The Internet and The TV Converge (Episode 1)

Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk regarding the emergence of Internet advertising and the slow eventual death of TV. Certainly some of this talk was warranted considering people’s attention and time shifting from their TV sets and onto their PC’s or mobile phones. Study after study showed people’s interest shifting their eyeballs from the remote control and onto their keyboards. Pundit after pundit decried, “we are entering a new world of personal entertainment where the PC has become the centerpiece of attraction and as such we are entering a new paradigm in marketing and advertisement.” Ok, so I just created that quote.  But many marketing folks were scrambling and philosophizing on how to get a grip on this new ideal and how to get their products in front of people’s eyeballs.

And a lot of it was and still is true. But just hold on for 30 seconds here – just for one TV spot. There some folks that say we me be seeing these two media channel’s coming together. Or least, it appears that these two media channels may be slowly coming together very effectively to deliver marketing messages.

One article published by the Harvard Business Review discusses the habits of “Internet Junkies” (including PC, laptop, and mobile phone users) and their inclination of multitasking while absorbing their entertainment. It seems there are a growing number of people that text, Tweet, or update their Facebook profiles while watching TV. While the study focuses on live sports entertainment, the numbers clearly show people sharing their thoughts on their TV viewing – in real time.

Think of some of the ads at this year’s Super Bowl. There were a few marketers that successfully merged TV and the Internet in their marketing campaigns. Audi used Twitter hashtags in their TV ads to increase chatter regarding their brand on Twitter which turned into traffic on their YouTube page and then onto their website. Doritos has been doing it for years with their “Crash The Super Bowl” ads which creates huge discussion on the web.

A recent article the NY Times discussed how TV network ABC planned on using the two mediums for the Academy Awards. On one screen viewers will watch the recipients accept their award and on another screen they will be able to view the recipients celebrate behind stage. While this shows the ability of each medium to feed off one another, it also shows the changing mindset (or paradigm if you will) of TV executives to accept and understand the changing viewing habits of consumers.

In the end, it certainly shows that TV is not dead and its willingness to find ways to coexist with the Internet. Certainly broadcasting their content over the Internet is another one. But that can also cannibalize prime time viewership. By finding ways to utilize the web to arouse interest in TV programming and the TV to increase web site traffic, both mediums can coexist to develop a win-win environment. By both mediums fully realizing and fully utilizing the strengths of the other, it can create all sorts of marketing opportunities and consumer engagement.

Stay tuned for Episode 2 where technology evolution meets adoption.

Sources:

http://hbr.org/2011/01/vision-statement-multitaskers-may-be-advertisers-best-audience/ar/1

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/business/media/21watercooler.html?_r=1&src=busln