Back on February 20, I wrote a blog that said that web video watching was not a zero sum game. This survey, backed by Blinkx and Harris, confirms that users are indeed media multitaskers who can enjoy their TV viewing experience and surf the web at the same time. The question left unsaid is the value of the advertising on each media and how can it break through to the user with so much distraction.
Previously, the TV advertiser had to contend with bathroom breaks, but now web surfing interrupts the ability to take in the ad message. Can an ad break through this clutter. The Super Bowl and Oscars on TV have been used as events to premiere new spots, but for the average show, has the web further reduced the effectiveness of TV advertising?
Some Survey Highlights:
-- 78% of adults who watch television use the web while doing so
-- 35% report doing so often or always
-- 62% of double-dippers surf for content related to what they're
watching
-- 40% of them look for products/services that appeared in or were
advertised during the program they're watching
-- 39% of them look for upcoming/related events
-- When it comes to watching video or television content online,
twice as many online adults typically watch full-length television
shows, movies, or sporting events, as compared to user-generated
content (25% vs. 13%, respectively).
-- When it comes to finding Internet video content, consumer behavior
is almost equally divided between search engines and users going
directly to content owner Web sites.
The challenge remains, how does a piece of video find large viewership and how do you effectively monetize its viewership to make a profit. If the ad community does not find the cost of advertising effective or efficient, new ways to monetize must be discovered.
