Do you know how much media a 25 year old consume in a day? 9 hours. In how much time? 6 Hours. A big part of our media consumption is now parallel. Yet the vast majority of all the content is produced with the assumption that it’s the exclusive focal point.

At Ex Machina we’re incredibly excited about the imminent and major changes to how media is conceived, produced, operated, distributed, paid for and enjoyed. Media multitasking, or second screen, is the biggest new force in the media industry since the Web. It offers unparalleled opportunities for broadcasters, production companies, IP owners and brands. Our aim is to provide a fantastic two screen user experience, created with flexible tools, running on a robust infrastructure. To power the new business models. And, most importantly, to be behind the most creative and meaningful innovations that this space will witness.

Second Screen Opportunities

TV is still the most popular medium but we consume it differently. In America, 75% use TV and Internet simultaneously; 50% do so every day (Clustalabs). 86% of US mobile internet users use their phone while watching TV (Yahoo). 72% of under 25’s in the UK comment on programs via social networks (Digital Clarity). 30% of total iPad usage is while watching TV (Nielsen).

One thing is clear: second screen viewing (watching TV while using a laptop, mobile and/or tablet to interact) is mainstream and has become a key catalyst for social media popularity. Today though, most social TV and ‘gamification’ efforts don’t yet offer more than simple check-ins and often chaotic conversations. Ex Machina now changes that by enabling huge scale, real-time, program-specific interactivity to add meaningful and relevant social interactivity around a growing number of TV shows and networks to millions of people.

PlayToTV empowers media companies to take control of the online experience. PlayToTV makes TV more fun, adds relevance, is inherently social and offers new business models for broadcast, production, advertising and retail.


Social, Fun, Massive and Loyal

PlayToTV is the second screen solution for broadcasters, production companies, publishers, media agencies and advertisers, offering users a massive, engaging, playful and social experience to synchronously interact with scheduled events such as:

  • TV programs
  • Game shows / scripted entertainment
  • Reality / non-scripted entertainment
  • Drama
  • Sports
  • Debate & Talk shows
  • Sports matches, stadiums, tournaments
  • Live games, corporate meetings, conferences
  • In– & outdoor events, concerts, festivals, theatre

A Venn diagram showing the link between TV, Games & Social Media

With PlayToTV Ex Machina takes interactivity and information distribution to the next level: social, fun, massive, loyal and sticky.

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The 5 M's Of Second Screen

Second screen is growing fast and has fantastic indicators. More and more people are online while they watch TV. Almost everyone is active on social networks, and TV is a natural conversation topic. It’s tempting to rush out and build a check-in app, a social EPG or a Twitter aggregator and see what happens. Who knows, it may just succeed. But before you go that route, we would like to share recommendations and lessons we’ve learned from powering hundreds of millions of second screen and game sessions.

We’ve bundled our lessons as the 5 M’s of second screen:

Moment

TV has always been great about creating anticipation, building tension, about wanting to witness a story as it happens. Momentum can now be extended to online, and unlike conventional online wisdom that everything shall be on demand, plenty of successs stories point point in the other reaction. Another crucial element of the moment is synchronization: the second screen should be aligned

Meaning

If you plan for a second screen project, think about how it can best add value to the viewer. People expect certain functionality, which is usually tied to the domain. In some cases offering statistics and background stories in sync with a programme is enough, but in most people expect more. Interaction, competition, having an impact on what you see on TV often are more meaningful and, therefore, successful. But be careful on timing and dosage.

(read on for 3 more)


PlayToTV Crowd

Massive

Man is a social animal. If large groups of people get together, we’re drawn to it. The excitement you feel being in a stadium full of people is different from a pub which is different from a living room. Social networks combined with scheduled events and interactivity combine something personal and interactive with being part of a communal experience. Making an event out of TV is a powerful idea.

Multiplatform

Plenty of media companies launch an iPhone app and call it a mobile strategy. We’ve done projects with 75% percent using a smartphone. We’ve done projects where 80% used a laptop. In other words, if you create and distribute your first screen content to reach as many people as possible, your second screen should do too.

Monetize

The key objective for a second screen project is not to be build, or to get good usage numbers. The key objective is to contribute to the bottom line and the strategic objectives of the stakeholders. It is important to keep these in mind when creating the second screen concept, and to realize that the business model is never done. The great thing about today is that because the second screen runs on the internet, we the metrics, we have the tools to increase effectiveness of advertising, integrate with retail, to drive conversion. Monetizing the second screen is a huge business opportunity and those who prepare for it the best will reap great benefits.

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Business Models

Second screen offers a wide variety of business oppportunities. It can combine the production value, concurrent reach, call to action and familiar appearance of TV shows with the personalization, interaction, social context and transactional capabilities of the online domain. Existing shows will become more profitable, new types of revenue are added without cannibalizing ratings, product placement is possible without regulatory issues and, ultimately, businesses will structurally include multi-screen commercial models in their media strategy. See below for more details.

Advertising

  • Targeted online advertising
  • Promotion for events
  • Banners and other second screen ads
  • Sponsor messages
  • Promoted polls, questions, predictions etcetera
  • Synchronize second screen messages to on TV commercial messages
  • Turn a 30 second spot into a mini game, competing for points

Commerce and Retail

  • Instantly buy items ‘As Seen on TV’
  • Receive personalized offers, depending on profile and preference
  • Add items to review and compare after the show
  • Recieve a discount as more people or friends buy along
  • Integrate with coupon business models and daily deal providers

Lead Generation & Loyalty

  • Building rich user profiles
  • Opt-in for marketing campaigns
  • Data mining, trend analysis and prediction
  • Extend loyalty programs to digital domain and link to specific contents
  • Spend loyalty points or credits to enjoy benefits on the second screen

Premium & Freemium

  • Participate for free, power options available for purchase
  • Premium votes, polls, prediction to influence the outcome of a show
  • Pay to participate in competitions and win prizes
  • Second screen interactivity as a driver to 24/7 game sites and premium destinations
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