Social TV Week In Review – Why the Hierarchy of Screens Matters

From smartphones to tablets to PC’s and TV’s, today’s homes are increasingly cluttered with displays. In reality, we rely on each for nuanced needs and so we establish our own personalized ‘screen hierarchy’. However, regardless of our individual preferences, the mobile or tablet device is most commonly referred to as the ‘second screen’ to the TV’s ‘first screen’.

Back in September of 2011, Mark Sorrell of Somethin’ Else argued that TV does not deserve to be at the top of the totem pole. If you’ve read anything about Social TV you’ve undoubtedly come across a preface to this effect; “We love watching TV and more than that, we love discussing it with our friends.” Sorrell suggests this ubiquitous refrain is a clever perversion of a more simple truth, “We love talking to our friends, and TV gives us something to talk about.” The restructured sentence places the emphasis on what is most important: human relationships. The TV set is secondary to the social experiences we are capable of having on our mobile, Internet connected devices.

I revive Sorrell’s words here, not to debate the taxonomy of screens, but to remind us of the takeaway; Great products and content emerge from a true understanding of audiences, their behavior and their needs. An exaggerated or conveniently phrased premise might draw attention from within the industry, but what is built from this premise will ultimately fail to connect with audiences.

And so the exploration of viewers’ behavior continues…

This week, the research consulting firm, Frank N. Magid Associates, identified a new trend – prime-time video access through mobile devices. The online market research agency, YouGov, released its own findings elaborating on the changing viewing habits of TV consumers. Videology reported a five-fold increase in the amount of video ads on connected TVs. While social video measurement firm, Visible Measures, reported that views of social video ads have risen 78% in Q1 of this year over Q4 2011 [see all studies below].

And that’s just the half…

In the articles below see who’s bringing Social TV to the next level: BillBoard Music Awards, Visa, The Olympics, American Idol, MTV Movie Awards, Amazon Instant Video, Tumblr, Simul TV, and more. Read the rest of this entry »