TVs and second screens bad for advertisers.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

If you are watching television while using a second screen--like a smartphone or tablet--research suggests that some of the most expensive marketing messages aimed at you are missing their mark. While the trend of "second screen" use has become pervasive, a study at Ohio State University, Columbus, shows that viewers have trouble recalling brands they see (or hear) on TV if they are using such devices.

'Viewers don't even remember that your brand was there on TV because they were busy posting on Facebook or Twitter or reading e-mail," notes Jonathan Jensen, who led the study as a doctoral student in sport management in the Department of Human Sciences. "This should provide a measure of pause to brand marketers who are spending a lot of money to get their products integrated into live sporting events and other TV shows."

The problem posed by second screens is a big one for brands. A report by the business management consultant firm Accenture, New York, found that 87% of consumers use a second screen while watching TV. This research examined whether viewers could recognize and recall brand names that announcers mentioned during a college football game broadcast.

This was not about advertisements --it was about "brand integration," or the promotion of products during the actual broadcast, achieved via sponsorships...