Multi-screen opportunities for Brands

So, what does the family reconvening in the living room with their mobile devices mean for brands? What new opportunities are there to engage people and what are the right and wrong ways of doing this?

Fundamentally, the presence of mobile technology in the front room allows for more plain, simple calls to action – a direct link from “passive” mediums like TV, to online content and channels that allow for data collection and direct conversion, via interactive media.

Let’s have a look at some of the ways brands are currently attempting this.

Second screen conversations

Many brands have looked to capitalise on the second screen conversations on social media around TV shows that appeal to their target demographics. An example of this is the way that lots of brands have and are piggybacking on the popularity of the Game of Thrones franchise.
Having recognised the 14 million watching fans as a very desirable and potentially hard-to-reach demographic (young, mainly affluent), they are falling over themselves to get noticed as a part of the conversation.

Direct screen to screen

You have probably seen examples of scannable audio and scannable print, but accessible technology now exists that allows for easy encoding of scannable moving images such as TV and film.

A few brands have started experimenting in the area in terms of advert content and actual programme content, but we expect it to really take off in the next few years as people become more accustomed to scanning their TV’s and radios to directly reach enhanced content.

Once again, the real benefit to brands is that they will have a much better idea of who is interacting with their ads, when they are interacting, where from, and which content works best for hitting specific goals – say data collection.
What’s more, it is valuable to pretty much any sector and could well be the catalyst that pulls certain sectors back into TV advertising.

Not just TV

It’s not just TV that wins from the rebirth of the front room either. Direct mail and printed media both have their place in the living room and the same technology that allows direct TV engagement can also bring these even more traditional channels into play.

Even though we have been hearing stories about the death of print and direct mail for a number of years, it was only a matter of time before technology caught up and breathed a new lease of life into what was becoming a tired medium. Generally, communication channels only disappear when something comes along that directly replaces them (which is very rare indeed), and contrary to some beliefs, nothing has done that for print!
That said, publishers find it harder and harder to sell ad space in printed publications due to a perception of high costs and low, un-measurable returns.

Interactive technology will gradually change this if it is adopted by advertisers, publishers and printers. Scannable ads and interactive printed material not only encourage readers to engage with further content online, they have the potential for data gathering and direct conversion.

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What’s in it for you?

Let’s cut to the chase – all this sounds great, but in the most basic marketing terms, how is interactive content going to improve your campaigns? As brand marketers, what are you going to get?

• Data – lots of it, some personal and some trend and behaviour-based. What’s more, you’ll be getting data from sources that you couldn’t get it from before – meaningful metrics about engagement with your printed, radio and TV promotional campaigns.

• Improved user conversion pathways. Give your audience the opportunity to engage directly and move from channel to channel seamlessly, but without disruptive calls to action that compromise the quality of the content. Imagine sign ups and data collection via print, radio and TV.

• Added value for the consumer = increased brand loyalty.

But does all this second screen conversation and interactive content actually work?
What are people actually doing with these second screen devices at the moment?

Second Screen Activity

The current picture

One of the most interesting observations from Ofcom’s report was the fact that an individual can only focus their primary attention on one screen at a time. So to move that focus from one screen to another, there has to be enough incentive and not too much effort.

It’s a balance – if a TV show is boring, 70% of people would rather engage directly with a friend. And on the other end of the spectrum, only 11% of people will talk about a TV show if they enjoy it, because the perceived effort of doing so is too great to warrant switching their primary focus from the show.

Basically, people will focus their attention on whatever is most compelling in the moment. Get the first screen right and the second screen will follow, if you have the right calls to action in place.

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How do brands change this behaviour?

Change happens when there is enough incentive and value for consumers, and the only way you can convince them that this is the case is by getting your campaign content right.

Interactive content doesn’t call for separate campaigns, it encourages an intelligent extra layer to your already successful campaigns!

Conclusions

• Interactive content holds exciting potential for marketers but only if the user experience adds value and feels natural to the viewer.

• It’s up to marketers and content creators to embrace the power of interactive marketing and create high quality campaigns. Like any other marketing channel it’s not a stand alone solution, but a powerful part of a strategy when used correctly.

• The technology to make it happen is out there and is not cost prohibitive!