93,394 people surveyed in Q2 2018 considered themselves “second-screeners”. This being defined as someone who when they last watched TV were using, at the same time either; their desktop PC, e-reader, laptop PC, mobile phone or tablet device. This was 83% of the total survey group which comprised of 16-64 year olds across 44 Countries.

Supporting photo - laptop open on a sofa
Photo credit: Oliur

Who are we talking about here?

If we focus on Europe (the infographic has insight for all continents) then:

Age group Mobile Laptop/PC
Generation Z 73% 37%
Millennials 64% 35%
Generation X 49% 31%
Baby Boomers 31% 29%

Within the UK, in 2018:

  • 90% of adults in the UK were recent internet users
  • 99% of 16-34 years olds were recent internet users

Based on the UK population projections calculated in 2016 the UK population of 16-64 year olds is now:

  • 20,783,943 men
  • 20,854,788 women

So, there are approximately 37,474,858 UK internet users.

Based on the trend from the survey that would mean that

There are 31,104,132 active second-screeners in the UK.

Assuming that the European second-screening percentages are very close to the UK usage we can estimate that there is a captive audience of potential customers second-screening:

Age group Mobile Laptop/PC
Generation Z
16 – 20s
73%
2,726,006
37%
1,381,674
Millennials
21 – 34s
64%
7,936,337
35%
4,340,184
Generation X
35 – 53s
49%
8,136,557
31%
5,147,618
Baby Boomers
54 – 64s
31%
2,758,606
29%
2,580,632

Which Devices?

It will not surprise anyone to hear that mobile phones are the most heavily used second-screen or that mobile second-screening has grown from 51% to 73% of internet users from 2013 to 2018. A perhaps more interesting insight is that the percentage of internet users second-screening with a laptop has declined from 49% in 2013 to 34% in 2018. Tablet second-screening has stayed fairly stable going from 23% of internet users in 2013 to 21% in 2018.

Tablet Second-Screeners

Whilst this is the lowest share of the second-screening market it is certainly not an audience to be overlooked. 21% of all internet users are second-screening on tablets, which (percentages holding true) is a cool 7,869,720 people in the UK. When you discover that “Tablet second-screeners are the most likely to research products while watching TV (nearly 4 in 10 do)” you can see that this is a prime opportunity for eCommerce digital marketers.

Doing What?

The survey collected a whole wealth of activities which users said they often engage in whilst second-screening. I am just picking out the ones which are most pertinent to digital marketers.

  • 51% use social networks
  • 38% read emails
  • 32% read the news
  • 28% search for products to buy
  • 24% search for related information to what they are watching

What does this mean for Digital Marketers?

Clearly there is a big opportunity to reach consumers online in the evenings and at the weekends whilst they are watching TV. Layering their second-screening habits with your understanding of your target customers behaviours will enable you to create a multi-platform digital marketing strategy which enables you to create new touch-points with potential customers when they are most primed to make buying decisions. Read my blogpost on creating an integrated multi-platform eCommerce advertising strategy or get in touch for a free digital strategy session.

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