TV faces competition from smaller screens

A new study has found that consumers that use smartphones, tablets and laptops to augment their TV viewing experience are more focused on smaller screens and more likely to miss much that's on the big screen.

The television is still consumers' go-to device for entertainment and relaxation even though it is increasingly competing for attention from smaller screens, usually at the same time.

Much has been written about the second screen; how smartphones and tablets are being used to augment TV viewing and about how consumers are increasingly multi-tasking -- texting, tweeting and flicking through photos -- while also following the game on the big screen.

But what makes YuMe's study unique is that it has attempted to throw science into the mix. Instead of relying on questionnaires, YuMe commissioned Nielsen to create a ‘lab' where they studied how 200 people across different age groups interact with multiple devices and multiple content streams over a two-month period.

They found that when presented with a choice of different devices, the TV was still the most popular screen but multi-tasking consumers soon stopped paying attention and started rooting out content on other devices too. On average, attention levels dropped from 50% to under 20% within the first four minutes of turning on the TV set.

When a second device was thrown into the mix, its mobility dictated how much attention it received. If the second device is a notebook, it demanded 60% of the user's attention while a smartphone demanded 71% and a tablet 75%.

However, comedy content on any sized screen demanded focus and attention. YuMe found that during 20 minutes of viewing the "Hangover Part III" on a TV set, a male participant's attention only shifted to a tablet for one minute. When the comedy content shifted to a smaller screen, the results were similar.

The purpose of the study was to understand how best to serve multitasking consumers with advertising. Only 30% of commercials screened on the TV during tests were seen by participants, however, 71% of video ads served on a laptop were registered and a massive 93% of ads that popped up on a tablet were seen.

"No one is debating that consumers are multi-tasking. This ethnographic study was specifically designed to garner insights into users' behaviors and preferences while multi-tasking," says Paul Neto, Director of Research, YuMe. "Despite distraction levels among consumers, it will be important for brand advertisers to continue running campaigns cross-screen, as viewers continue to show they are also attentive on laptops, tablets, and/or smartphones while ‘watching' TV."