How marketers can make the most of the second screen
Mobile’s impact on traditional TV has been felt for a while, however 2013 has brought a surge of activity in the relationship between the two platforms. With a recent Nielsen report showing that nearly half the population uses their smartphone while watching TV [study based on the US market] and the massive growth of companies such as Shazam and Viggle, there’s huge potential for marketers to engage their audiences in a deeper, more relevant way by integrating their TV and mobile experiences.
Extending the experience
Clorox recently partnered with ABC’s hit reality show The Bachelorette, leveraging the second-screen mobile application Viggle. Over the course of 12 weeks, Bachlorette viewers were invited to vote on their favorite ‘bleachable’ – aka cringeworthy – moments from the current season of the show. Viewers could cast ballots while the show was on the air on the ABC website or on the Viggle app, one of an increasing number of second-screen apps for mobile devices. The Viggle app directed consumers to both the Clorox and ABC mobile websites and encouraged them to check in to Clorox’s ad that leveraged audio recognition to serve consumers additional content. Clorox ran a TV commercial that called attention to the bleachable moments campaign while the Bachlorette was on to increase viewer awareness and engagement. The campaign proved to be highly successful, with a 62 per cent engagement rate for the voting part of the campaign and 56 per cent of users setting a reminder on the Viggle app to tune in for the following week’s episode.
2014 will be about using smartphones to provide enhanced in-store experiences that connect the digital and physical worlds. One of the most exciting new technologies is Apple’s iBeacon, which harnesses Bluetooth Low Energy and may prove to be a game-changer for the retail industry. Last month Macy’s teamed up with shopping app Shopkick to deliver the first retail based iBeacon experience, which allows customers to find location-specific deals, discounts and recommendations in the Shopkick app while they shop one of the participating Macy’s stores. If a customer “likes” a specific product online, the app will remind them when they enter the store that Macy’s sells it. Additionally, special deals and discounts are pushed to users when they walk past an item, or past an item that contains products they have shown interest in before. The iBeacon technology will ultimately be key in helping retailers both big and small – at about $100 it will allow even local stores to track their customers, offer deals and discounts, and create hyperlocal, engaging in store experiences.
In 2013 we saw the proliferation of mobile video with Facebook launching their mobile video ad unit, and social giants Instagram and Snapchat introducing video sharing. New research also suggests that mobile video is actually more effective than desktop, with the average CTR for smartphone and tablet campaigns tripling in the past 12 months. As more consumers share and access video via social media we’ll likely see savvier marketers leveraging the format in 2014. Jaguar recently launched its largest ever Instagram campaign to promote its F-Type Coupe by sharing high quality videos with users and expand its base to a younger generation. The campaign used nine pieces of video content which depict the coupe being hunted by those who wish to prevent it being released and seen by the world. Jaguar shows a creative departure from the usual Instagram content we’ve previously seen from brands, by showcasing high quality video that unfolds a storyline with engaging, bite-sized content. Here’s to a happy and fruitful 2014.