Brief:
- Cruise operator Carnival debuted a mobile app that compiles its branded video content for smartphone viewing. The OceanView Mobile app has more than 150 episodes of "Ocean Originals" shows like "The Voyager with Josh Garcia," "Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin" and "Vacation Creation with Tommy Davidson and Andrea Feczko," among others, according to a press release.
- The OceanView app has exclusive streamed shows like "Go" starring Trek Thunder Kelly and "Local Eyes" featuring Anji Corley. Carnival's app also shows corporate videos from its cruise brands, including ship christening ceremonies and documentaries about ship design and construction, cruise line chefs and ship attractions.
- OceanView Mobile is available for free on iOS and Android. Next month, Carnival will add the OceanView content to its Ocean.com website to reach wider audiences on their preferred platform.
Insight:
Carnival's OceanView app brings together videos that have been part of its TV programming blocks for several years. As broadcast networks like ABC, CBS and NBC pulled back from kids programming on Saturday and Sunday mornings, Carnival's "Ocean Originals" helped to fill those hours with family-oriented travel shows that highlighted adventures, exotic cultures and popular global destinations. Now, the content is delivered on a platform specially designed for mobile screens — a strategic move as more consumers and kids shift toward streaming video content on smartphones or tablets.
While it's not yet clear whether people will download a standalone app that's sole purpose is to host Carnival's programming, smartphones have become the predominant medium for video content in the U.S. Online video consumption is surging, possibly exceeding 200 million consumers this year, according to a forecast by Forrester research. Millennials and Gen Zers are the biggest consumers of online video, spending 33% and 41% of their digital time viewing video, respectively, per a VidMob study.
The travel genre is popular among many viewers, as the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain demonstrated with his "No Reservations" on Discovery's Travel Channel and "Parts Unknown" on CNN. Travelers on a cruise ship may logically be more interested in travel-related videos, pointing to Carnival's strategy behind what content to add to its new mobile app. About one-third (30%) of millennials said they spend more than four hours a day on their mobile devices while traveling, per a study by Hotels.com. Expedia Media Solutions found that almost 90% of Gen Z said social media and other internet content influence their travel plans.
Carnival's move comes as other travel companies are ramping up their mobile efforts to better serve tech-savvy consumers. Travel site TripAdvisor plans to debut a new mobile experience later this year after previewing an updated app and website earlier this week that emphasize social connections and travel experiences.
