Social television and the rise of “second screen” users — those watching television while also digitally engaging with fellow watchers or their own social connections — is a trend that appears set to stay. Given recent data from eMarketer, second screen television watchers are becoming more common, and quite quickly at that.
According to the raw data, social interactions regarding television on major social networks rose from 10.4 million interactions in the second quarter of 2011 to 81.5 million in the second quarter of 2012. Even with the 2012 figures adjusted to remove data bias from the explosion of social activity around the Olympic Games, the figure for Q2 2012 is still 30.1 million interactions. Obviously enough, with millions of viewers demonstrating an apparent desire for a more engaging television experience, brands have begun to take notice and plan accordingly.
According to eMarketer,”With these signs of traction, the TV networks are making more of an effort to gain revenue from social media, according to a new eMarketer report, ‘Social TV: Marketers Tune In to Deeper Integrations.’ They are pitching advertising opportunities on second-screen apps and within Twitter and Facebook integrations. Companies such as Capital One, The Coca-Cola Co., Dodge, Hyundai and PepsiCo have all participated in such social TV efforts, gaining valuable experience connecting with consumers in multiscreen environments.
No longer just a trend to watch, second screen appears here to stay and looks to have the potential to change the way brands utilize television advertising.
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