Preface
What Is in a Name?
Television has always been social. It would seem, then, that the name of our book, Social TV, implies that there is nothing new to say about the beloved entertainment medium. Yet that could not be further from the truth. Television nowadays is a very different experience than it was in 1941, when TV advertisements first began airing in the United States.1
According to its strictest definition, the phrase “social TV” was coined to depict the convergence of television and social media. However, social TV has often been used in recent years as a catchall expression when referring to the modern era of television. While we tend to prefer the former definition, we painted using broad brush strokes throughout the book.
Television’s love affair with social media comprises a sizable chunk of our narrative. We also tackle the effect that mobile and tablet devices have had on the medium (Chapters 4 and 8) and examine the growing impact of Internet-connected TVs (Chapter 9). Recognizing that the blending of media also gives TV audiences a much more personalized experience, we even included a section dedicated to addressable advertising (Chapter 7).
We wrote this book as a guide for marketers. Each chapter illustrates a slice of the television landscape, fraught with examples and case studies, followed by a deep dive into the advertising implications that result. Mobile QR codes conclude each chapter. By simply scanning these with your smartphone, you will access ...
