Second-Screen Transforms TV Experience

Think about the last time you watched television. According to a Nielsen study, there’s a good chance you weren’t just watching one screen. Nielsen has discovered that, “eighty-four percent of smartphone and tablet owners say they use their devices as second-screens while watching TV at the same time.”

This is a huge statistic for advertisers. This second-screen trend opens up a whole new world of advertising possibilities. It will come as no shock if commercials start to direct viewers directly to their tablet to purchase or research their product.

Below, is a graph that Nielsen created that shows what people are using their second-screen for. The only category in which the usage of smartphones is greater than the usage of tablets is when it comes to email/texting friends about what they’re seeing on television. This should be looked at very closely by advertisers to realize that tablet users are more likely to dig deeper into a product or service they see on television than smartphone users.

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/whats-empowering-the-new-digital-consumer.html

Nielsen’s report also found a rise in “social TV” where roughly one million Americans turn to Twitter to discuss television every day. This plays a huge role in how advertisers get their message out to today’s audiences.

With this knowledge, companies can create their commercials specifically for those utilizing a tablet as a second-screen. These commercials can direct viewers directly to their product or service and receive immediate action by consumers. Advertisers must keep up with the growing digital world and prepare for all of the second-screen viewers. 

Youth tablet and mobile phone usage

Generally speaking, there are many devices that a consumer can utilize to access media. In the digital realm, there tends to be three major players: mobile phone, desktop/laptop computer, and tablet. New research dissects the user age demographics of mobile phones and tablets.

In the study, “The Mobile Device Path to Purchase: Parents & Children,” conducted by Communicus, there was a breakdown on media usage between the age groups preschoolers 2-5, kids 6-9, tweens 10-12, and teenagers 13-17. eMarketer reports the general findings:

Preschoolers 2-5:

·        37% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        71% use a tablet

Kids 6-9:

·        47% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        83% use a tablet

Tweens 10-12:

·        71% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        80% use a tablet

Teenagers 13-17:

·        94% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        65% use a tablet

Important to note is the shift between mobile phone and tablet usage and age. As kids grow into teenagers, tablet usage decreases while mobile phone increases. Kids between the ages of 6 and 9 tend to use the tablet the most.

How Millennial Moms research and make purchases with digital devices

American consumers have a lot of choices on how to access the internet these days with desktops, mobile phones, and tablets. A new study focused on how Millennial Moms, women who are between the ages 18-34 and have at least one child, navigate their digital devices in regards to research and purchasing. For the study’s purposes, it focused on the four categories: retail, consumer electronics, consumer goods, and automotive.

MediaPost reports that the new study was conducted by Millennial Media and commissioned by the agency Ansible.

Details released include that roughly 30% of responders stated that smartphones were used in the “inspiration” and research phases of shopping. Twenty one percent used smartphones to make a purchase.

Looking at tablets, 25% used the device for research, and 18% used it for purchasing.

PCs seem to get the biggest research time when the consumer is looking for a high consideration purchase, like a car. A bigger screen and other available shopping tools give desktops the advantage.

It is suggested that advertisers focus on the context that each screen reaches the Millennial Mom. Meaning, if that consumer is using a certain device at home, at work, or in a store, it’s important to make the advertising messages relevant to each location and device.

Hispanic Gen Xers have highest rate of tablet usage

Recent studies indicate that US Hispanics possess more smartphones and tablets than the rest of the general population. With this, it is evident that they are popular users of mobile technology. Amid the US Hispanic demographic, it is the Gen Xers who lead in the realm of daily tablet usage.

Research, produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and reported by eMarketer, displays that approximately 64% of the US Hispanic population between the ages of 35 and 49 use a tablet daily followed by 57% of 50 to 59-year-olds. The PwC survey concluded that 53% of Hispanic mobile users own a tablet. In comparison, 51% of non-Hispanics own the device.

In terms of the demographic shift regarding Hispanic millennial consumers, only 36% of Hispanics between the ages of 18 and 24 used a tablet every day. The older age groups have a surprisingly higher usage rate of around 50%, which supports the statement that Hispanic Gen Xers lead in daily tablet usage amongst both Hispanic and Non-Hispanic groups.

New study shows the ratio of viewer focus when in front of multiple screens

Be honest, do you ever watch television and work on a laptop, use your smartphone, or are on your tablet at the same time? Truthfully, you are not alone. eMarketer reported on a November 2013 survey conducted by TiVo. Good news for the television industry, even though there is competition with viewers’ eyes when they are multi-screening, viewers tend to focus the most on TV.

Results from the study: Devices operated simultaneously while watching television according to US TV viewers.

Smartphone:

-         24% “almost always” use the smartphone while watching TV

-         61% have “ever” used the smartphone while watching TV

Tablet:

-         19% “almost always”

-         37% “ever”

Laptop/netbook:

-         11% “almost always”

-         49% “ever”

Desktop computer:

-         6% “almost always”

-         18% “ever”

Portable game system:

-         1% “almost always”

-         6% “ever”

The study also showed that approximately 27% of surveyors used a second device to “search the internet for information” while watching television. The next highest ranking reason was to “use social media sites to read what people are saying” at 7%. Clearly, looking for information was the biggest reason.

Teenagers digital activities shift from 2012 to 2013

With the integration of mobile and tablet devices, US teenage usage has increased over the recent years. According to eMarketer, a new study was released by Family Online Safety Institute and Hart Research Associates.

From 2012 to 2013, Americans between the ages of 13 and 17 went from 43% of mobile users having smartphones to 64%. Tablet use also showed a steep increase from 45% in 2012 to 67% in 2013.

Of those teenagers polled, digital activities slightly changed from the previous year to today.

·        In 2012, 86% of teens sent or received text messages. In 2013, it increased to 87%.

·        About 90% of teens sent emails in 2012, and that number decreased in 2013 to 81%.

·        Online social networking saw a small dip from 88% to 81% of respondents in 2013.

·        Again online instant messaging saw a decrease like social networking. Approximately 78% of respondents utilized instant messaging in 2012; this decreased to 71% in 2013.

·        In 2012, 0% of teens polled posted video or posted/received comments on Vine. Activity increased to 23% in 2013.

Overall, teenage mobile and tablet use has increased. The digital activities may have changed since last year, so it’s very helpful for advertisers to stay current on media usage.

The most common demographic for tablet owners

Tablet computers haven’t been available to consumers for too long, but they have gained major ground to be in the hands of a third of American adults.

Pew Research Center released information this summer on the demographic breakdown of tablet owners. According to the Center for Media Research, data shows that by May 2013, 34% of adults owned a tablet computer. A tablet could be any one of the following devices: iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus, or Kindle Fire. Compared to the previous year, ownership was at 18%, and going back to 2011 at 8%. Obviously, there is a history of steady growth for the device.

If advertisers were to make a broad generalization of the typical tablet owner, it would be an adult between the ages of 35-44 (49%), who graduated college (49%) and had a household income of $75,000 or more (56%). Reports show that these demographic categories have the highest index for being an owner of a tablet.

The demographic categories that have the lowest index for being an owner are people aged 65+ (18%), who did not graduate high school (17%), and who make less than $30,000 (20%).

Interesting to note is that about 50% of people who are parents to minor children have a tablet device. Compare that to 27% of people without children have one.

As ownership will most likely continue to grow, it will be interesting to see if the demographic breakdown will remain the same.

Which device is used the most to access emails?

At some point, most advertisers have utilized email marketing in their arsenal of media platforms for a campaign. With smartphone and tablet capabilities and the growth of consumer adaptation to them, it can be beneficial to know which devices consumers are using to open emails. Knowing this can help a marketer tailor messaging to best fit the consumers’ needs.

According to eMarketer, the company Harland Clarke Digital did some research to see where emails are being opened. The standard desktop computer still holds the lion share of email opens with 55.2%. These opens include both the business to consumer and business to business messages. Following desktop, the smartphone boasts 25% of email opens with tablet earning 7.3%.

Interesting to note is the fact that smartphone and desktop behaviors tend to be more in line with one another than tablet. The study reports that most email opens occurred between 10 am and 4 pm for smartphones and desktops. In contrast, tablets see the most email usage between 4 pm and 10 pm. This can lead to a conclusion that desktop and smartphone usage peaks during the work day hours, and tablets are utilized more at home or at least, after work hours.

While smartphones and tablets are not the primary device in which a consumer accesses emails, both still have a foothold in the market. Therefore, it could behoove marketers to make sure an email blast translates well on desktop, smartphone and tablet formats.

Which is easier to read- print, tablet or e-reader?

What difference does it make whether one media is easier to read than another? It can make a big difference if you want someone to read something long enough to see your advertisement. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany recently did a study to see which print form, print, tablets, or e-readers, are easiest to read.

According to MediaPost, the study divided the research participants into two groups with one being between the ages of 21-34, and the other being 60+. While the groups read from print, tablets and e-readers, researchers were tracking eye movement and brain activity. This was done to determine how much neural power is needed to read the same text but in different formats.

Results showed that there wasn’t much variance between reading formats for the younger-skewing group. However, the older-skewing group did have some differences. This group, on average, read text on an iPad tablet three or four seconds faster than the other forms. Also, when reading the iPad, the same group showed lower level of brain activity. Meaning, it was easier to read than print and e-readers. Researchers reasoned this could be because of the tablet computers’ backlit screens, which can make text stand out more from the page.

Overall, how can advertisers use this to their advantage? It would be extreme to cut out all advertising in print and e-readers all together if the goal is to reach the older-skewing demographic. Instead, it would be recommended to maintain coverage in existing media and possibly expand into other media forms like the iPad.

Do people send emails from a Tablet more than a PC?

For advertisers, it can be really helpful to know which device consumers use to access their information online. In knowing, it can help an advertiser be more efficient with targeting the message to the right audience.

The company Perion, which develops email client software, did some research to find which devices people use to access their email. Surveying 4,400 iPad users in the United States, the company focused on where people read and sent emails.

eMarketer reports that a higher percentage surveyed chose to read and send emails through the iPad than other devices like a PC, mobile or other.

Here is the percentage breakdown of which device people prefer to read emails from:

55% Tablet (iPad for this study)
32% PC/Mac
10% Mobile
3% Other

The following is the percentage breakdown of which device people prefer to send emails from:

48% Tablet

41% PC/Mac

9% Mobile

2% Other

Also noted in the survey was that 53% of iPad users check emails anywhere between 1-5 times a day. About 35% check 6-10+ times per day.

It is important to note that the study only spoke to people who have a Tablet; therefore, the numbers may be skewed to heavily favoring the device. So, if you are targeting an audience that is tech savvy, Tablets are high competition to PC/Macs. Therefore, it is definitely a device one should keep in consideration when putting together an online and/or mobile campaign for that niche audience.

Consumers turn to tablets after watching a TV commercial

It’s no secret that a media mix allows advertisers to get the message in front of the audience on multiple screens, multiple times per day. What is the best mix? Honestly, it depends. It depends on the audience, their habits, their values, their location, etc. There is no “right” answer. However, studies are continually seeking out good combinations.

According to eMarketer, a new study has been conducted by Harris Interactive for The Search Agency about TV and tablet usage. The survey showed that television prompts users to research a product or service on a tablet.

§       71% of the people 18-34 polled will use his/her tablet to look up information on a product/service after seeing a television commercial.

§       81% people 35-44

§       54% people 45-54

§       56% people 55+

To add support to this outcome, Millward and Dynamic Logic did another study and found that people were motivated to turn to his/her smartphone or tablet to research brands, apps, websites, social networking pages, etc. by recommendation at a 46% response rate. Television tied for second with brand in-store online at 38%.

Advertisers should take this information and make sure that if television is in the media mix, then the client’s website, social networking sites, mobile sites, etc. need to be aligned with the same message. That way, if a person does research on the brand after seeing a commercial, the rest of the resources will complement the initial introduction.