Charting the Expanding Video Viewing Experience

We then established 23 items representing the impressions users perceive from these 26 types of video media and services, asking whether each applied. The responses were statistically grouped into seven domains (Figure 2).

 

Overlaying the positions of 26 types of video media services onto this impression map provides a broad overview (Figure 4).

 

Here, we will examine the positioning of video services that are close to several characteristic impression domains and consider their primary value from the user's perspective.

Broadcast video experiences provide a "buffer zone" for discovery and awareness

Among broadcast services, terrestrial TV is positioned near the impression area that conveys major societal trends, while BS, CS, and CATV multi-channel broadcasts are closer to the "sense of serendipity" area. For viewers of BS, CS, and CATV multi-channel broadcasts, serendipity isn't mere "accident." Rather, it signifies the "discovery" that comes when, while watching with interest and focus, one arrives at something that feels like "this is what I was looking for." Even within broadcasting, the video experience via terrestrial TV serves as a "buffer" or "play space" necessary for grasping broad societal movements, while BS, CS, and CATV provide that same "buffer" or "play space" for viewers to gain discoveries that resonate personally.

Video-on-demand streaming represents "self-liberation."

Most video streaming services cluster near the "excitement/euphoria" impression area. Among these, paid broadcasters positioned lower in the impression area show strong aspects like "empathy/excitement" and "sense of participation/membership" in Chart 3's impression items. The nature of broadcast content—being easy to discuss with others or serving as conversation starters—may persist even in time- and place-independent streaming services. On the other hand, paid streaming services like dTV, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video strongly emphasize aspects like "Focusing on Personal Interests," "Fun and Happiness," and "Distraction/Release." Broadly speaking, YouTube, broadcasters' catch-up streaming, and NicoNico Douga also fall close to this domain. Within diverse video lineups, content matching user interests acts as a catalyst, with streaming services serving as the trigger for self-liberation.

Live Streaming & SNS Video Experiences Offer a New Sense of Presence

Non-on-demand streaming services like AbemaTV and LINE LIVE, along with video streaming services within SNS platforms such as Instagram Stories and Facebook Live, are plotted near the "sense of following/progress" domain. Meanwhile, some services like TwitCasting align more with the "sense of serendipity" domain. The primary role these relatively new services play is likely to provide a sense of "being present" – the feeling of witnessing, right now, the unfolding, irreversible changes of events as they happen.

Looking back historically, before the widespread adoption of the internet, terrestrial television broadcasts were likely the only everyday service offering diverse impressions and sensations through video, such as "sense of serendipity," "sense of flow/excitement," and "sense of following/progress." However, broadcasting has since expanded its channels to BS, CS, CATV, IPTV, and beyond, while online has seen the continuous emergence and proliferation of new services beyond traditional broadcasting, ranging from video distribution and sharing to social streaming. Amidst an unprecedented abundance of video surrounding us, it seems we have entered an era where various services coexist, each leveraging its unique strengths.

The 'Information Media White Paper 2017' further attempted to analyze how these diverse video media are used throughout the flow of a day. The era of "video" has only just begun. Including virtual reality, which generated significant buzz in 2016, the ways in which various video media and services expected to proliferate will expand human perception and permeate daily life will be increasingly noteworthy.

 

Topics introduced from the table of contents of the "Advertising and Promotion" section within the "Trends in the Information Media Industry" chapter.
For detailed data and the full version of the analysis, please refer to the book "Information Media White Paper 2017".

Advertising Section: Expansion of smartphone ads, rapid growth of video ads, and penetration of programmatic ad trading are notable. ~ As a new market trend, the use of "Private Marketplaces" (PMP), where limited sellers and buyers participate in automated ad trading, is beginning to spread. ~

Mail Order Section: Paid shipping and locker pickup are expanding. ~Due to increased mail order usage and lifestyle changes, these are gaining attention as ways to improve user convenience and reduce business costs.~

Event Edition: Web service-linked real-world events are performing well. The 2016 Japan Hobby Show saw GMO Pepabo's "minne Handmade Market" held concurrently, bringing the total attendance to over 2 million people.