During a recent lecture, Rodney Payne, a social media veteran, gave a compelling talk about his journey in the recent social media revolution. His key point was that companies should focus on their message rather than the medium. I found this quote to be consistent with the plethora of articles being written about the future of digital marketing. One such article written by a local digital agency (workatplay) talks about how the future will necessitate a “3-Screen Approach”.
As I was reading this article on my iPad with the television on in the background and my iPhone by my side, I realized that I was the new-age consumer (Technically I was connected to a 4th screen: my MacBook Pro.. Wow I’m an Apple snob!). Gone are the days when mass media was either TV, Print, or Radio, and each medium was an independent entity. With the adoption of new platforms and advancements in technology, this new-age consumer is engaging in multiple platforms simultaneously and a trend towards convergence is gaining momentum. What is also interesting is how each screen plays a different role in a person’s life. Television is a source of entertainment and relaxation, whereas computers are more commonly used for informative and productive activities (working, shopping, and socializing). Phones have become similar to computers with the diffusion of smartphones, yet communication remains the predominant activity. As such, marketers will tend to produce TV advertising more like “branded entertainment”, and advertising on computers and phones will generally resemble a more direct approach.
According to a study by Microsoft, this 3-Screen Strategy has also transformed the traditional 5-phase purchase funnel to a 3-phase funnel. (Brand Awareness, Consideration & Preference, and Encourage Purchase). The study goes on to say that all screens have an influence on brand awareness; however, the computer is the predominant medium for the middle phase. Subsequently, the phone and computer are the key devices used for encouraging the purchase.
As I switched my focus back to the television, a particular ad caught my eye. It was somewhat mysterious and told me to check out youtube.com/unzipx. This is what came up..
Leading up to the big reveal, the ad generated quite a lot of buzz on blogs and marketing forums (the video attracted over 800K views) On November 8, I checked back for “the big reveal” and it turns out the femme fatale was Mariah Carey promoting Jenny Craig. Clearly, marketers have a long way to go in understanding how to engage viewers across multiple channels. (I certainly don’t consider myself in Jenny Craig’s target audience). However, it will be interesting to see how marketers begin to engage viewers across multiple screens.