In an earlier blog post, I listed some of the most promising 2nd screen solutions based on research by Chuck Parker. The market is developing fast and Chuck Parker has now updated his analysis. He points to 5 differentiating features for the successful for 2nd screen app: Seamless (elegantly combining sources), Discovery (content sourcing), Simple (control and interact with your 1st screen), Stimulating (related experiences besides just watch a program), and Social (share and comment on programs with your network). But even though all of these 5 features are important, I very much agree with Somrat Niyogi, the CEO of Miso, who recently stated that ‘declaring “we are the best because we have everything” is not valuable. Companies should pick a single value prop and deliver it really well.’
The couch potato wins …!
So what feature do I recommend focusing on? Well, even as tech aficionados, we have to acknowledge – in the new world of the 2nd screen – that changing TV behavior takes time. Despite the many new possibilities most of us are still accustomed to a very simple and effective discovery interaction via the remote control.
Consequently if you want your 2nd screen solution to be the winner, look to the couch potato– he’s in charge! To succeed you must make 2nd screen discovery just as Simple and Seamless as he is used to. Along those lines, TV Guide
has asked among one thousand of its own users and the answer is showing that 86 % found “useful” to be top priority
when valuating TV related mobile apps and web sides. So if Simple and Seamless is more important, what is less important? The TV Guide users send a very clear message regarding this: Don’t try to reinvent yet another Social interaction. Regarding the value of “connecting with others” only 47 % of the TV Guide respondents pointed to this feature as important. And excellent social interaction solutions already exists – just look at how TV viewers used Twitter during the Super Bowl last winter.
The couch potato wins …!
So what feature do I recommend focusing on? Well, even as tech aficionados, we have to acknowledge – in the new world of the 2nd screen – that changing TV behavior takes time. Despite the many new possibilities most of us are still accustomed to a very simple and effective discovery interaction via the remote control.
Consequently if you want your 2nd screen solution to be the winner, look to the couch potato– he’s in charge! To succeed you must make 2nd screen discovery just as Simple and Seamless as he is used to. Along those lines, TV Guide
has asked among one thousand of its own users and the answer is showing that 86 % found “useful” to be top priority
when valuating TV related mobile apps and web sides. So if Simple and Seamless is more important, what is less important? The TV Guide users send a very clear message regarding this: Don’t try to reinvent yet another Social interaction. Regarding the value of “connecting with others” only 47 % of the TV Guide respondents pointed to this feature as important. And excellent social interaction solutions already exists – just look at how TV viewers used Twitter during the Super Bowl last winter.
