Second screen is passé
In the era of social media, content made for TV isn’t restricted to the idiot box any more. Many of us own PCs and mobile phones with a reasonably fast internet connection; and have access to social media. People discuss what’s playing on TV, tweet about it, and share what they are watching.
The resulting phenomenon has come to be addressed as ‘Social TV.’ And the race is on to make TVs more interactive. With social media at the centre of everything, it wouldn’t be long before we see people making the shift from the idiot box to smart TVs. Details of this phenomenon are a key driver for brands and agencies; while they plan their digital marketing strategy.
It’s incredible to see how people watch TV today, with TV playing on one side, a computer running on the other, and a smartphone in the hand!
Second screen refers to an additional electronic device (e.g. tablet, smartphone) that allows a content consumer to interact with the content they are consuming, such as TV shows, movies, music, or video games.
Fuelled by the growth of social media and mobile phones, TV viewing isn’t just a solitary activity; it is a group activity with lots of discussions, opinions, updates, conversations surrounding what people watch. Twitter has come to play a major role in the entire experience of social TV.
According to various surveys / reports:
- 60% of mobile users are active on some social network while in front of their televisions, and 33% tweet about the shows they’re watching
- 95% of all public conversation about TV happens on Twitter
- In the UK, 41% of people have used one of their devices to browse for a product after seeing it in a show or an advertisement
- In the US, 24% of Facebook users report posting about the movie they’re watching in the theater
- The 2013 Oscars drew more than 14 million comments or mentions; a 350 percent spike, compared to the last year
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/oct/29/social-tv-second-screen-research http://econsultancy.com/in/blog/62380-second-screen-and-why-you-should-pay-attention-in-2013 http://mashable.com/2012/12/06/tech-trends-2013/
Brands are doing all they can to exploit the phenomenon called social TV; and are using every available resource to generate revenue. Traditional TV as we knew doesn’t exist today. But what is interesting is the fact that the era of second screen too has passed too quickly; and today we are already exploring the era of multi-screen.
Today, live content is more valuable than anything else. And there won’t be much effort needed in terms of infrastructure as it is already present, and is being used effectively too. The multi-screen experience is a win-win situation for everyone. With broadcasters, content providers, brands, and consumers powered by social media; all working in tandem as they enhance the experience of TV viewing; it’s probably time to say hello to the day and age of personalized content!
Going forward, the TV viewing experience will only get further enhanced with more apps being launched to help consumers interact with content in a more personalized way and with better shareablity options.
And considering the speed at which technology develops and changes, it is safe to say that second screen is passé!
How a social media agency that handles multiple accounts will manage and deal with this level of intense personalization of content is something that only time can tell!
Do you have any thoughts on what the future might seem like? Share them in the comments!
Tushar Kishnani is a senior social media executive at Ethinos Digital Marketing.
what do you think?