Latitude Research°

Infographic: Kids’ Tech-Driven Solutions for a More Sustainable World

Kim Gaskins — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:36:54 +0000

Over the course of 2011-2012, Latitude conducted an innovation study, Trash to Treasure, asking more than 250 kid-innovators (ages 8-13) from across the world to illustrate their answers to this question: “How can technology help us solve our growing trash and pollution problems?”

What did they come up with? Everything from water-powered cars to trash-eating robots, to more grounded solutions like selling unwanted items on eBay.

Trash to Treasure Drawings by Latitude

Through an analysis of kids’ solutions, we uncovered the following key themes:

Infographic created by Latitude, (cc) some rights reserved.
Click to view a larger version.

Trash to Treasure is one in a series of creative problem-solving studies that Latitude has conducted with children over the past few years. Kids can be excellent innovators, thinking beyond what’s assumed to be practical or possible. They also have a special, more intuitive relationship with technology, and can serve as a window into our technological future.

About the Research

Over the course of 2011-2012, Latitude partnered with schools in the Czech Republic, France, Germany and the United States. Children (n=270), ages 8-13, completed a brief, kid-friendly series of questions covering basic demographics and probing their understanding of waste management, recycling, and other sustainability-related processes and problems. (Questionnaires were administered in the children’s native languages and responses were translated to English.) Next, they were asked to illustrate and describe how technology could help solve our growing trash and pollution problems. Latitude coded these submissions to quantify various themes present in the children’s ideas.

Latitude is an international research consultancy helping clients create engaging content, software and technology that harness the possibilities of the digital world. To learn more our services and products, email info@latd.com

Header image: Pirata Larios, (cc) some rights reserved.

The Value of 360° Campaign Measurement: 3 Key Insights

Andy Wiltshire — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:53:44 +0000

To learn more about Latitude’s offerings, see our overview here, or request more information by filling out this brief form.

Our Cross-Platform Approach

Latitude provides the conceptual framework and measurement tools that allow media companies to:

Build a holistic view of overall cross-platform campaign success
Highlight the unique value and complementary benefits provided by each individual platform (TV, online, mobile, etc.)
Measure the incremental value of adding multiple screens to a cross-platform campaign

Latitude’s approach to illuminating the value of individual platforms goes beyond simply measuring the impact on brand metrics; it defines the role of each platform in the context of the overall campaign through qualitative/quantitative hybrid techniques and user experience-oriented research methods.

3 Insights from Latitude

Traditional media still matters. While digital certainly does drive engagement, TV and print still have an important role in cross-platform campaigns—especially insofar as they provide a sense of “cohesiveness” to campaigns that rely on digital screens as well. In these cases, TV & print ads give audiences a conceptual “jumping off” point for experiencing a brand’s overall cross-platform campaign.
For digital/mobile, 1+1=3. Incremental value derived from combining digital/mobile with TV is not just “additive”: when the audience is exposed across all screens, the impact on brand metrics is often amplified beyond what would be expected from a normal increase in brand exposure.
Get personal with mobile. Mobile is more than just an add-on. Mobile has unique strengths—it’s the most personal of all devices, and can add in-the-moment relevance to large and small campaigns. When a campaign involves driving people across platforms for more information (e.g., from TV to mobile/online), the content that users are being directed to has to offer more than just information about the brand; it should create meaningful experiences, functional value, or entertaining content—largely through being personalized—that provide a “service” to potential consumers.

Andy Wiltshire is Lead Strategist at Latitude. He heads up Latitude’s quantitative research, data management, and metrics development teams. Andy also specializes in cross-media campaign studies, in which he helps to provide clients with strategic direction around advertising and multi-platform campaign effectiveness—he has worked extensively with clients like MTV Networks and ESPN. Andy is also interested in digital connectedness around interactions with natural environments & sports media.

The Purchase Loop: an About.com Study with Latitude

Kadley Gosselin — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:56:00 +0000

Recently, we partnered with About.com on a thought leadership study, The Purchase Loop, which sought to debunk the traditional idea of a linear purchase path, and re-draw it to reflect modern consumers’ behaviors more accurately. Due to the growing accessibility of web and mobile information, shoppers no longer follow a predictable journey from discovery to purchase; instead, they pass through purchase behaviors in a loop or web fashion, which may require a greater number of “stops” along the way—but allows purchases to happen more quickly, thanks to the instant, streamlined nature of mobile shopping. The Purchase Loop comes as the third in a trilogy of studies focused on understanding and redefining consumers’ relationships with brands, presenting new opportunities for advertisers in a variety of categories, including automotive, fashion, CPG, and many more.

“With the rise of mobile and social, along with the sheer volume of information available online, the path to purchase has radically shifted for consumers and smart marketers are taking note,” says Laura Salant, Director of Research for About.com. “The information in this study allows marketers to understand how they can walk specific paths with consumers and add value throughout these behaviors – keeping their brands in consumers’ consideration every step of the way.”

We reconfigured the purchase path through an exploration of shoppers’ needs and motivations, rather than just the series of actions that ultimately lead to purchase; 87% of people agree that there’s more to their buying decisions today than just “exploring options and purchasing,” while 68% say, “it’s more about me – what I’m feeling or needing.”

“The road to purchase is no longer linear,” says Neela Sakaria, EVP of Latitude. “To address that and to truly understand what drives people, we used a combination of generative and reflective techniques. We found that the variation in consumers’ needs at each stage creates new opportunities for marketers to reach people in meaningful and interesting ways.“

Methodology

The Purchase Loop explored the needs and behaviors of 1600 smartphone owners, ages 18-54 using a combination of creative qualitative and quantitative techniques:

Phase 1: Mapping the Loop – Immersive Online Activities with both quantitative and generative elements, designed to uncover new shopping behaviors as a result of mobile information access, and to map the new path (or “loop”) to purchase (n=600).
Phase 2: Quantifying Behaviors & Opportunities – Full-Scale Quantitative Survey designed to test, refine, and measure the “loop” amongst a larger audience, and identify related opportunities for marketers (n=1000).
Phase 3 – Welcome to the Purchase Loop – Insight Reel™ was professionally produced using HD footage from immersive in-person ethnographies and key insights from the quantitative survey.

The 6 Behaviors of the Purchase Loop

Openness – Brands, products and services are consciously or subconsciously on shoppers’ radars even before they take any action, meaning that people are always in a state of openness towards new experiences.
Realized want or need – Triggers such as an email from a brand, a friend’s recommendation or a particular moment on a TV show act as catalysts, provoking people to look actively for products or services.
Learning and education – Having all of the detailed information about a prospective purchase, such as a sense of personal fit or expert opinions, before moving forward is key.
Seeking ideas and inspiration – Shoppers receive inspiration and ideas for new purchases from a growing list of sources (e.g., brands, media, friends, etc.), which are powerful purchase catalysts.
Research and vetting – Shoppers compare, search for deals or coupons, read reviews, and consider their own personal needs before committing to a purchase.
Post-purchase evaluation and expansion – The loop doesn’t close at purchase; it continues as shoppers share and review their experiences, which can often send shoppers into other purchase loops by renewing openness to the brand and interest in related products.

Navigating the Purchase Loop Across Platforms

The growing presence of mobile commerce has changed how shoppers actually navigate each stage of the purchase loop. For example, tablets are better aligned with “Openness” and “Learning/Education,” while television is the most influential for “Ideas & Inspiration.” There are additional nuances depending on the type of purchase, the cost, and other factors.

Read the press release here.
Download the report here.

The Purchase Loop was part three in a trilogy of thought leader studies conducted by Latitude for About.com.

Learn more about Latitude’s signature thought leader offering and our retail expertise, including our latest study, Next-Gen Retail: Mobile and Beyond. We’re now accepting thought leadership projects for Q2 & Q3 2013. Visit us on the Web or email nsakaria@latd.com for more information.

TeleVisionary Series #1: The Social Tipping Point

Neil Basu — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:26:05 +0000

Over the course of 2013, we’ll be conducting an ongoing investigation of some of the most important—and interesting—questions shaping the future of video today. The TeleVisionary series will look beyond just TV content to include the entire video universe, such as other forms of video content, the impact of different devices or “screens” on viewing attitudes and behaviors, and more.

Installment #1: The Social Tipping Point

How many people (and who) in your personal network need to be watching a particular show before you’ll also start watching it?

We envision a “social tipping point,” an improved social metric that gauges when and how people are susceptible to social influence around TV shows. To dig deeper, we’ll be kicking off a study that examines TV viewing behavior through the lens of human relationships. The study will provide insights for marketers, including how to identify which content is “spreadable,” and how to cater to audiences that are more receptive to social influence or particularly influential themselves.

We’re planning an immersive, real world experiment:

Tap into two real world social networks: a group of co-workers and a set of students living in a college dormitory.
Conduct in-depth interviews with individuals in these networks, exploring the strength of their relationships with others, their viewing preferences and behaviors, motivations for viewing, and more.
With a brief post-survey, collect psychographic and demographic information, as well as social media usage, sharing tendencies, etc.
Visualize the networks based on TV viewing behavior and strength of social connections.
Compare the attributes of these networks to those in randomly generated networks (i.e., “control” groups) in order to identify how the number and quality of relationships affects TV selection and viewing.
Track these networks over time to gauge how TV selection and viewing spread.

Specifically, our objectives will be:

To determine the existence and nature of a “social tipping point.” (How might the number and quality of relationships explain TV selection and viewing behaviors?)
To both visualize and explain the spread of TV viewing behaviors through a social network over time. (Does one’s influence take effect quickly or slowly? Does it amplify or diminish?)
To reveal qualitative insights about the people and TV shows involved. (Which kinds of people do the influencing? Which allow themselves to be influenced? Does it vary by show type?)

Why ARE We Doing This?

Everyone now knows that social media is important when it comes to the success of TV shows. The old metrics are not telling the whole story anymore about which types of content are holding people’s attention because “time-shifted” viewing (e.g., on Netflix, iTunes, network websites, etc.) isn’t being captured by traditional ratings. Companies like Nielsen continue to place their emphasis on the “live” quality of TV viewing without tracking viewing activity that may occur months after an air date.

Social media offers a more holistic picture of viewers’ engagement. TV shows are hot topics of conversation, a common social lubricant amongst friends and strangers alike. As such, companies are turning to social media for answers because it consists of networks that can be documented. But even when media companies are in sync with what their viewers are saying, the same question remains: what precisely about this buzz is important?

Specifically, we are still no closer to understanding how much of this buzz will yield a desired outcome (e.g. winning over another TV viewer, engaging with a show on a deeper level, etc.). Is it the amount of buzz that is important, or does it matter from whom this buzz comes: a close friend, acquaintance, or mere stranger?

Taking it to the Next Level

It can be frustrating to chase around the answers to these questions. But our research design is advantageous in that it tracks both networks and viewing behavior. Rather than simply data-mining, we will use representative social networks in the real world. By moving data collection one step further toward reality, we will be able to track behaviors that take place offline and may have gone undocumented online (such as choosing to watch or not watch a TV show). In addition, our willingness to incorporate social network theory into our analyses ensures that our story will be crafted with high quality tools.

Over the next few months, we hope you will follow along with our ongoing investigation of the “social tipping point.”

If you’d like to suggest a question or topic for Latitude to explore as part of its TeleVisionary series, please email it to life-connected@latd.com.

Header image courtesy of Andres Rodriguez

Transmedia isn’t Just for Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Neela Sakaria — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:47:59 +0000

In many ways, the talk around cross-platform or “transmedia” storytelling has been about giving audiences more: more information about characters, more exclusive content, more uncut scenes, and so on—ultimately, more ways to go deeper and deeper into a story-world.

All good stuff — I’d argue that there’s a second half of the equation we should be paying more (or at least equal) attention to now. Instead of only going deeper into a story-world, how can we find ways to bring the world of the story out?

What do I mean? At Latitude, we have been conducting a multi-phase study on The Future of Storytelling. As part of this project, we asked more than 150 early adopters worldwide to generate ideas or “future requests” for new ways to experience or interact with their favorite narratives. We developed The 4 I’s of Storytelling framework to highlight key dimensions of good storytelling experiences:

Click to view a larger version.

The last two dimensions, “Integration” and “Impact” suggest interesting possibilities for story creators, particularly those working on non-fiction narratives. Often we assume that “transmedia” is just for sci-fi or fantasy narratives, but I’d urge those in the nonfiction space to explore these new opportunities. Some already are:

Robot Heart Stories is an experiential learning project funded in part by the Tribeca Film Institute. Two classrooms in underprivileged neighborhoods in Montreal and L.A. (with other children across the world) use math, science, history, and more to help a lost robot return home. Their creative, written submissions and practical know-how guide the robot’s course across North America; wherever the children decide, the project team goes (and snap a photo of the robot in that place)—then, designers and illustrators bring the children’s ideas to life. Essentially, children collaboratively unravel a real world story in real-time, learning along the way.

NBCUniversal’s upcoming hybrid game/TV series on the Syfy network, Defiance, integrates sponsors on an entirely new level—beyond just cross-platform. (Okay, Defiance is a great example of transmedia in the sci-fi space, but I’m talking about the brand narratives within.) Fans can play the Defiance MMOG, whose events directly influence what happens on the TV show (and vice versa), building a story—and sponsors’ stories—that are completely conversant across two different mediums. Dodge recently signed on as a Defiance sponsor; the Dodge Challenger, souped up with various weaponry and big tires, will appear in the game, while the Dodge Dart and Charger will be featured prominently on the TV series, which will even utilize a burnt-out old Dodge dealership as one of its sets.

Image credit: Syfy

The 4 I’s give us insight into how to think about these types of story experiences differently. They also give us a framework for potential new measures of true engagement. At Latitude, we’re continuing to define these metrics. New technologies mean there’s a largely untapped opportunity to allow people to tie stories directly into their own lives—bringing narratives “out of the screen,” so to speak, often through meaningful connections with characters. My hope is that content creators, especially in non-fiction, can use the 4 I’s of Storytelling framework to understand that the desire for interesting cross-platform experiences isn’t as niche as some might think. There are exciting new opportunities for educators, news creators, advertisers, and even retailers to use storytelling principles to engage people more deeply.

Introducing TeleVisionary: a Series on the Future of Video Experiences

Neela Sakaria — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:16:19 +0000

Over the course of 2013, we at Latitude will be conducting an ongoing investigation of some of the most important—and interesting—questions shaping the future of video today. How are viewers’ behaviors and expectations changing as media becomes more accessible across devices and services, and why? What fresh perspectives can we offer to content creators and marketers to address some of the challenges they’re currently facing? The TeleVisionary initiative will look beyond just TV content to include the entire video universe, such as other forms of video content, the impact of different devices or “screens” on viewing attitudes and behaviors, and so on.

To that end, we’ve assembled an internal task force to explore one micro-question or topic every few weeks and to share the results with our readers. Using a variety of creative research techniques and real-world “experiments,” we’ll aim to add ideas to the existing dialogue and uncover new potential opportunities for TV networks and other content creators, brands and marketers. (We’ll also have a little fun, too.) Any new metrics or insights gleaned may be incorporated into our custom work with clients and partners.

So, what kinds of things will we be exploring? Here are some beginning topics that our team came up with:

Multi-Modal TV Engagement: What is the impact of having multiple modes of access to TV content (e.g., across different devices and across different platforms like live TV, Netflix, iTunes, etc.)? Does greater access result in greater likelihood to adopt—and stick with—new shows?
The Social Tipping Point: How many people in a viewer’s social network need to be watching (or recommending) a particular show before she’ll try it out? How might this “tipping point” be mediated by the nature of a person’s relationships with people in her network?
Maximum Load: Is there a maximum number of shows that a person is willing to carry at any given time? Why, and what are the exceptions?
The Impact of Time-Shifted Viewing: To what extent does DVR-ing impact viewers’ recall of advertisements? What are some opportunities for marketers to reclaim viewers’ attention on a single screen or across screens?

If you’d like to suggest a question or topic for Latitude to explore as part of its TeleVisionary series, please email it to life-connected@latd.com.

“Future Requests” for Connected Retail Spaces

Kadley Gosselin — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:44:47 +0000

Download the study report for Next-Gen Retail: Mobile and Beyond.

There’s no question that online and mobile shopping are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. However, traditional brick and mortar stores still have a leg up in many respects: the ability to “try” products in person, instant access to purchases, social opportunities, and so on.

Click here to view a larger version.

Despite those advantages, shoppers have begun to expect that digital information will be infused into these physical experiences; 36% are already using smartphones and even tablets (21%) while shopping in stores.

With that in mind, Latitude conducted an innovation study during the course of 2012: Next-Gen Retail: Mobile and Beyond, which explores how shoppers use mobile devices to enhance their shopping endeavors (both online and offline) currently—and how they’d like to in the future. More than 900 smartphone-enabled shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. participated in the study, reacting to various future shopping concepts and generating their own. Much of what we heard involved the integration of digital information into physical stores (e.g., a color-matching app for colorblind—or just color-challenged—shoppers, virtual fitting rooms, personalized recommendations, etc.). In fact, seventy-nine percent of participants were interested in the possibility of having digital content delivered to their mobile phones while shopping in a store.

The infographic below displays the most popular digital enhancements that shoppers would like to see made to in-store retail, as well as the needs underlying these future requests:

Click here to view a larger version. Infographic created by Latitude in collaboration with FFunction, (cc) some rights reserved.

How can mobile information improve the in-store shopping experience?

Make it More Efficient: Not surprisingly, shoppers want to streamline the in-store process and eliminate frustrations like having to wait in line. Self-checkout machines have quickly become a mainstay at food and discount retail locations, but they still haven’t been widely adopted amongst other retail categories. Moreover, the portability and ubiquity of mobile devices creates an opportunity for all retailers to provide this feature (i.e., scan and check-out via smartphone) without the cost of special or unsightly hardware. An overwhelming 95% of participants agreed that they would be interested in an app or service that would allow them to scan products while shopping and check-out via their own devices.
Apps like QThru are slowly becoming available at US grocers and at big, multi-national players like Wal-Mart— which is currently testing the Scan & Go app. In addition, Wal-Mart’s mobile app features “in-store mode”, which satisfies a number of participants’ future requests. The app uses shoppers’ locations in the store to provide details and promotions, offers interactive maps to assist with store navigation, and allows shoppers to make voice responsive lists.
Provide Product Information: When it comes to in-store shopping, reading labels or scouring Google for detailed product information, use cases, or reviews can be a consuming yet crucial part of the purchase process. Ninety-four percent of participants expressed interest in a mobile app or site for easy product or price comparisons, while 79% of participants said they would like access to demo videos about the products they’re browsing in store (via QR codes, for example). Retailers like Office Depot and Macy’s are responding to shoppers’ needs by offering expert tips and videos at the critical, decision-making moment.
Highlight Deals: Participants in our study cited saving time over saving money as a reason to shop via mobile. Despite this, finding the best deal is undoubtedly a high priority, with 92% of participants wanting to receive deals via mobile while shopping in a store. Groupon recently announced the acquisition of Glassmap, a social news feed based on location, most likely as an avenue to user data that could help Groupon deliver more targeted deals based on time, location, personal preferences and social buzz-worthiness. Target also recently announced a new price-matching policy: “If a guest buys a qualifying item at a Target store and then finds an identical item for less in the following week’s Target circular, or within seven days on Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Bestbuy.com or Toysrus.com, or in a local competitor’s printed ad, Target will match the price.” This policy is likely to appeal to deal-craving shoppers who are routinely using mobile devices to find more competitive prices, even after they’ve completed a purchase.

Jorge Gonzalez

What Shoppers Want: Study Investigates Opportunities for Mobile-Enhanced Retail

Kadley Gosselin — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:13:00 +0000

Download the study report for Next-Gen Retail: Mobile & Beyond.

Mobile information is reinventing shopping, both in-store and online. Recently, in anticipation of the holiday season, Google plotted indoor maps for thousands of retail locations worldwide to ease the frustration of navigating physical stores, while FaceCake’s Swivel technology is aiming to bypass the hassle of trying on clothes entirely with its virtual dressing room. And those are only a couple examples.

Given the rapidly evolving nature of retail, Latitude launched a study to understand better what shoppers want now and in the near future, as well as the need states underlying these desires. The study found that smartphones and tablets aren’t just making shopping more convenient and real-time; they’re fundamentally changing how people think about shopping and, by extension, their everyday lives. Mobile shopping makes people feel more relaxed, productive and informed, as well as more open-minded and receptive to discovering new things.

About the Research

The study included a survey of 909 smartphone owners, ages 20-59, from the U.S. and the U.K. Sixty-five percent also owned tablets, making them “dual owners.” The survey assessed shoppers’ mindsets, motivations, current behaviors and unmet needs around both online and physical retail. Alongside the survey, Latitude also conducted a separate generative, online activity to collect participants’ “future requests” for new ways to enhance their shopping experiences.

Select Key Findings from the Study Include:

Mobile Makes Us Smarter, Faster, Better at Shopping—and Life. Not surprisingly, saving time and money are key drivers of mobile shopping, but motivations do vary. For example, women tend to appreciate aspects of mobile that lead to more “productive” shopping; they are significantly more likely than men to go mobile because it eliminates waiting in line and because it’s something they can do while multi-tasking. On the other hand, men are attracted to mobile because it streamlines shopping by offering better-curated options—which means fewer items to sift through.

However, the perks of mobile shopping extend beyond just retail experiences. The vast majority (88%) of people agree that having a mobile device with real-time information makes them more spontaneous with shopping and, in general, more open to discovering new things.
In-Store Retail Should Tech Up. Shoppers are craving more from their in-store shopping experiences; they see possibilities to infuse physical stores with mobile and other connected technologies—to offer product information, mitigate frustrations (e.g., waiting in the check-out line), personalize the experience, and so on. Seventy-nine percent of participants are interested in having digital content (e.g., demo videos, product recommendations, information about a product’s origin, etc.) delivered to their mobile phones while shopping in a store.

Click here to view a larger version. Infographic created by Latitude in collaboration with FFunction, (cc) some rights reserved.

A Great Mobile Experience is a Must-Have. Sixty-one percent of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience. Developers should avoid the major pitfalls that are likely to render an app “delete-worthy,” which include replicating the normal website (i.e., not offering a tailored experience), hogging precious storage space on devices, and skimping on important features, among others. “A lot of shopping apps have too big of a footprint; that is, they’re too clunky, intrusive, or ad-heavy relative to how much value they deliver,” says one study participant. “They need to offer an experience that justifies taking up storage space on my phone.”

Click here to view a larger version. Infographic created by Latitude in collaboration with FFunction, (cc) some rights reserved.

Mobile Transactions are Gaining Traction. Not surprisingly, younger generations are leading the charge when it comes to transacting from their mobile devices. Smartphones are selected more often than laptops as a favorite purchasing platform by 20-29 year-olds.
Pushing beyond occasional purchasing from their smartphones, shoppers of all ages are looking for a more comprehensive mobile payment platform. Eighty percent are interested in a “mobile wallet”—particularly if it enables them to skip on carrying cash or credit cards entirely.

Additional Findings:

63% of people expect to be doing more shopping on their mobile devices over the next couple years. (Only 3% expect to be doing less.)
81% of smartphone owners agree, “because I have a mobile device, I am constantly shopping.”
85% reported that being able to shop on mobile devices increases the likelihood of actually making a purchase.
50% say that a well-executed, location-aware mobile alert makes them more likely to visit the store soon.
60% of smartphone owners have used a mobile device while shopping in a store.

To explore more insights and opportunities, download the full study report for Next-Gen Retail: Mobile & Beyond.

Study Architect & Lead Designer:
Kadley Gosselin, Content & Communications Manager

Study Architect & Lead Writer:
Kim Gaskins, Director of Content Development

Supporting Analyst:
Natalie Stehfest, Senior Research Analyst

Editorial Oversight:
Neela Sakaria, EVP/Managing Director

Deconstructing the Multi-Screener: a Bravo Study with Latitude

Kim Gaskins — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:46:26 +0000

Bravo recently released the results of Deconstructing the Multi-Screener, a multi-phase thought leadership study conducted in partnership with Latitude. The growing adoption of mobile devices is increasing people’s tendencies to multi-task across life situations—which has included using second (and sometimes even third) screens while watching TV. To shed light on this phenomenon and its implications for advertisers, the study provided an in-depth investigation of multi-screen usage, including motivations, current behaviors, impacts on engagement, and unmet needs.

“We wanted to get at the ‘why’ behind these new cross-platform behaviors,” explains Neela Sakaria, EVP of Latitude. “To do that, we used a combination of innovative ethnographic and needs-based quantitative techniques. As a result, we painted a holistic picture of the multi-screener, and developed new terminology to help Bravo and its partners understand the opportunities to deepen engagement with this new audience. We see many possibilities for advertisers and content providers to excite multi-screeners—who aren’t a niche group; they’re the new mainstream.”

The qualitative/quantitative hybrid study design included two phases:

Multi-Screen Immersion Labs: 112 participants in Boston and Los Angeles each viewed 45 minutes of the most recent episode of a Bravo program in a natural living room setting, with access to one or more additional screens that they would typically have on hand. Latitude then reviewed and coded the collected footage—totaling 4,500 minutes in all—across 30+ behaviors and attributes. The purpose of this phase was to provide a robust, behavioral portrait of typical viewer behavior and engagement in general, and with regard to second screens in particular. (To read more about the study design details for this phase, see Bravo’s press release.)

Screenshot from Multi-Screen Immersion Labs

“We worked to decode the multi-screener to understand who these people are, what makes them tick and their characteristics when watching TV—so instead of purely measuring eyeballs, we also needed to capture new media metrics like attention shifts and device checks and pullbacks,” said Dave Kaplan, VP of research at Bravo Media. “We executed all of our research through the lens of today’s marketers, with a focus on how they can optimize messaging in an environment where the majority of TV viewers are now making use of more than one platform at the same time.”

Large-scale quantitative survey: More than 1,000 multi-screening viewers between the ages of 18-54 completed an online survey about attitudes, motivations and behaviors related to TV viewing and usage of other devices. The survey was specially designed to provide a richer, more focused investigation of multi-screening by understanding these behaviors in the context of specific programming genres viewed (e.g., scripted vs. reality) and device types used. It complemented the qualitative Multi-Screen Immersion Labs and quantified key trends uncovered during that phase.

Latitude also worked with Bravo to create an Insight Reel™: a short, engaging video featuring participant commentary and high-level quantitative findings.

Deconstructing the Multi-Screener: a Bravo Study with Latitude.

Key findings include:

More screens bust TV ad-skipping: Contrary to the notion that juggling multiple screens can be too distracting, our research finds that it may be just distracting enough—keeping DVR-enabled viewers from fast-forwarding though commercials. Seventy-three percent of participants in the viewing labs agreed that having other devices with them while watching TV makes them less likely to fast-forward through ads. What’s more, this effect was shown to be amplified for viewers with more devices; those viewers who had both a smartphone and a tablet/laptop (“tri-screeners”) were observed to fast-forward at the start of just 40% of ad breaks, compared to smartphone-only viewers (“dual-screeners”) who skipped ads 51% of the time.
Audio cues are critical in a multi-screen world: Viewers were 21-36% more likely to cite auditory over visual attributes of various ad executions as “attention-grabbing,” highlighting the importance of prominent audio cues in prompting a distracted multi-screener to re-engage with or “pull-back” to the TV during commercial breaks.
“Productive distractions” are on the rise: The increase in multi-screening during programming indicates that an advertiser has more opportunities than ever before to reach this audience and make an impression. On average, viewing lab participants exhibited 7-13 attention shifts away from the TV while the show was airing, most often turning their focus to ad-friendly content (via web sites and apps) which tended to be show-related.
360-degree advertising counteracts DVR effects: Advertisers with a multi-screen presence can combat diminished effectiveness due to DVR usage and improve recall amongst viewers who are exposed across multiple platforms. Forty-five percent of multi-screeners in the quantitative survey reported that they’re more likely to remember brands if they see ads on more than one screen versus just TV alone. The Multi-Screen Immersion Labs also echoed this finding; ad awareness lift for brands included in the viewing session improved among participants who had cross-screen ad exposure, helping to almost entirely overcome any effectiveness shortfall resulting from DVR-enabled ad avoidance.
There’s no “one size fits all” approach for meeting second screen needs: Viewers’ have varied needs when it comes to seeking out second screen content—needs which are highly dependent on situational factors and on the genre of the program being watched. Quantitative research reveals that, for some genres, primary and second screen needs tend to match up; for example, sitcom viewers tend to seek laughter and relaxation not just from the primary TV screen but from their second screen as well, and reality food competition viewers desire learning-oriented content across screens. On the other hand, drama viewers desire different things from different screens; they tend to seek thought-provoking material from the TV program itself, but rely on their second screen to offer something more lighthearted in nature.

ABC Interview with Neela Sakaria on Next-Gen Retail

Kim Gaskins — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:33:19 +0000

Listen to the interview:
[audio:http://latdsurvey.com/latdContent/ABC-mCommerce.mp3]

Recently, Latitude’s EVP/Managing Director, Neela Sakaria, spoke with the Australian Broadcasting Company’s Future Tense radio show about our soon-to-be-released study on Next-Gen Retail. (You can sign up to be notified by e-mail when the study findings are available.) Overall, the program explored multiple perspectives on “the impact that new technologies and shifting cultural attitudes are having on our approach to buying and selling in the 21st century.”

Drawing on findings from our research, Neela discusses how mobile may be fundamentally transforming how, when, and why we think about purchasing: “Mobile technology really allows people to think about their shopping in a very 24/7 kind of way. You don’t have to be in a transactional mindset anymore before making a purchase; instead, you can be in an ‘inspiration’ mindset. You can be out with friends, watching TV, being immersed in other aspects of your life and, suddenly, you can have the opportunity to transact in a way that you didn’t before. So, in many cases, people are reverse-engineering or ‘backing into’ a purchase.”

[audio:http://latdsurvey.com/latdContent/ABC-mCommerce.mp3]

Listen to the interview via the audio player above. (Neela’s segment starts at 6:45.) You can also read more about the program and view the transcript. Click here to be notified by e-mail when our complete study findings are available.

The program also features commentary from:

Philip Delves-Broughton, Journalist and Author of The Art of The Sale
Doc Searls, Author of The Intention Economy and Alumnus Fellow with Harvard’s Berkman Centre for Internet and Society
Rob Walker, Co-founder of The Significant Objects Project, Contributing Writer to New York Times Magazine, and Author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy And Who We Are

Image credit: Nobuyuki Hayashi