A study performed by Yahoo and Deep Focus found some interesting things about how consumers stick to new TV shows, namely that people who watch online previews are more likely to remain loyal to a program than those who, well, don’t.
Could this strategy work for others or is it specific only to TV shows? Now What and Commuter Confidential, are examples that take the same idea as a new show spot — something to pique interest with a core group; and let social media do the rest.
The list of the study’s key findings, according to MultiChannel News, can be found after the jump.
— Viewers who “engage” with a show online before its actual TV premiere convince an average of 5.1 of their friends to watch that show.
— About half of respondents go online before and after a drama or comedy show, whereas 70 percent of reality show viewers only go online after the show.
— 65 percent of respondents reported they search online for information about a TV show while they are watching it.
— For new shows, the majority of respondents, or 64 percent, searched for information pre-premiere. For current shows, information-seeking is fairly constant throughout the season (52 percent search pre-premiere and 48 percent search after show begins).
— Older viewers, those 35 and older, tend to view the show as the “main event” and look to online content as a supplement to the actual program. Younger viewers, those 18 to 34, tend to be more interactive and are more likely to respond to the “brand” of the show, of which the episode is only a part.
— Viewers make their favorite dramas “appointment television.” For reality TV, it is very much the opposite. Watching first runs are less important since reality shows are replayed very often.
See the full MultiChannel News story here.