Social TV: The 3 C’s To The Social TV Experience: Communication, Content And Comments → On Demand Weekly

Social TV: The 3 C’s To The Social TV Experience: Communication, Content And CommentsMay 17, 2012

Daniel Tosh / Tosh.0 (Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks)

Viacom Media Networks (VMN) unveiled the results to their “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study. It explores the social TV phenomenon through the lens of the viewer as part of the growing shift in TV viewing from a lean-back to a lean-forward experience. Consumers engaging in Social V activities "C's the moment" primarily by communicating, consuming content and checking comments.

“One of the main goals of this research was to understand how to inspire Social TV activity among our audiences,” said Colleen Fahey Rush, EVP and Chief Research Officer, Viacom Media Networks.

The top takeaways for the TV industry from the comprehensive study are:
• With the combination of TV and Social TV, it’s never been a better time to be a fan.
• Consumer expectations are high. Social TV websites and apps have to be special to drive engagement and consistent use.
• Destinations need to build across multiple devices (computer, smartphone and tablet) to capture consumers.

Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks: “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study (May 17, 2012)

“This is not a social study. This is a Social TV study,” Stuart Schneiderman, Strategic Insights and Research, Viacom Media Networks commented.

Consumer behavior:
National online surveys were conducted with over 1,500 VMN viewers aged 13 – 54.

When asked what “Social TV” means to them,

the most commonly reported words were

“interactive,” “friends,” “Facebook” and “Twitter.”

Some key findings:
• There is no one size fits all in terms of chat options: 56% communicate through the social TV app/service; 53% use Facebook; 50% send individual or group texts; and 38% use Skype or Apple FaceTime. Many respondents described cobbling together unique communication systems to interact with different social circles while watching a show.
• Live TV show viewing unlocks the real value of social TV services and co-viewing activities. Features relating to communication, content and comments are twice as likely to be used during live than time-shifted viewing.
• There are 13 Social TV activities and the average participant in the study engage in an average of seven different ones – online or offline – on at least a weekly basis. The most common activities include watching TV with others (85%), searching for supplemental content (61%) and viewing TV show clips on social networks (58%).

Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks: “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study (May 17, 2012)

Communication
Communication is a top priority for Social TV users. Many respondents said they use different methods to communicate (text, email, Twitter, etc) with different social circles.

Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks: “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study (May 17, 2012)

Content

Content is king for Social TV users. Viewers want something special from their Social TV services rather than commoditized content that can be found through online searches.

Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks: “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study (May 17, 2012)

Comments
Social TV users check comments about their favorite shows for a variety of reasons. Comments provide a different point of view, offer something new and create a direct connection between the fan and show.

“I love reading Daniel Tosh’s tweets while watching ‘Tosh.0.’ It gives the show a whole other dimension,” said one survey respondent.

Social TV favors Live Television over Time-Shifted viewing
Social TV features relating Communication, content and comments are twice as likely to be used during live television over time-shifted viewing.

“The conversation has passed,” a survey respondent commented

Social TV can help foster show discovery. Features like check-ins, viewer comments and shared video clips help viewers discover new shows.

Courtesy of Viacom Media Networks: “Social TV: Viewers C’s the Moment” study (May 17, 2012)