Abridged with the author’s permission from ACS Creative blog.
Maybe they’re watching TV, visiting social networks on their PC, checking email via their mobile device, reading a newspaper online or offline—or any combination thereof. The better you know the habits of your customers, the better you can tailor integrated marketing experiences to reach them in a beneficial way—for them and for your business, too.
Two studies that Integrated Media Measurement, Inc. (IMMI) conducted in 2009 demonstrate the powerful opportunities that arise when you really understand what your customers are doing online and offline. Let’s take a look.
How IMMI Conducts Its Studies
IMMI provides panel members across the country with a mobile phone, asking them to carry it with them wherever they go. The mobile phone is equipped with technology that creates a digital signature of the audio media that it’s exposed to as well as any online activity performed through the mobile device itself.
Software installed on panel members’ home and work computers (where allowed) monitors online activity, including the media they consume (video and audio) and the URLs of Web sites they visit.
Study #1: Multitasking—TV Viewing Habits and Internet Use
In April 2009, IMMI released results of a study that looked at the multitasking behavior of TV viewers during prime-time TV hours. The company reported that during weeknights (Sunday through Thursday), TV viewers spend an average of 9.3% of their time watching the tube while simultaneously going online. Broadcast TV viewers spend an average of 11% of prime-time viewing minutes surfing the Web, while cable viewers spend 8.2% of the time surfing the Web.
IMMI also reported that broadcast TV viewers’ multitasking increases as the week goes on. On Mondays, just 5.8% of TV watching is done with the computer up and running. On Thursday, when many advertisers like to influence weekend shoppers, that figure more than doubles to 15.9%. The study also found that women do the most simultaneous viewing during prime-time hours.
Opportunities:
- If your customers go online while watching TV, you can target them with a message to visit online content to deliver simultaneous multiplatform marketing.
- You can deliver more mellow brand-building messages to TV viewers early in the work week when they’re not as active online and run special promotions and offers later in the week to excite them when they’re more likely to be thinking about weekend shopping.
- Products and services that resonate specifically with women might benefit most from campaigns that integrate messaging and offers simultaneously across prime-time TV and online Web experiences.
Study #2: Audience Reach Across TV, Online, and Mobile
In October 2009, IMMI released results of a study that looked at audience reach across TV and online access via PCs and mobile devices. The study showed that on any given day, panelist reach through any platform (TV, online, mobile) was 87.75%, which breaks out as follows:
- 10.20% used only their TV to consume media
- 12.24% used only their PC to consume media
- 63.27% used their TV and PC to consume media
- 2.04% used their TV and mobile device to consume media
Opportunities:
- If your customers fall into the small, yet significant, segment of the population that use their PC as their primary media source, you might be able to save money by focusing more resources on digital advertising vs. TV advertising.
- During the day, platforms compete for the attention of people who regularly use multiple media platforms to consume media; in the evening, people tend to use multiple platforms in tandem. Tailoring your advertising to take advantage of these usage patterns might improve return on your marketing investment.
- When the data is broken out by gender, men disproportionately drive media consumption on mobile devices and PCs compared with women; use this type of information to make sure you’re marketing on the most appropriate platforms for segments of your target audience.
Matt Chamberlin is Director of Strategic Marketing for ACS Creative.
