Advertising in the Era of Shifting, Stacking and Meshing

I belong to the majority of people (65%) who spend the majority of their time shifting form one screen to another, even if more than a time I have found myself watching TV while text messaging and checking my emails on my tablet. This simultaneous use of screens, less common than using one screen per time, makes me belong also to the 35% of people that behave in this way. But why this should be interested and to whom? As the ADReaction 2014 report, to which these data belong, realized by Millward Brown underlines the multiscreen consumers comportment should be considered by brands to evaluate and plan their ads taking into account the scale of screens and the receptivity of people to various marketing approaches across screens.
First of all, let’s take a quick look to which kind of behavior describe each term. Shifting means that people use one screen per time. So, let’s say if I’m watching TV, my eyes are only seeing images projected on that screen and I am not giving any kind of look, neither a glimpse to my laptop or smartphone. Then, I can decide to interrupt the enjoyment or boredom I’m feeling watching the show or movie aired on TV to put my attention on my smartphone (37% of people do this), or my laptop (as the 25% of users) or to shift from my smartphone to my tablet (like the 19% of users).
Stacking is the term used to define people who use a second screen while watching TV and its common among the 35% of users worldwide. In detail, the majority of the people (62%) check on their smartphones or tablets contents unrelated with what they are watching TV and only in the 38% of they case they use their second screen to look for related content. As the report explains people behave, in the first case, “to fill time during the ad breaks”, and in the second case “for more information about what’s on TV”. In detail this second kind of use of a second screen, is defined as Meshing and is considered as a true gold mine for advertiser.
More in general, Meshing is already a form of engagement beyond the pure consumption of a product on TV. It tells more about audience engagement and it’s will of knowing more, participating more in the conversation about the product and it’s probable desire to be changed by the product’s experience.

References

Contaious Contributor ((2013, December 10). Multi-screen Marketing in 2014. In Contagious. Retrieved from http://www.contagious.com/blogs/news-and-views/10733921-multi-screen-marketing-in-2014

McGoldrick J. (2014, March 17). Multiscreening and simultaneous media use: unlocking the golden age of digital advertising. In Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2014/03/17/multiscreening-and-simultaneous-media-use-unlocking-the-golden-age-of-digital-advertising/

MillwardBrown. (2013). Digital Media &Predictons 2014. Retrieved from http://www.millwardbrown.com/digitalpredictions/2013/index.html

MillwardBrown (2014, March 17). Adreaction Multiscreen report 2014. Retrieved from http://www.millwardbrown.com/AdReaction/2014/#/main-content