Franziska von Lewinski, Interone

The audience here seem very reluctant to admit to watching TV. Yet people are watching more TV than they were in 2008… However, the real change is amongst children, who would rather give up their TV than their internet connection. And Franziska’s two year old daughter has no idea what a TV is – but is obsessed by iPads.

TV is facing competition in the living room from the tablet, phone and laptop. Research suggests four trends:

Multi-screen

In the past, we set our routine around the TV schedule. We concentrated on the programme. Now – 67% of people have the TV running in the background. We are calling up additional information on the second screen. Or – people watch different shows on different devices. TV has moved from a dominant medium to an ambient medium. 87% of people say that the laptop is an important place to watch video. TV is leaving the TV set, and the living room.

Smart TV

13% have connected their TV to the internet. That’s not bad, as we haven’t yet had the iPhone moment for smart TV. The experience isn’t good – yet. So, who will win the race? 50% of people expect it to be the tech heavyweights, 8% though the public broadcasters.

She’s betting on Apple and by 2015 41% of people will have their TV connected to the internet – and that means new opportunities for brands to offer services through the TV. Now is the time to experiment and learn. It’s a lean-back experience, unlike the mobile phone. And the second screen is probably not going away – people aren’t going to call up Facebook when family and friends are in the room.

On Demand

Customers have emancipated themselves from the schedules, through on-demand streaming and purchasing. 17% are already paying to avoid adverts. Hulu is offering the consumer a choice of advertising.

Social TV

The 2006 World Cup in Germany was the first time we were able to experience live TV on huge screens, with crowds watching. TV can be a social event, which brings people together. And if you can’t meet up physically, you meet up virtually. 19% interact live ion Facebook or Twitter.

So, is TV dead? No. But it’s changing. And advertisers are going to have to adapt. The Old Spice guy was a beautiful example of cross-chennel advertising (and she means beautiful in more than one sense…)