Today there’s no surprise that the majority of media consumers are splitting their attention between TV and their smartphones and tablets, broadcasters seizing the opportunity to make apps integral to the TV experience.
Viewer behavior has changed greatly these past years, shifting from passivity in front of the TV set to control by multitasking on mobile devices. You just can’t afford to develop a TV series or another kind of TV format without addressing the opportunities provided by mobile companion apps. **
The biggest challenge – as pointed by industry’s business developers, is to make a second screen app relevant, special and meaningful to what is on the first screen, getting high levels of adoption, but still not so distracting that people’s focus is constantly on the second screen while watching content on the first.
An affective companion app should enrich the TV experience, as television being a medium of mass entertainment has the aim not only to provide content but also to anticipate, monitor and influence consumer behavior. A strong second-screen app delivers additional useful and enjoyable content, building a second individual experience, easily related to the first-screen one. If you want to create a big hit, always ask yourself: “where’s the value”?
As many major US and Europe TV broadcasters are constantly experimenting with second-screen experiences, investing massively into the creation of mobile apps with interactive and social networking features, this is one of today’s hottest topics in digital TV technologies, worth a great deal of attention and examination.
Here’s a notable success story: last season’s Britain’s Got Talent app, which reached more than 1 million downloads this summer through features like giving viewers the possibility to choose ‘YES/NO’ to each performance and take part in live polls, at the same time seeing what the nation (including their Facebook friends) is thinking in real time. This is how you hook up fans.
About the second screen app audience
So, who is this hungry for apps audience and what does it want? Research consultancy Latitude’s latest study reveals a great deal of insights into this multi-platform landscape. It has to do with storytelling and we’ve summed it up.
Latitude uncovers four audience archetypes:
seekers – they are voracious information seekers, always eager for back stories, bonus content and sneak peek.
relaters – they want to share their favorite stories with friend and family, both online and face-to-face; they enjoy forming deep emotional connections with characters.
realists – they want stories that lead to personal growth, productivity and better living.
players – they crave interactivity and are attracted by stories integrating game elements, adventure and competition.
Here’s what second screen app providers should know, according to Latitude’s in-depth research:
seekers value learning and opportunities to go deeper into content; they are more likely to pay attention to ads
relaters value socializing and engaging with characters; they enjoy humorous, gamefied and visually appealing ads
realists are goal oriented and open to innovative advertising; they prefer ads that invite interest
players are tech-y, highly social but hard to engage; they prefer non-traditional ads
So, which are the top opportunities for second screen apps in the future? Latitude’s study reveals that app providers should focus on influential and goal oriented features like earning rewards, making a purchase and voting. Other promising features are related to greater immersion, such as bonus content or back-stories for characters or events.
We live in a multiscreen world, so this whole app phenomenon is no surprise, just a clear confirmation we should take seriously and use it to create meaningful media consumption experiences. Not exactly rocket science, develop a truly relevant (targeted and personalized) companion app and get rewarded, it’s as simple as that.
