Increasingly, we’re watching TV while also using smart phones, tablets, or laptops. Among other things, this allows us to tweet and post about what we’re watching and to follow what others are saying about the program. These came in to play in several ways during this year’s Super Bowl. According to The New York Times, viewers’ comments about the blackout on social media drew in additional viewers for the latter part of the game. Furthermore, many of the advertisers were seeking to drive viewers to interact with their brand online (before, during, and after the game itself) by offering opportunities to vote, providing hash tags, and offering additional content. (For example, see the ad that Pepsi released that purports to show what happened “behind the scenes” of the shoot for Coke’s Super Bowl ads.)
In order to help companies keep track what viewers are saying about their ads and programs online, several research companies have grown up that specialize in tracking and analyzing online discussions about television content. They make money by selling the findings to advertisers like Coke and television companies like CBS. One example is Bluefin Labs. It was announced on Tuesday, February 5 that Twitter has just bought the company for around $100 million. That is not pocket change, and it illustrates an increasing importance of social media to these older-school companies.
