Over-the-top (OTT) retailing in the post pandemic world. Unveiling consumer drivers and barriers using a qualitative study

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly moving from traditional television to Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms. Although OTT platforms are widely used, people's interactions with them vary; some people use them eagerly, while others are hesitant. There is a need for thorough knowledge of the underlying elements that affect people's decisions to adopt OTT platforms. OTT platforms must understand the consumers' perceptions to engage effectively in customer retention and acquisition. Using the Gioia method, the study adopted the qualitative research approach to investigate the themes that emerged from the participant's responses and to frame our research into the context of users' actual experiences by utilizing the grounded-theory methodology. The extracted themes drawn from the opinion of 50 participants were found to align with the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) and Uses & Gratification Theory 2.0 (UGT 2.0). Aligning with the IRT theory, the barriers were classified under five sub-themes: usage, value, risk, tradition, and image. The drivers were mapped with the UGT 2.0 framework comprising of four sub-themes: modality, agency, interactivity, and navigability. Our study contributes a theoretical aspect by classifying OTT platform usage behavior in the post-pandemic period.