The fact is that television no longer commands all of our attention. Rather it has become the most common device used with other screens. These days, while watching a TV show, you’re more likely to have another device handy for a commercial break or welcome distraction. Mobile device users use multiple screens at the same time. Their eyes are glued to the big TV screen, but they’re more than willing to turn their attention to their cell phones at the same time to look up game stats or send and receive text messages about what they’re watching, including promotional ads.

The device we choose to use often depends on the settings: where we are, what we’re doing, and how long that activity will take. Portable screens allow us to easily move from one device to another to carry out each activity. Seeking is the most common link between devices in this sequential usage. Multiple screens make us feel more efficient because we can act spontaneously and complete multiple tasks in half the time.

Cross-platform consumer behavior

Consumers are constantly switching between screens and deciding how to market them in a way that works well on all types of devices is becoming more difficult. Most of the time when we use devices simultaneously, our attention is divided between separate activities on each device. Most consumers consider their smartphone their personal device, keeping it close to them at all times. Smartphones are the backbone of our daily interactions with the media. They have the most user interactions per day and serve as the most common starting point for multi-screen activities.

The multi-screen phenomenon began around the same time that the computer became a household item. It then picked up speed with the introduction of the laptop. As soon as smartphones became the norm among wealthy consumers, the multi-screen experience had fully taken hold. With the advent of the tablet, consumers now have a tool that combines aspects of the computer and the smartphone that can change and even replace the traditional experience of using the Internet in a fixed location.

The multi-screen experience is a natural place for social activity. Many of the things consumers do while watching TV have nothing to do with the product or services they pay for the programming, and many of them can even distract consumers from marketing. Additional screens compete for attention and offer countless content options during commercial breaks. However, there are also significant opportunities to increase ROI. Tablet owners of all shapes and sizes are much more likely to use their mobile devices to take an action triggered by something they’re viewing. Shopping is one of the main activities of multi-screen users, mobile users are much more likely to search or buy products that they have seen while watching TV.

While television is still the best way to tell millions about a new product, it’s not the only way, and it shouldn’t be the only way. If you do, there is a risk of missing out on the masses. A secondary mobile screen is an optimal shopping companion and we are only now beginning to fully understand and harness its potential. Television may be the most direct route to awareness, but the Internet in general and the secondary (and tertiary) mobile screen provide remarkable opportunities for action. Which is exactly what any responsive mobile marketing campaign needs.