• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, March 26, 2013

According to Microsoft Advertising, with Flamingo Research and Ipsos, as attention shifts from evening primetime to ‘always-on’ screen time, consumers are combining devices in new ways to multi-task, amplify experiences, share and connect with others and get things done. The new research shows four common multi-screen pathways and the underlying consumer needs that drive each one, says the report.

Response from consumers aged 18-54 who owned multiple devices (a mix of smartphones, tablets, e-readers, gaming consoles and laptops) and used a second screen on a daily basis, shows that consumers are increasingly reliant on laptops, mobile phones, tablets and gaming consoles for inspiration, information, communication and entertainment. The hyper-mobility and seamless connection among these devices is changing the way publishers drive content, and consequently, the way businesses shift marketing dollars.

Understanding the motivations behind these behaviors can help marketers gain digital advantage through authentic interaction with customers under a new set of ‘always-on’ rules.

Individual screens provide a device-driven layer of context that affects how consumers absorb and react to content. As a result, marketers must now take a multi-layered approach to content distribution, one that enables portable, personal and interactive engagement across devices. Understanding the consumer motivations underlying cross-screen engagement is therefore a critical part of planning and executing multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Key take-aways from the study, says the report, include:

1. Four pathways of multi-screening behavior exist, with distinct motivations behind each:

• Content Grazing (68%: separate multi-tasking or ‘distraction behavior’)
• Investigative Spider-Webbing (57%: simultaneous, information- & discovery-driven)
• Social Spider-Webbing (39%: simultaneous, connection and sharing)
• Quantum (46%: sequential, intent-based)

2. Consumers relate to each device in unique ways. Carl Jung’s archetypes can help marketers adjust messaging to meet the consumer’s mindset:

• The television is ‘The Everyman’
• The computer is ‘The Sage’
• The mobile is ‘The Lover’

The new Cross-Screen Engagement study introduces:

• ‘The Jester’ as the gaming console
• The e-reader as ‘The Dreamer’
• The tablet as ‘The Explorer’.

3. It’s now critical that marketers take a holistic view of their content strategy, one where they pivot to the consumer need-state driving multi-screen behavior, while also adjusting content to fit the context of each screen, concludes the report.

4. While each archetype illustrates unique motivations and behaviors, screens are no longer used in isolation. Multi-screening, including sequential, simultaneous and separate usage, is increasingly the default mode for consumers. 70% of consumers use a second device in some capacity while watching television.

5. Consumers are connected for nearly all their waking hours: mornings tend to be reserved for task-based, orientation activities, while evenings are more reflective, emotive and open. Marketers should tailor their messaging throughout the day, while shifting from traditional ‘primetime’ moments to meeting consumers in their moment, opines the report.

6. Cultural and infrastructure differences across the five markets studied drive some distinct attitudinal variances. In Australia, Brazil and Canada, consumers view technology as adding significant value to their lives, while in the UK and US, there is some resentment related to the ‘always-on’ mentality. 48% of consumers across all five markets say they miss the days when they could do just one thing at once.

7. Multi-screening consumers are open to the right kind of advertising: 74% agree that “Advertising can be helpful in telling me about new products or brands that might interest me,” while 87% of consumers agree that “It’s great that I can check out products or brands that interest me whenever or wherever I see them.”

Screens merge, separate and rejoin in varying combinations. Identifying these patterns and the need-states that motivate them can help marketers simplify their approach to cross-screen consumer engagement.

The first and most common of the four pathways is called Content Grazing. Grazing occurs when consumers use two or more screens simultaneously to access separate or unrelated content. While consumers identify this behavior as “multi-tasking”, the study found that it tends to be the most habit-forming pathway, and likely closer to distraction behavior. The high prevalence of entertainment activities suggests consumers are less concerned with getting things done, and more focused on grabbing a quick moment of fun or escape.

“ When the ad breaks come on, I’ll check Facebook and my email, just to see what’s going on, and catch up on any news,”  notes one respondent.

The challenge for marketers trying to engage Content Grazing audiences lies in inserting themselves into this moment of distraction; marketers must either provide a quick snippet of content that satisfies this need or attempt to overcome short-attention spans and encourage deeper engagement.

Habit is highest in Content Grazing scenarios compared to the other three pathways. While most consumers choose efficiency as a reason to graze, background noise and killing time are higher, suggesting that this habit is less about getting things done and more about overcoming boredom or tedium with quick bursts of distraction.

Relaxation and entertainment activities are higher, suggesting that even separate content pathways offer consumers some form of entertainment and an enjoyable moment of escape.

Respondents reflect on the reasons to “multiscreen:”

• “... I always want to feel like I’m occupied and I’m doing things.
• “... always constantly wanting to do things and feel engaged, occupy our minds…”
• “... have much to do and not much time to do it in before bed, so I do several things at once to save time... ”

For more about the characteristics of the various groups of multi-taskers, (Content Grazing, Investigative Spider-Webbing, Social Spider-Webbing, and Quantum,) and access to the complete PDF file, please visit here.