Maria Rua Aguete, head of media and entertainment at research firm Omdia, has shared a couple of interesting insights into digital-first media this week.
Firstly, drawing on a report by Omdia colleague Jun Wen Woo, she noted a rise of short-form storytelling in the form of “microdramas”. These ultra-short narratives, often 1 minute long, “are designed for quick consumption and are perfect for audiences scrolling through TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.”
This short-form video trend originally gained traction through Chinese apps like TikTok, Douyin and Kuaishou, as well as Instagram and YouTube, said Rua Aguete.
Notable microdrama apps include Dramabox, Dramawave, ShortMax, ReelShort and GoodShort. Explaining why the trend has caught on, Rua Aguete, citing Jun Wen Woo, said it is easy to watch multiple episodes in minutes while the shows are relatable & engaging. “Real-life themes, emotional depth, and cliffhangers keep viewers hooked.”
This week, Rua Aguete also addressed the issue of declining cinema revenues in a presentation at FED España. According to Aguete, only 44% of YouTube users in the US go to the cinema – which begs a question. Can cinema do more to encourage young digital first audiences to embrace big screen entertainment?
Rua Aguete thinks so – and cites the example of Inoxtag’s Kaizen. Her conclusion is that “collaboration with YouTube is a must” for the cinema sector. This doesn’t just mean screening YouTuber content, but also involving them in marketing.
