With portable devices of all sorts able to download and play television content from almost anywhere, the nature of the TV industry has changed. This means that even more TV content will be produced and presents new challenges to marketers trying to monetize it.
As more screens and platforms are added to the mix, marketers are perfectly situated to rethink how they engage with consumers and how they enhance the viewing experience instead of interrupt it. This is especially important as the 30-second spot continues to lose relevancy and effectiveness, said Bob Greenberg. The experience of watching TV is already shifting from a lean-back to a lean-forward activity, driven largely by consumers who — while viewing — also surf the Web or text and chat. By harnessing the exploding trends in utility-driven marketing and interactive TV viewing, marketers can give value to consumers, particularly in the areas of commerce and social (e.g., co-viewing and gaming).
Social networks are an important part of the equation, since they can be used as a way for users to give feedback as they watch. Live events are perhaps most prominent, with certain streaming sporting matches already inviting fans to comment as the game goes on.
MTV, for example, was an early pioneer, investing in platforms like Backchannel, which turn TV watching into a gaming experience. During episodes of MTV’s The Hills, viewers could join chat rooms to write and rate comments, notes Greenberg. Comments that receive positive ratings accumulate points and the one with the most points wins. We’ll see more brands involved in social interactivity formats like this, including apps like Bazaar Labs’ Miso — an app considered to be the Foursquare for movies and TV — or NBA’s Airplay, which lets viewers play a fantasy-style game in real time with other fans.
Users are used to purchasing things with a click of a button on their computers, and now that’s transferring over to TV. The Home Shopping Network already allows users to shop with their remote, which is an example of the sort of opt-in tools TV can use in the future.
On the other side of TV’s transformation, broadcast, Internet and user-generated content will continue to converge. Marketers are equipped to take advantage of this convergence by creating experiences that enhance viewing content without intruding, writes Greenberg. With future technological developments coupled with a slew of new players entering the game, brands should keep one thing at the forefront of their minds: Simple is best. Though marketers have the opportunity across devices to expand and deepen the content experience for consumers, the barrier to entry must be low and the ease of use high to entice consumers to engage and interact. Now is the time to innovate and experiment. The space is wide open for the taking.
Source: AdWeek
