Horizon Media Survey Finds Periscope Poised to Rise Above Meerkat

NEW YORK, May 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent study from Horizon Media's Finger on the Pulse — the agency's proprietary online research community, comprised of 3,000 people reflective of the U.S. population— when asked to choose the live video streaming mobile app they prefer, consumers choose Periscope over Meerkat. However, almost 8 in 10 U.S. adults (79%) say they aren't interested in either app.

While interest in the two technologies is low among all adults, interest is much higher for the Millennial crowd. Half of 18-34 year olds (50%) surveyed say they are interested in one or both of the new platforms, compared to just 25% of people aged 35-49 and 16% of 50-64 year olds.

Proponents are attracted to the promise of a no-cost technology that keeps them plugged in. Those who are interested in Meerkat and Periscope say they are most likely to check them out because they are free (59%), an easy way to share life events with friends and family (43%), and a new way to see what's going on in the world in general (42%). When asked how they would most likely use the apps, people expect they'll focus on the people closest to them rather than world at large. More than half (53%) say they would use Meerkat or Periscope to "share life events with friends and family," compared to just 30% who will "tell friends, family and followers what's on my mind" and 17% who say they'll use the platforms "to blog." Entertainment, news, and live events, are also less compelling – 26% say they would use one of the platforms during a movie, TV show, or live concert.  

"It's hard to say whether users will stick to the close, inner circle sharing approach they imagine when using these platforms," said Kirk Olson, VP of Trendsights at Horizon Media. "People can't always tell us ahead of time how they will use a media new platform. Still, if it's true, it has important implications for marketers. Playing nicely with consumers will require 'quiet voice' content and messages that mirror this intimacy rather than louder, bolder marketing and selling."

To that point, just over half of U.S. adults (55%) think marketers and brands should remain quiet on the new platforms, comprised of 40% who say marketers should "stay away – there's never going to be a place for brands with these types of apps," and 15% who say brands should "join the apps just to see what consumers are doing, but don't post." One third would be okay with brands posting sparingly while just 12% say they should post on a regular basis

However, marketers should take heart since the people most likely to be watching are more open to their video streams. The younger crowd and those interested in using the apps are twice as likely to say brands should go for it full-force -- 21% of people aged 18-34 say marketers should post on a regular basis (versus 10% of those in the 35-49 range, and 11% of 50-64 year olds), and 20% of people interested in use the apps say the same (versus 10% who are uninterested).

When it comes to which app consumers think has a better feature set, Periscope triumphs over Meerkat. 78% of interested consumers say it's good that Periscope lets you choose who can see your posts, compared to just 30% who think it's good that Meerkat does not let users filter who can see videos. Similarly, 78% of interested consumers say they like that Periscope allows you to replay videos people stream, compared to just 29% who think it's good that Meerkat does not allow you to replay videos people stream. The survey also finds that among people interested in this technology, 45% would choose Periscope versus 20% who would use Meerkat.

"Periscope was both attentive to desired early enhancements by those using Meerkat and decisive with the timing and answer of its launch," said Maikel O'Hanlon, VP, Social Media Strategy at Horizon Media. "Overall adoption rates don't guarantee future success, but Persicope is currently better positioned for function and scale."

"In this research, younger consumers are telling us they value seamless integration with Twitter more than perceived benefits of Meerkat, like personal control over their video files," said Kirk Olson, VP, Trendsights at Horizon Media. "With so many on Twitter already, broader adoption of Periscope looks more promising."

As for the 79% of consumers who show no interest in either app, it may be impossible to make them believers. General disinterest in more social media postings and concerns about data and battery-life drain fuel their lack of enthusiasm. Nearly half (49%) said "I'm not interested in seeing the random things people will post video of," while 41% said the apps would "eat up a lot of data and battery life."

Finger on the Pulse empowers the agency to connect directly with 3,000 consumers, diving beneath the surface of beliefs and behaviors to uncover critical insights.     

About Horizon Media
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world's ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry's leading trade association.

The company's mission is "To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere." By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.2 billion and over 1,100 employees.

The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com.

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SOURCE Horizon Media

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