention spans have significantly reduced; today’s consumers expect high-quality recommendations and an engaging plot early on in the content to keep them engaged,” says Singh.
Martechvibe had a chat with Singh about how AI is evolving as a smart partner for organisations, how the streaming industry is evolving to suit the new digital-first customer and other aspects of working with data and technology in marketing.
Excerpts from the interview;
How can marketing teams deal with data complexities for seamless analytics?
User identification and enriching user profiles are important for seamless analytics in any business. With evolving technology and data platforms, it is becoming easier to understand your consumers and create look-alike potential users. Building a single customer view, considering external factors, and focusing on key metrics are crucial for data-driven decision-making from a marketing perspective. On the other hand, it is super important to have clear data governance processes to empower user recommendations without violating user privacy.
How can brands reduce churn in today’s market dynamics?
Building brand love is the primary way to reduce churn. In today’s competitive market, every business faces seasonality and a bidding war for user attention. Brand loyalty goes a long way, and creating an impeccable experience when you have the user’s attention is key. At OSN+, we strive to build brand love every day by introducing content from global studios, different methods of payment, and new features to create a seamless experience.
Knowing your numbers and acting fast are the two most critical functions for reducing churn, regardless of the industry. Identifying the causes of churn, whether due to offerings, products, prices, or seasonality, and addressing them early with the next best offering is key. Your chance of winning back customers fades as you move away from the date of churn.
Which technologies are significantly changing the way the streaming industry works?
Although ad-tier on subscription is not one of the newest changes in the industry, it is gaining popularity after being adopted by Netflix. Many other players are now globally testing the pros and cons. For OTT businesses, it opens up an advertising revenue stream that has been highly dominated by Meta and Google. It is interesting to see how it pans out over the next few quarters. Virtual Reality (VR) and blockchain are being tested as concepts where users can experience content in new dimensions and be incentivised for content viewing.
What is the scope for artificial intelligence in app-based customer engagement?
AI is outsourcing decision-making based on user patterns. The opportunities are abundant, ranging from content recommendations to identifying new potential customers. The key challenge would be justifying the logic/reasoning behind any suggestion produced by AI. Balancing the utility of AI with user privacy would be interesting to see in the coming times.
How have consumer expectations changed after rapid digital transformation for the streaming industry?
Today, everyone is a content creator and consumer, thanks to our ever-evolving phones, cameras, and access to information. The line between user-generated content (UGC) and professionally generated content (PGC) is getting blurred. With an enormous amount of content available across social media and streaming platforms, users now expect a quality spend of their time. Since attention spans have significantly reduced, today’s consumers expect high-quality recommendations and an engaging plot early on in the content to keep them engaged.
Singh will take the stage at the Vibe Martech Fest at the Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE, on 13 -14 September 2023 as part of a panel discussion: Think Outside The Desktop: Mobile Marketing Is Where It’s At! Register here.
