Insights for marketing channel design: Two thirds of mobile media consumers use a second screen, either a TV or a second phone

WARC, 13 February 2014

GLOBAL: Two thirds of mobile media consumers use a second screen, typically television, according to new research, but in some markets the second screen is another phone.

A report from MEF, the global community for mobile content and commerce, analysed data from 10,000 respondents in 13 countries to examine the ways in which mobile devices are used in tandem with other forms of media. It found that 65% of mobile media users consumed media via a second screen – TV, PC, tablet or second phone – while browsing the mobile web.

If other traditional media were included – newspapers, magazines and radio – that figure jumped to 89%.

Television was the leading second screen for mobile users globally. In 11 of the 13 markets surveyed it tops the list with 35% watching TV while they surfed the web on their phone. TV was especially popular in the US and UK (55%), Mexico and Brazil (42%) and South Africa (41%).

A more surprising finding, however, was that the next most popular second screen, after television, was a second phone, with 23% of consumers using two mobile handsets at once. And in two markets a second phone was actually the second screen of choice – in Indonesia (51%) and Qatar (24%).

The report suggested that the more screens that were in use the more likely a user was to buy, browse or otherwise engage via the mobile device.

Fully 69% of second screeners had made a purchase in 2013 compared to 65% in the total sample of mobile media users. The likelihood of purchase rose to 79% for those using three screens and 85% for those using five screens.

Further, the choice of a second screen had a positive impact on mobile content and commerce, as 77% of those using a tablet as a second screen made some type of purchase on their mobile versus the second screen average of 69%.

"Far from replacing traditional media channels, mobile devices are maximising the potential of the media mix," observed Rimma Perelmuter, CEO at MEF.

She added that CBS had made around $10m from second screening around the recent US Super Bowl, "just the latest example of how this new consumer behaviour is becoming a real opportunity for businesses".

Data sourced from MEF; additional content by Warc staff

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