Television and social media: Social audiences in the advertising strategy

Abstract

The social audience emerges with the simultaneous exposure to television and social networks. Through them the audience voices its opinions or interests about the contents in real time. This information is of great value for the advertising strategy. By analyzing the presence of social audiences in the most effective commercial communication campaigns, this study makes evident the common elements and variables used by them. The 23 campaigns awarded in the Efficacy Awards, granted by the Asociación Española de Anunciantes, in the category of media and tactical action, from 2014 to 2018 are examined. Social conversation is detected in 15 cases, although only four campaigns link television content to social media, including social audience in their public strategies. Accordingly, the use of the social audience is scarce but a favorable progression in the strategies is observed, since they gain in transmediality and agents’ participation. Engagement is pursued and branded content, gamification or multiplication of official transmitters is used. The latest cases reveal how they take advantage of these audiences.