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Asia, Australia & New Zealand

Why people say YouTube matters to them and what this means for your brand

Sapna Chadha / October 2022

Sapna Chadha, VP of Marketing, India and Southeast Asia, shares new insights about what matters to audiences and creators in this article. The findings have been introduced at Brandcast events in the region about the future of video and marketing.

Brands navigating complex business environments and uncertainty in these times are taking a close look at how they use marketing, including video content, to maximize their budgets, boost brand awareness, and drive sales results.

Some might choose to hedge their bets by having their content on as many platforms as possible, but trying to be everywhere — except where it matters — is unlikely to drive real value for brands or their bottom lines.

As marketers looking to make wise trade-offs and find a video platform that truly matters to business growth, knowing what resonates with our audiences on a platform can help us make decisions that count.

The definition of good content and the platform at the heart of it

High production values, sleek video quality, and mass appeal — these might be what some brands see as defining good content, but when we asked viewers what matters to them, they surprised us with their answers.

Across APAC, viewers in markets such as Australia,1 India,2 Japan,3 Taiwan,4 and Thailand5 are less likely to describe "good content" as coming from an established production company or studio, or created to appeal to a large audience. Instead, their definition of good content has certain qualities in common: relevance, intellectual and sensorial stimulation, and emotional resonance.

A YouTube icon beside a mobile screen showing a video of two people laughing during a street interview. Australian viewers are most likely to say “good content” tells a good story and features a personally relevant topic.
A speech bubble icon beside a mobile screen showing an athlete. Indian viewers are most likely to say “good content” inspires them and helps them learn something new.
A puzzle piece icon beside a mobile screen showing a scientist using a microscope. Japanese viewers are most likely to say “good content” challenges them intellectually and features a personally relevant topic.
A YouTube icon beside a mobile screen showing a video of two people laughing during a street interview. Korean viewers are most likely to say “good content” features a personally relevant topic and tells a good story.
A YouTube icon beside a mobile screen showing a video of two people laughing during a street interview. New Zealand viewers are most likely to say “good content” tells a good story and features a personally relevant topic.
A book icon beside a mobile screen showing two people cooking. Filipino viewers are most likely to say “good content” helps them learn something new and features a personally relevant topic.
A globe icon beside a mobile screen showing a city skyline. Thai viewers are most likely to say “good content” helps them learn something new and broadens their perspective on the world.
A speech bubble icon beside a mobile screen showing an athlete. Vietnamese viewers are most likely to say “good content” inspires them and helps them learn something new.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, AU, n=2124, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 18, 2022–May 30, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, IN, n=2360, A18+ GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 26, 2022–June 1, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, JP, n=2096, A18–69 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 19, 2022–May 27, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, KR, n=2000, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month, fielded from June 21–June 29, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, NZ, n=1579, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 20, 2022–June 3, 2022

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, PH, n=1745, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 20, 2022–May 29, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, TH, n=1958, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 20, 2022–May 29, 2022.

Source: Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, VN, n=1738, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 20, 2022–May 29, 2022.

And the platform at the heart of good content today is YouTube, say audiences. More than 90% of viewers polled in APAC markets such as Hong Kong,6 Indonesia,7 Korea,8 and Taiwan9 say they can find good content on YouTube significantly more than the competitor average. Viewers in APAC, including Australia,10 India,11 Korea,12 and Thailand13 also say YouTube is No. 1 in delivering intellectually stimulating and relevant content.

The platform that matters to viewers

With viewers in APAC, including Australia,14 Korea,15 and Thailand16 saying YouTube has the most diverse content, and that it’s the No. 1 place for them to go deep with what they love, it’s no surprise the platform draws more than 2 billion people globally every month.17

Click on the dropdown to find out how many people YouTube reaches in markets across the region:

YouTube reaches over 17M people aged 18+ in Australia in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 5.5M people aged 18+ in Hong Kong in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 40M people aged 18+ in Korea in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 3.5M people aged 18+ in New Zealand in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 45M people aged 18+ in Philippines in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 4M people aged 18+ in Singapore in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 18M people aged 18+ in Taiwan in one month alone.
YouTube reaches over 45M people aged 18+ in Vietnam in one month alone.

Source: Nielsen Digital Media Ratings, Monthly Total, May 2022, P 18+, Digital (C/M), Video 0 seconds, Brand: YouTube, Unique Audience, Reach %.

Source: HK Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: KR Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: NZ Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: PH Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: SG Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: TW Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Source: VN Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, and Living Room. June, 2022. Based on internal Google data.

Notably, many say they turn to YouTube as their first platform of choice for good content. And more than 80% of viewers in Hong Kong,18 Malaysia,19 Indonesia,20 Taiwan,21 and Korea22 say that one year from now, YouTube will be the first place they go to when they want to watch something.

It’s also the platform that speaks to viewers’ myriad needs and moods throughout the day, whether they’re bonding with family and friends over live-stream events on Connected TV or enjoying a light-hearted moment watching comedies on Shorts, which draws 30 billion views a day, up 4X from a year ago.23

Given how much the platform matters to viewers, and the deep level of video engagement that viewers have with YouTube content across formats and devices, creators have found the platform to be the one that matters most when it comes to developing closer relationships with audiences.

The platform that matters to creators

Sydney Morgan, a beauty creator with 3.39 million subscribers on YouTube, is among the many creators who say the platform is critical because it enables them to build deep connections with viewers.

I’ve found that long-form [video] has really grown and developed my connection with my audience. Subscribers who consistently come back to watch my 15-minute weekly videos really know me, and I feel like we have a friendship.

The deep connection creators have with viewers on YouTube has fueled subscriber growth across APAC. In India, for instance, more than 5,300 channels have over 1 million subscribers, which is an increase of 42% year over year.24

YouTube also matters to creators because its creative ecosystem supports them in turning their passions into businesses or careers that pay a steady, meaningful income. Indeed, over 80% of creators in Indonesia and Korea agree that YouTube provides them with an opportunity to create content and earn money that they wouldn’t have received from traditional media.25

The platform that matters to culture

The coming together of viewers and creators on YouTube has made the platform critical to culture. They form communities around shared interests on the platform, and their exchanges shape cultural conversations and norms. One example is the platform’s role in building up K-pop fandom.

K-pop fans and creators have produced all kinds of Korean music-related content on YouTube, from videos about how to start a K-pop fan channel to fancam videos that are edited by fans and spotlight a particular member in a K-pop group.

K-pop fancam videos on YouTube have drawn billions of views, and even K-pop labels have started releasing official fancam videos on the platform.

The platform that matters to brands

Being at the heart of good content that matters to culture, creators, and viewers, YouTube offers clear wins for brands. It enables them to develop authentic brand content, on their own or in partnership with creators, to reach the right audience, drive awareness, and increase sales.

Its suite of creative offerings also means brands can tap it for marketing campaigns that not only reach people but resonate with them, too. The platform’s broad appeal further helps brands widen their campaigns to connect with audiences who access content solely online, and whom a TV-only campaign wouldn’t reach. It’s no surprise, then, that the audience reached on YouTube is incremental to TV.

Click on the dropdown to find out YouTube’s incremental reach in markets across APAC:

In India, over 65% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Indonesia, over 35% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Japan, over 40% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Korea, over 50% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In the Philippines, over 35% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Taiwan, over 40% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Thailand, over 40% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.
In Vietnam, over 60% of (18+ audience) reached on YouTube was incremental to TV.

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from BARC. India, n=496, 2020–2022.*

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Nielsen. Indonesia, n=1309, 2020–2022.*

Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Intage. Japan, n=1903, 2020–2022.

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Nielsen. Korea, n=534, 2020–2022.*

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Nielsen. Philippines, n=785, 2020–2022.*

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Nielsen. Taiwan, n=74, 2020–2022.*

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Nielsen. Thailand, n=677, 2020–2022.*

Source: Google meta-analysis of cross-media reach reports from Google's Cross-Media Reach Reporting solution (XMR) where TV measurement data is from Kantar. Vietnam, n=732, 2020–2022.*

Beyond enjoying massive reach, campaigns on YouTube enable brands to significantly raise awareness of their products.

More than 70% of TrueView campaigns in APAC drove a significant lift in ad recall with an average relative lift of 11.3%. More than 80% of Non-Skip Auction campaigns in APAC drove a significant lift in ad recall with an average relative lift of 15.6%

Furthermore, it helps brands win consideration among viewers across APAC. In markets such as India,26 Korea,27 and Thailand,28 for instance, viewers say advertising in YouTube videos makes them more likely to consider a brand or product, and it is the No. 1 video platform that helps them decide what to purchase.

Ultimately, YouTube marketing campaigns enable brands to increase their sales. According to another study we commissioned through Nielsen, nearly 84% of YouTube campaigns have led to growth in offline sales. Of these, the campaigns registered an average 5.1% rise in offline sales, while the average return on ad spend was greater than 1.29

Binggrae, a decades-old South Korean beverage company, is one brand on YouTube that recognizes how the platform matters to culture, people, and businesses.

The company launched its YouTube channel “Hello Danji” to connect with people through fun, culturally relevant content that features its popular banana-flavored milk. Not only was the heritage brand able to reach Gen Zers, viewers engaged with the brand by sharing comments, fan art, and fan videos through the platform. A campaign it ran on the channel in 2021 attracted 59,300 subscribers and 43,448 average views per video.

When brands face pressure on their bottom lines, it’s critical for them to be on a platform that truly matters — YouTube.

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Sapna Chadha

VP, Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier Google

1 3P survey, AU, n=2124, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month.

2 3P survey, IN, n=2360, A18+ GenPop viewers of video content min once/month. Competitive set includes top platforms where n>75.

3 3P survey, JP, n=2096, A18–69 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month.

4 3P survey, TW, n=1846, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month.

5 3P survey, TH, n=1958, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month. Competitive set includes top platforms where n>75.

6,18 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, HK, 2022, n=1750, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month, fielded from June 21, 2022–July 2, 2022.

7,20 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, ID, 2022, n=2000, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month, fielded from June 21, 2022–June 29, 2022.

8,12,15,22,27 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, KR, 2022, n=2000, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month, fielded from June 21, 2022–June 29, 2022.

9,21 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, TW, 2022, n=1846, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/month, fielded from June 8, 2022–June 20, 2022.

10,14 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, AU, 2022, n=2124, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 18, 2022–May 30, 2022.

11,26 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, IN, 2022, n=2360, A18+ GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 26, 2022–June 1, 2022.

13,16,28 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, TH, 2022, n=1958, A18–64 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from May 20, 2022–May 29, 2022.

17 Internal YouTube Data, 2019.

19 Google/Ipsos, WhyVideo, MY, 2022, n=1771, A18–69 GenPop viewers of video content min once/week, fielded from June 21, 2022–June 28, 2022.

23 YouTube Internal Data, Global, April 2022.

24 YouTube Internal Data, March 2022.

25 Oxford Economics Creator Survey, ID & KR, Survey in field April to May 2022.

29 Commissioned Nielsen Matched Panel Analysis for Google. Base = 92, YouTube campaigns measured during 2017–2022 (24 in Australia, 9 in India, 29 in Indonesia, 9 in Malaysia, 21 in Thailand). Count based on tested strategies with significant lift based on a one-sided 80% confidence interval. ANCOVA methodology was used in all markets, except for 7 studies in India, which used Time-Based Regression (TBR) methodology to overcome data limitations.

*XMR reports are a statistically calculated model of TV, YouTube, and overlapped reach, frequency, spend, and TRPs where TV measurement data is from market currency providers like BARC; the YouTube data is from Google's Unique Reach reporting solution inclusive of YouTube campaigns across all platforms, including Google Video Partners; and overlap is calculated using Google's Conditional Independence methodology (white paper published and approved). Duplicate reports have been removed.