Social viewing more engaging than solo viewing

Using Innerscope's Biometric Monitor System; along with eye tracking online surveys and Ipsps' qualitative analysis, Turner Broadcasting System looked at how engagement varies depending on the viewing situation.

Among its findings:

• When people watched Conan and TMZ TV in pairs their emotional engagement was 1.3 times higher than that of solo TV viewers.
• When people used Facebook, Twitter or GetGlue while watching TV their emotional engagement was 1.3 times higher than that of solo TV viewers.

• When solo viewers used a sync app with TV their emotional engagement was 1.2 times higher than solo viewers just watching TV.

Sync app's impact on brand favorability

Using surveys conducted by Innerscope, Turner also tested sync apps' effects on brand favorability.

In pre-and postviewing surveys, Turner found that:

• When people watched Conan on TV and used a Conan sync app 33% brand favorability to the advertiser higher than TV alone when people watched Conan on TV and alone.

Second-screen apps drive ad engagement

Using Innerscope, Turner looked at second-screen apps impact engagement in programming and advertising.

• When people used CNN on a second-screen app while watching CNN on TV their emotional response to the ads was 1,3 times higher than those watching the ads on CNN on TV alone.

Two screens but only one audio track

Turner found that those who use a second screen while watching TV still listen to the TV audio, and that dynamic audio can actually pull them back to the first screen. The findings have implications for advertisers as they think about how to get multitaskers' attention early with audio and keep it throughout the ad.

Sources: Time Warner Emarketer Lab.