97% of users state that YouTube is their most preferred online video search site for product information, and 60% use it to ‘stay up to date’
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dec 6, 2012 – The first ever UAE focused study detailing patterns and trends of YouTube users has been released by Google today. The study profiles UAE YouTube users and measures various factors including usage patterns and media consumption habits. The study also looks into the users’ perceptions of YouTube advertisements.
The study showed that YouTube is the most preferred online video site to search for product information in the UAE over other search engines by 82% of respondents. Similarly, YouTube is by far the best online video platform for finding entertainment information (91%).
Mohamad Mourad, Gulf Regional Manager Google said “The growth and popularity of YouTube in the UAE has been positively impacted by the launch of the local version and advertising products earlier in 2012.” He continued “by understanding how users in the UAE interact with the YouTube platform, both content creators and advertisers will be able to develop more relevant content and brand building campaigns.”
The study reveals that users interact positively with advertisements whereby 62% of users stated that they clicked on the ad to go to the advertisers’ website for more information. Findings indicate that YouTube advertisements can play a key role in building brand engagement and driving revenues, with almost half of the respondents finding video advertisements interesting and a great addition to YouTube content. YouTube also allows advertisers to benefit from incremental reach by reaching light TV users. Light TV users in the UAE consume 2.2 hours of TV a week, while they consume 6.8 hours of YouTube.
The research reveals that 46% of the respondents use YouTube on a daily basis and 77% of them are considered heavy users (meaning that they use YouTube several times a day, once a day or several times a week). More than 70% of the respondents also have a very positive opinion about it. In general, 90% of the respondents either agree or strongly agree that YouTube is entertaining and global. In addition, 60% of respondents claimed to use the platform to ‘stay up to date’ and 41% to look for product information.
Following these findings, Mourad commented “With the majority of users accessing YouTube for entertainment, there is a growing need for more local content, particularly as the survey reveals that almost a third of both expat Arabs and Emiratis are heavy YouTube users.”
The study demonstrates that 61% of YouTube users use their smartphone to access the internet, with almost 60% of them using their smartphone to access YouTube mobile. UAE nationals exhibit the highest degree of multi screen usage.
Looking into the media consumption patterns, the study shows that besides the internet, TV and newspapers are the two leading media platforms used among survey respondents and that 44% of the heavy TV users have an excellent opinion about YouTube.
Some of the key findings of the study include:
- 77% are heavy YouTube users, 22% medium use
- 60% use the platform to keep up to date
- 97% of users state that YouTube is their most preferred online video search site for product information
- When on YouTube 41% use search to find out product information (on the internet)
- UAE Nationals are the most frequent users and 66% access YouTube from their smartphones
- 35% of YouTube users have an “extremely favourable” opinion of the platform and 42% “very good”
- 1/3 of users share videos with others or upload to various online platforms
- More than half of users can recall ads seen on the site
- 62% of users click on an advert to be redirected to the company website
This is the first detailed research study on YouTube in the UAE since the launch of the local version, YouTube.co.ae.
Nationalities surveyed: Emirati, Expat Arab, Indians, other Asians, and Westerners, both male and female.
About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch, and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original-content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC, is based in San Bruno, California, and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
About Google Inc.
Google is a global technology leader focused on improving the ways people connect with information. Google’s innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top Internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world.
Google is a trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
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