Have you ever thought of second screen as a tool that measures the effectiveness of television advertising? When viewers watch TV and there is suddenly a commercial that draws their attention, they may want to check that product/service/event etc. in real time. Second screen technology can identify specific items for consumers or redirect a consumer to the retailer’s website upon viewing an ad on TV.
Photo source: Forbes
The use of an additional screen when watching television is extremely popular today and it’s definitely an asset for driving online sales. Developing television campaigns and putting them in correlation with mobile technology and the web can entice consumers even more and make it much easier for them to purchase directly.
Second screen applications can attract additional traffic when customers have this possibility of consulting a product seen on TV in real time. These interactive apps can detect broadcast ads and synchronize the content to e-commerce options or other similar product recommendations.
A perfectly good example: Watch with Ebay
The Watch With Ebay iPad app lets users search and shop while watching television. The application was designed to allow viewers to look up products related to television programs in real time. Users can access the program guide in the app to choose the type of content they’re watching (drama, live event, reality show, sporting event etc.) and discover available products related to that content. It uses the zip code and synchronizes with the local cable provider to access programming schedules. Products related to the TV content could be celebrity or branded T-shirts during a fashion show or a basketball jersey linked to Men’s Basketball Tournament.
This so-called couch commerce presents itself as an easier purchasing option for consumers, and it also integrates additional features that help users manage even their preferences more easily. For example, the Watch with Ebay app secondary feature “Shop Like a Star” enlists actors’ favorite eBay categories and users can choose to shop these categories, part of the purchases being donated to the celebrity’s charity of choice.
