‘The mobile is evolving as a primary screen for consumers.’ Mobile World Conference, Barcelona 2013
There was a time when we all got our news and even some of our values from our TV set – when most major news and sporting events were a shared, national, screen-based experience. Like many of you I no longer depend on TV alone. In fact TV is my second or even third screen. My first screen depends on the time of day or where I am. Second screening no longer applies.
Thinking back it’s almost four years since we’ve had a web TV that plugs right into our home network and we bought that TV standing in front of the exact same model in John Lewis while completing the Amazon check out on my iPhone.
Before breakfast or traveling my iPhone is my first screen. That’s where I not only first see my important emails of the day – and weed out the unimportant ones – but where I catch up with all my social media feeds finding out what’s happening in design, tech, sport and general world news before logging into my retina iPad where even on the move I’ll do some more detailed web browsing and check apps for business issues of the day.
For business and for pleasure my laptop and my desktop iMac are the first screens for pretty much everything and I expect you are like me in this respect.
Things have come a long way in just a few years and we’re still just at the beginning of what’s possible. Why does this matter?
[blockquote]First screening means now more than ever it’s the ideas that drive an insanely great design or marketing campaign.[/blockquote]
Designers have always designed for multiple formats and delivery channels. I remember back in my early days at McCann-Erickson reformatting full-page adverts for Peugeot was my first real studio job.
The difference is that now different devices and channels take and reinterpret the same artwork, the same imagery, and the same design. The measurement of success is in the engagement that the design delivers and not on the number of copies sold, or adverts screened.
The mobile device is starting to become a primary screen for viewing long-form video thanks to bigger and better screens, faster processors and connectivity and evolving consumer behaviour.
‘One out of three digital media consumption minutes takes place on a mobile channel.’ Source: comScore
First screening means now more than ever it’s the ideas that drive an insanely great design or marketing campaign. The freedom from the tyranny of format and the breaking out of the standard delivery channels means it’s the quality of the thinking that’s really on display. Great ideas can drive brand engagement now rather than multi-channel frequency.
Designers still need to deliver creativity and excellent thinking through imagery and copy while clients need to back and invest in that thinking if they want their brands to feature on that first screen where creativity is the star.
Creativity is the new rock and roll. So throw that TV into the swimming pool.
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