It’s no secret that the television screen no longer commands undivided attention in most households, but Facebook wanted to dig a little deeper into the viewing habits of its users, commissioning a study of more than 500 people by global market research agency Millward Brown.
Findings of the study, reported in a post on the Facebook for Business page, included:
- 75 percent of respondents liked to multitask while watching TV because it made them feel productive.
- 33 percent said they multitask in order to continue to be entertained or communicate with friends and family.
- The No. 1 activity during TV shows or commercial breaks was checking email, with 82 percent of respondents doing so during commercials, and 70 percent during shows.
- 71 percent of respondents said they visit social media platforms during commercials, while 64 percent did so during shows.
- Of those who visited social networks, Facebook was the most preferred, by far, at 85 percent, with 65 percent saying they spent more than 15 minutes on the site.
- 94 percent of respondents who use Facebook said it was their preferred digital platform.
- 41 percent of respondents said seeing ads on TV caused them to interact with those brands or products on their computers, tablets, or mobile phones.
The social network said in introducing the results of the study:
Once upon a time, families gathered around giant wood-paneled television sets that they switched on with the turn of a dial. As shows flickered across bulging screens, people talked, read the newspaper, or did chores.
Flash forward to the present. The TV is now a flat screen on the wall. It is still an integral part of our lives, but as modern families watch their shows of choice, many of them engage with another screen — a laptop, a desktop, a tablet, or a smartphone — that provides access to a stream of content and conversation.
Why are people looking at these other screens while watching TV, and what are they looking at? These are some of the questions we sought to answer in a study we recently commissioned of more than 500 people from global market research agency Millward Brown. The study explored people’s changing behavior while watching live primetime TV in the U.S. and the resulting implications for marketers.
And Facebook provided the following takeaways for marketers:
Brands have an opportunity to be part of the new way we watch TV across multiple screens. 41 percent of respondents said that seeing an ad on TV led them to interact with that same brand or product on their devices.
As multiscreening becomes the norm, marketers can turn what could be perceived as a distraction into an integrated and enhanced brand experience that extends from TV across multiple device screens.
Facebook — viewed as one of the main online destinations while watching live primetime TV — can help augment and maximize the reach of TV in the living room and beyond.
Readers: Did any of the findings by Millward Brown surprise you?
