It’s no secret that the growing number of devices that a consumer has access to is proliferating, and as more consumers multi-task with more than one device, it’s becoming more difficult for advertisers to capture their undivided attention. But is there one device that engages a consumer more than others?

According to a recent report from IPG Media Lab, commissioned by YuMe, the tablet has emerged as the “ultimate video-viewing device.” 8,300 participants were recruited from a representative online panel and surveyed about their consumption habits. They then watched 20 minutes of TV content on a TV, tablet, computer or mobile device. They then filled out a post exposure survey looking at ad recall, brand receptions etc. They also had a post-exposure interview via a webcam. Virtual lab tests were threaded into consumers’ lives by testing during times they are naturally engaged with each device. Four advertisers took part in the research and participants watched three TV shows and five types of video.

Awareness machine
The research showed that the tablet is an awareness machine, attracting the most attentive and undistracted audience that is most likely to remember the brand adverts they had seen. Indeed, as traditional TV viewership continues to decline, tablets, in concert with other digital video platforms, are set to assume the mantle as the next generation of TV.
The research closely examined how consumers are using their tablet devices, how effective video ads are on the tablet compared to other video playing devices, and how people consume alternate screen media. Here are some reasons as to why the tablet is the ultimate video viewing device:

Dwell time
Consumers use their tablets when in a comfortable, quiet spot for long durations, giving them time to absorb the content they are watching. Because they are not using their tablets ‘on the go,’ they are spending more time using the device for consuming content.

The most popular location to watch video on tablets is in the home, with 52 per cent citing the living room/on the sofa as the place where they find watching tablet video the most enjoyable experience, followed by “in bed” at 51 per cent. When people are in a relaxed environment, they are more likely to be Brand-receptive.

The majority of tablet video watchers spend over an hour watching video tablet content on weekdays and even longer on weekends, with over 50 per cent consuming more than two hours of video content.

Focus
Consumer’s multi-task less while using their tablets, compared to other devices. Therefore, their attentiveness towards content is likely to be higher. Indeed, for advertisers trying to reach younger audiences (18-20 and 20-24), the report shows that the tablet is the best device, as they multi-task least on tablets compared with other devices, when watching video.

Better recall
The tablet-viewing experience leads to better recall. Tablet video watchers were more likely to recall brand names both when aided and without any prompting. Finally, not only did respondents register a higher ad recall with tablets, the devices, along with smartphones, were highly successful in creating a positive brand association. Indeed, mobile is 79 per cent more effective than non-mobile in creating a positive halo effect, and brands were more likely to be perceived as modern and cutting edge.

To summarise, the research showed that the tablet is an awareness machine, attracting the most attentive and undistracted audience that is most likely to remember the brand adverts they had seen. (You can see a full copy of the results here.)

As traditional TV viewership continues to decline, tablets in concert with other digital video platforms are ready to assume the mantle as the next generation of TV.

Owen Hanks is head of Europe at YuMe