A new study is out that shows an increasing number of people are surfing the internet while they’re also watching television during prime time. The habit is at its weakest on Monday but picks up steam as the week progresses. And it offers an opportunity which advertisers can take advantage of.
The study, which comes from Integrated Media Measurement Inc., shows that viewers were online during 9.3% of the time they also had primetime programming tuned in.
There are further breakdowns. The percentage for cable surfer/viewers is 8.2%; for broadcast, its 11.0%.
The surfer/viewer quotient for Monday is only 5.8%, but it surges all the way to a Thursday peak of 15.9%.
The study also found that women tend to engage in this behavior more than men.
“This trend of going online while watching primetime television represents a significant opportunity for advertisers who want to target viewers with a message to visit content online,” said Matt Reid, director of strategic initiatives for Integrated Media Measurement Inc. “The landscape is moving at a steady pace from multiplatform advertising to simultaneous multiplatform advertising.”
RBR/TVBR observation: The name of the game on the internet is driving traffic to the old website. What IMMI is showing is that a primetime ad aimed appropriately is a point-of-purchase message, the kind that was previously beyond television’s ability to deliver. If TV can send a viewer/surfer straight to a client’s website, that is real ROI.
