Consumers want more personalized, searchable video, says survey

A new survey, released earlier this month, indicates consumers are willing to trade some privacy in order to get more personalized content, and they are looking for better ways to locate video content.

The 2006 ChoiceStream Personalization Survey, conducted by Web marketer ChoiceStream, showed 57% of consumers questioned are willing to provide demographic information in order to get a more personalized Web experience, up from 24%. Consumer willingness to allow Web sites to track clicks and purchases grew 35%, the company said.

Thirty percent of those surveyed were part of a social network, and three-fourths of that group said providing information about themselves improved their social networking experience by enabling them to make contact with others who shared their interest.

Almost half – 45% -- said they are dissatisfied with their current onscreen TV program guide because it takes took long to find programming they want, while 47% said they would like a personalized guide to help them match their personal tastes and interests. In the younger demographic of 18-to-24-year-olds, 62% expressed an interest in personalization. In the over-50 group, 37% wanted personalization. Overall, 40% of respondents said they would watch more video on demand and pay-per-view programming if they could find what interests them more easily.

The survey results would seem to bolster the belief of IPTV players, including AT&T and Verizon, that consumers are eager for more personalized video, based on their demographics, personal interests, local and device. Verizon last month introduced new search capabilities for its FiOS TV service, aimed at letting consumers more easily find video content based on key words.

ChoiceStream conducts the survey annually.