TV industry turns to 'water cooler' phenomenon to boost viewership

In a recent New York Times article entitled "TV Industry Taps Social Media to Keep Viewers’ Attention," which was published yesterday, Brian Stelter (along with contributor Jennifer Preston) draws attention to a new marketing tool various media sources are using to attract viewership.

Many Prime-Time programs are now being accompanied by online applications, surveys and streams, at least some of which are available during the time slots of the shows themselves. The idea is to capitalize on contemporary viewers' heavy use of online networking sites -- Facebook, Twitter, etc. -- and propensity to multitask while watching television. The former is especially important to television executives, since many people use social media to chat about their favorite programs.

Stelter puts it this way: "It’s as if people are gathered around the online water cooler — and the television executives are nervously hovering nearby, hoping viewers keep talking and, by extension, watching their shows."

Click here to read the full article.