Talk Bite: Screen Control

You might not know it, but there is a war going on right now, and it’s manifesting in the place you consume content the most: your living room. TV is quickly gaining traction as consumers’ one-stop shop for Internet connectivity, and through the ever increasing number of devices and channels by which we consume media, brands are battling harder than ever for our attention… not just as we watch TV, but as we simultaneously tweet, shop online, Scramble, write blog posts, and do a multitude of other things with those extra screens for as long as our attention spans will allow us.

It’s no new concept that our attention is a commodity to advertisers, but it becomes an obvious challenge when those attention spans are spread thin across a myriad of screens. As the number of devices people own increases, it’s only natural that we go online and engage in other multi-tasking activities while watching TV. The thing is, even with all of this multi-tasking going on, surveys shows that people are still watching ads and are even able to recall brands being advertised on TV. Perhaps we’re just too preoccupied with our phone or tablet to bother changing the channel? Either way, this level of non-stop connectivity presents great opportunities for advertisers.

In order to truly capitalize on this constant state of frenzied discovery, we as marketers must think critically about the services our consumers are drawn to on each individual device, and how these smaller pieces fit into the bigger picture. This means refraining from jumping on the newest technology bandwagons (QR codes anyone?) just for the sake of technology, but making sure all screens work together in a fluid and valuable way. A brand’s message or service should be so nimble that it can seamlessly flow from mobile to tablet to TV, and back again.

As more and more devices become web-enabled, the content and experiences that are most tightly woven across multiple media platforms will speak loudest to consumers, and thus ultimately come out ahead.