Everybody has a favorite TV show. And even during that TV program we feel the need to sneak a peek at what others are saying and doing on Facebook. Or if anything we see on the show reminds us to look up a product or a service, we go online to satisfy our curiosity. And maybe, just maybe, sometimes something amazing happens and we feel the need to Tweet about it or post a Facebook comment. This is when the two devices – TV and tablet/smartphone – merge to create one great entertainment unit that keep you intrigued and connected at the same time. This is how second screen apps work.
The second screen platform is intended to allow the viewer in the game. He can connect to join in and turn from viewer to participant. If the preferred show is a game show, the idea of interactivity can be used to its full potential. Viewers at home can answer questions and compete with each other. They can help contestants or they can compete themselves. As far as second screen marketing and second screen advertising are concerned, once the viewer’s attention is caught, they can do their job in the best possible conditions.
Getting the undivided attention of the viewer, even if this implies connecting with him via two screens is like the second screen apps manage to create a special hallway between sponsoring companies and a potential client. People can compete in TV game shows at home and win coupons and vouchers. They can receive information on products from sponsor companies along with special offers, suited to their personal needs.
If the preferred program is a talk show and viewers are feeling frustrated about what is being said, they can make their opinions heard on national television with second screen apps. Getting a word in between some of the most popular TV commentators is one of the things that can keep people pinned down in the living room, in front of the TV screen and gripping the smartphone or the tablet, just waiting for that moment when they can say something. Second screen platforms can turn talk shows into real treats and can move the forums from the obscurity of the lost Internet pages (the ones that do not make the Google top 20 in searches) to the landing page of the TV program web site.
Joining in and taking control is just about the most appealing concept for TV viewers everywhere. This could also make the term “viewer” obsolete as the people on the other side of the screen will actually become “invisible participants”. There is a lot of ground for the second screen platforms to evolve.
