Research Now: Cross-Device Effectiveness

Research Now's White Paper measures the impact of ads across devices.

Tablets and smartphones have become an intrinsic part of our daily lives - switching between these devices and our conventional laptops or PCs is becoming increasingly common. Over the past 12 months, the rise of wearable technology has added yet another dimension, powering consumer sophistication. Powered by this plethora of technology, consumers’ ability to research and connect with brands instantaneously, from any location, is growing at a staggering rate.

 According to research by Facebook, who surveyed more than 2,000 people, over 60% of online adults in the UK use at least two devices daily and more than 20% use three devices. The practice of switching device mid-task is also growing in prevalence - the study found that more than 40% of online adults begin an activity on one device and finish on another. This number increases with the amount of devices a person owns: 54% of people who own two devices switch between them to complete tasks or activities, and 73% of people who have three devices do the same. Reasons for switching vary, but examples include moving to a larger screen to fill in lengthy forms or enter payment details and switching to a smaller screen when leaving the house. 

For these reasons, consumers have come to expect instant access to the content they desire from brands, on the device of their choice. This has left traditional forms of advertising lagging. For brands to deliver effective campaigns and harness the potential of their device-hopping customers, increasingly they must look for ways to offer a consistent cross-channel and cross-device experience. 

With this in mind, Research Now embarked on a study to look at the impact of cross-device advertising to help brands and media organisations better understand today’s digital landscape and plan accordingly. The aim of the research was to measure campaign effectiveness in relation to a series of variations in both platform and design, across two well-known brand campaigns.