WarnerMedia advertising sales has identified “intentionality” as key to what drives today’s viewers. A survey it recently conducted found that 59 percent of respondents agreed that “I am more thoughtful about how I spend my time since the pandemic.” HBO Max, which now has an ad-supported tier, described the trend in a report, “Welcome to the Age of Intentionalism,” stating that consumers “are rethinking the essentials in their lives and making decisions of all sizes with increased intention — including … what, where, and why they stream.”

According to NextTV, the report further noted that, in the context of “the exhaustion from excessive content … [consumers have] the desire to be intentional about what they watch.” “We meet their intention to stream content with our intention to captivate,” said the report.

It added that, “in the wake of intentionalism, brands must embrace a generous, regenerative approach to marketing — giving back more than they take from consumers … [in the form of] providing more content or making a commitment to a social cause,” among other possibilities.

The report continued that, “consumers want ad experiences that reflect the tone and context of the entertainment being consumed.” They want advertisers to take less of their time and to be “entertainers, informers, activists and listeners, rather than old-fashioned Mad Men.” The reward, said the survey, is that “83 percent of streaming viewers say they were inspired by a show or a movie on a streaming service to shop.”

Viewers were “most inspired” to shop “food and beverage, home decor, fashion, tech, travel, beauty, toys and autos.” “Consumers are looking to brands to fuel their fandoms, empower their main character energy, and inspire their next big purchase,” the report found, adding “entertainment has always been the driving force of the cultural zeitgeist, but now it’s the ultimate essential.”

The report surveyed 1,000 adults age 13 to 54 across the U.S., and “for specific themes, it also tapped WarnerMedia’s proprietary panel — code named TBH (To Be Honest) —to understand how 18-37-year-olds are being more thoughtful with their decision-making.”

Rapid TV News states the report further said that 72 percent were “re-evaluating what was essential to them” and 55 percent “were more thoughtful about the entertainment they watch and the platforms they subscribe to, second only to the money they save (60 percent).”

Twenty-one percent said they are “re-evaluating the type of entertainment they are watching,” with 58 percent saying “they were planning to spend more time with their favorite content and 83 percent said they were now more selective in the entertainment they were streaming through services such as its HBO Max product.”

The “Welcome to the Age of Intentionalism” report can be found here.