Are Second Screens Distracting TV Viewers?

People’s increasing use of second screens lets advertisers reach users through more devices. But is this making it harder for TV advertisers to reach their target audiences?

In a July survey of 500 US marketing decision makers conducted by Viant, 45.8% of respondents said that consumers being distracted by their second screens is one of the top factors that limits the success of their TV ad campaigns. The polled marketers also cited cord-cutting and consumers having too many channels to choose from as other top hurdles reducing the effectiveness of their TV ads.

Viant’s study underscores how users’ fragmented media consumption is disrupting how marketers approach traditional TV advertising. eMarketer estimates that 185.8 million US adults will regularly use a second screen while watching TV this year, up 4.5% from 2017.

About two-thirds of the respondents in Viant’s study said they have struggled to break through the ad clutter. And 86% of those polled said it is becoming harder to grab a consumer’s attention solely through TV advertising.

With user attention scattered, cross-device targeting is in vogue.

In a January 2018 survey of 99 digital media professionals by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Winterberry Group, cross-device audience recognition will be prioritized the most this year in order to increase user engagement.