With the 2nd wave of Covid19 and after lockdown implemented throughout India, people relied more on mobile phones for entertainment, music, gaming and social networking. As users started to remain indoors, mobile usage saw a spike, said InMobi’s 2nd Wave Lockdown Audience Insights Report. Consistent with the report, 2021’s lockdown saw users counting on their mobile phones specifically around weekends, compared to weekdays in last 2020.
Working professionals, students and mothers were among the foremost engaged during the 2nd wave lockdown. However, the audience’s app consumption behaviour changed for every group. Students relied more on gaming, music and OTT, compared to working professionals who viewed news, social, shopping and OTT while mothers invested their time on lifestyle, gaming and education apps.
“We have seen a drastic acceleration of the mobile-1st consumer economy since the onset of the covid pandemic. With the 2nd wave, we have seen that these “new normal” mobile users habits and preferences became more mainstream,” said Vasuta Agarwal, director, Asia Pacific, InMobi.
Varied age groups staying indoors
With states reporting all-time high Covid cases, the report observed that 25-35 years old stayed indoors the very best during the lockdown time, mostly due to the limited vaccination opportunities. Interestingly, people within the 35-44 age groups were seen stepping out the very best.
Spike in Footfalls
As per the report, clinics, hospitals and medical stores witnessed a spike of 597% compared to 398% the previous year. Essential stores and supermarkets saw an 89% spike than 44% last year, as customers visited local stores to satisfy their daily needs. While tonnes of consumers found cooking as a hobby last year, this year witnessed a rise in footfalls in restaurants from 7% to 23%. This was a result of relaxed lockdowns where takeaways and deliveries were allowed, helping consumers break the monotony of home-cooked meals by occasionally eating out. The footfall at each of the above places of interest during the lockdowns in 2020 & 2021 was indexed against overall footfalls observed across the above-mentioned places of interest and supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, and flea markets.
“Work from home, Social distancing, and lock-down regulations have boosted the consumer’s consumption over mobile as people depend on mobile entertainment social media, spanning games and video streaming. With the 2nd wave going on, consumers have adopted the online mode already and are well versed with this,” said Vasuta.
Follow and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn&Twitter
