• by Wayne Friedman , January 7, 2014

Second screens -- little screens to some -- are getting major attention from consumers. But consumer discovery of TV-video content, as well as giving brands strong media performance, is still a challenge.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ivan Perez-Armendariz, chief digital officer of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, noted: “It's fragmented, and brands are going to have to figure out where to play.”  In that light, he recommends that content providers push for more custom advertising integration. At the same time, for the consumer, he says, “discovery [continues] to be a big challenge.’'

Scott Schiller, executive vice president of digital advertising sales for NBCUniversal, says new digital/media extensions coming from original TV shows -- such as NBC's Olympics programming -- help get the message out.

Sometimes, the big-screen TV content originally comes from the second screen: NBC's big fall TV quiz show, “Million Second Quiz,” which did not fare well in traditional TV ratings -- originally stemmed as a digital video concept, says Schiller.

Overall, NBC “looks at digital vertically and horizontally.” Schiller says this comes from “weaving in advertising” into TV shows, as well as looking to reach some 150 million uniques from all its digital sites.

To help push this, NBC reorganized its advertising teams last year to help marketers reach not just the first screen of TV but other screens. “That's how we led in the upfront last year. We have reorganized to talk to advertisers about all our properties.”

One point that shouldn't be discounted: Second screens are working to drive viewers back to the original TV content. Luis Goicouria, senior vice president of the PGA Tour, says: “We firmly believe more digital consumption increases [golf event] ratings and consumption.” Goicouria says for the second screen: “We can put cameras on other holes that viewers can't watch on TV.” He adds that all PGA events are simulcast to be seen on all second-screen devices.  

Whatever problems exist for these new areas, says NBC's Schiller, says, “we are not looking to re-invent the second screen.” NBC's approach is to work with consumers, who are the real instigators  at re-inventing the second screen. “It's our job to have a total approach.”