SANTA CLARA, Calif.—New research is highlighting the importance of interactive live video for Gen Z consumers. More than half of respondents (51%) to a survey commissioned by Agora agreed they would be more likely to engage with a company or brand that uses interactive live videos and experiences to connect with audiences. Thirty-five percent were neutral and just 14% disagreed.
The study, which surveyed over 1,500 Gen Z consumers, examines how Gen Z consumers are engaging with brands that use interactive live video through their own platforms or via third-party apps, like TikTok, Twitch and Instagram.
Interactive live video includes live-streaming video where the audience can react with chat or emojis, and streamer(s) can interact with their audiences in real-time, the researchers noted.
When it comes to watching live televised events – such as concerts, sports or award shows – 53% of Gen Z agreed they would prefer watching with interactive video features so they can engage with friends and other viewers with similar interests during the event. Thirteen percent disagreed and 34% were neutral.
The survey also highlighted some challenges to delivering interactive experiences with live video.
Bad internet connection (56%) and video quality (54%) are the most recognized challenges Gen Z consumers reported with mobile app-based live video experiences. Forty percent saw glitches, bugs and crashing as a challenge, as well as phone hardware (36%) and data usage costs (30%).
"Gen Z consumers want brands to embrace the technology they use everyday – including interactive live video and streaming," said Tony Zhao, Co-founder and CEO of Agora. "Whether they use interactive live video through their own brand-centric platforms or through third-party mobile apps, there is a huge opportunity to connect with Gen Z on their terms using this technology."
Agora is a Real-time Engagement Platform as a Service (RTE PaaS) company.
Agora's platform provides developers with simple, flexible and powerful application programming interfaces, or APIs, to embed real-time video and voice engagement experiences into their applications.
