How Marketers Can Deal with The Second Screening Behaviour of Consumers

The way people consume content has changed drastically, as there are available numerous sources of content along with great advancements in technology.

Before the popularity of mobile gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, people used to watch television with just one device lying next to them and that was the TV remote. But now, this is not the case, as along with the TV remote there is almost always present at least one other device – a smartphone, laptop, or tablet – in close proximity to the television viewers.

So, people now do not engage with one content source at a time but do multi-tasking by using their smartphones while watching their TV shows, especially during ad breaks. Experts use the term second screening to describe this behaviour of people. Over the past decade, there has been a rising second screening trend and brands have been witnessing a significant drop in return on their TV ad spend.

To combat this grave issue of second screening, marketers are making crucial changes to their advertising strategy. Instead of investing in advertising on one platform, marketers are now focusing on advertising on both television and second screen simultaneously. This form of advertising is a type of cross-platform advertising. It involves syncing ads on television and mobile device in real-time so that the same or related ads appear on a consumer’s TV and smartphone simultaneously.

This syncing of ads, which is a form of sync marketing, can be done in two different ways. One way is to sync a company’s television ad with its own ad on the second screen, i.e., smartphone. The second one involves syncing a company’s digital ad on a smartphone with its competitor’s ad on television.

Besides real-time syncing of television and digital ads, marketers can also sync sports with digital ads and brand messages delivered through social media on smartphones. It involves the use of real-time moment marketing technology that delivers a brand’s ad right at the time when a significant in-game moment takes place. This moment may be a goal in a soccer match or a clean bowled in a cricket match.

Sync marketing is the best way to leverage the second screening behaviour of people. When people are exposed to the same ads on TV and smartphone at the same point in time, the impact of the ads on their minds is powerful. Moreover, if a person misses a TV commercial because of shifting of his focus to the second screen, the chances are high that he will watch that same ad on his phone if delivered simultaneously across both platforms.

As cross-platform advertising helps marketers reach people on both first and second screens, it boosts brand awareness and memorability, which in turn drive conversions and sales.