Season’s Greetings, Netbook

It’s another Sunday afternoon and I’m parked in front of my TV with my laptop in front of me, cycling through NFL scores and stats for my fantasy football team.

Recently, I began thinking about the insane number of hours I spend in front of two screens–the TV and my laptop. Every time I watch TV, I have my computer on my lap, or at least close by. I can’t name how many times I’ve used it to look up a certain actor on a TV show to see where I recognize him from, or to prove my roommate wrong in an argument over an athlete’s stats.

On Sundays my computer is on my lap and the TV is on as I religiously track my fantasy football stats. Of course, I’m not alone in this. Close to 57 percent of U.S. consumers use the Internet and watch TV simultaneously. The exciting thing about this is that the number will continue to grow, and I’m predicting that we will see this growth sooner than you may think.

The reason it’s so exciting is the growing opportunity for cross-channel integration for brands using Television and online advertising. It also means that younger generations will be more tech savvy than Gen Y and will expect their news and information even quicker.

The Holiday season is approaching, and children are beginning to plan their wish lists, which will include iPods, Flip Video Cameras and every other new technological innovation. The thing that’s different this year, which will be a big game changer in the near future, will be Netbooks.

Before Netbooks, it was iPods.  The newly enhanced iPod Touch ranges in price from $199 for the 8GB to $399 for the 64GB. The iPod includes features like a 3.5 inch display, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Internet connection. Now, Netbooks come from a bunch of different brands..Dell, for instance, offers the Mini 10 starting at $349 and the Mini 10v starting at $299. The features on a Netbook include a 10-inch screen, optional 160GB hard drive, a webcam and optional GPS navigation.

When compared in functionality and price, the Netbook wins hands down. Yes, the iPod offers a lot of the same features but the online experience on an iPod will never compare to that of a Netbook. And with prices being so similar, Netbooks will be in high demand this Holiday season.

Thousands of middle school and high school kids will open presents and find Netbooks this Holiday season, which means a huge spike in the amount of people simultaneously watching TV while on the computer. Kids this age love to play online games, visit social networking sites and talk with friends on Facebook chat or AIM. They will be doing this while a TV show is playing in the background and, as a result, will tune out some of the show and tune out most of the commercials. Brands using traditional TV advertising will have fewer impressions, even if the kid has the TV on and their advertisement is playing in the background.

So what can be done? Brands need to kick in to high gear and begin cross channel integration, making TV shows interactive with their websites. This should include but not be not limited to real time trivia, online games and facts about a TV show to keep these kids involved. This creates a consumer experience that wasn’t available before and should keep kids involved in the show, so advertisers won’t fall to the wayside. If kids are still focused on the web during television commercials, brands should have their message on both media simultaneously to have a better chance of breaking through the clutter.

After my family recently moved from Massachusetts to Virginia, my stepsister, 16, recently received a Netbook to keep in touch with her friends at home. After asking my Twitter followers if they would be getting their children a Netbook this Holiday season, a friend said that she had recently bought one for her 8-year-old. This amazed me because it used to be adults who had laptops, then college students, and now this age group continues to get younger and younger. This is an exciting time to be a brand.

Image: Curiouslee