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Mobile: Television?s new companion

Mobile and television go hand-in-hand, especially when marketers tie the medium to a TV advertisement as a way to leverage both channels. While companies such as Shazam, Viggle and GetGlue have been strengthening their efforts, others are missing out on a big opportunity.

Old Navy, Sony, Pepsi, General Mills and Burger King are among  the companies that have incorporated mobile into their television advertisements. By doing so, marketers are able to connect with users on a deeper level.

"Mobile is the perfect companion for television,? said Kimber Myers, senior director of partnerships at GetGlue.

?Just as laptops replaced desktops for people as they're multitasking while they watch TV, smartphones and tablets are an even less invasive way for people to interact with fellow fans around shows they're watching and get additional content,? she said.

User interaction
The concept of the second screen is a mobile device that is used while watching TV.

Additionally, the first screen is becoming ever more prevalent as mobile device usage continues to grow in both adoption and individual usage.

As market penetration of smartphones and tablets deepens, social TV and the second screen will increase as well.

Companies like GetGlue, Shazam and Viggle are making their mobile applications even more fun and functional for users.

This helps app usage extend beyond early adopters into the mainstream.

According to Ms. Myers, HBO is a great example of a marketer who gets it.

?HBO Go is just genius as an iPad and iPhone app,? Ms. Myers said. ?You start off with their great content, which is absolutely key to keeping people engaged on any platform. You can watch ? or rewatch ? all of their programming there, but it isn't just a TV anywhere app.

?With the supplemental content available in various forms, they're making their viewers even bigger fans of their programming, which is very smart given their business model,? she said. ?In terms of brands, with Pepsi's campaign for ?The X Factor? last year, they spent $60 million.

?But that $60 million didn't just go to linear advertising ? they were smart enough to realize that additional avenues, such as social services like GetGlue, were perfect to reach audiences in a new way.?

Made for TV
According to David Jones, executive vice president of Shazam, mobile is the answer to the decades-old problem of how to make television interactive. 

Mobile technology is affordable and has achieved scale in the marketplace.

Additionally, 86 percent of consumers are already using mobile while watching television, with a significant number of people using their mobile device to get information about the products they see in the ads.

?Mobile and TV were made for each other ? particularly in households where people watch television together,? Mr. Jones said. ?Using a mobile device as a TV companion gives people a personalized experience that is unobtrusive to other viewers, enabling them to interact with the programs or commercials that interest them without interrupting the viewing experience of the other people in the room. 

?And, because people keep their mobile devices wherever they go, when they use Shazam with a Shazam-enabled show or commercial, they can interact with it wherever they are because the result lives on in their tags,? he said. ?It's like bookmarking a TV ad as a favorite to save it for later.

?As mobile technology continues to innovate, people will be able to enjoy a richer, more engaging experience when they use mobile phones or tablets to interact with television. This will include TV scripted programming, live events and advertising ? it will be commonplace for TV viewers to "lean-in" and engage with interactive experiences on the second-screen.?

The show must go on
Mobile presents marketers with a unique opportunity.

The channel delivers exceptional targeting abilities that deliver rich, relevant content that enhances the TV viewing experience.

?That content can be about the shows people are watching or it can be contextually targeted marketing. When done well, everyone including the consumer, networks and advertisers wins,? said Jason Reindorp, vice president of marketing at Viggle.

?There's a lot happening in this space ? lots of apps for lots of great shows,? he said. ?TV viewers don't want to change apps whenever they change the channel, so we built Viggle as a platform which allows networks and producers to quickly and easily create apps that deliver real rewards for its users.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York