In our conversations with people around the world, one thing is clear: TV is a very important part of people’s days. It’s their “me time,” their distraction from real life, the activity that fills their moments of boredom. With increasingly busy lives, they also want TV to fit their timetables–not the other way around.
Content must be tailored to consumers’ needs, wants, and behaviors, so they see it when they’re fully focused and engaged.

This was a key finding from TV S.M.A.R.T., a new research project by Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) that shows how and why TV viewing is changing around the world, and how advancements in distribution are changing the ways viewers consume and engage with content.

The project’s main findings were that audiences still love TV and TV content, viewers use a “hierarchy of screens” to choose the devices they view on, and that in order to be successful, TV today must be S.M.A.R.T. (Social, Mobile, Accessible, Relevant, and Tailored).

We’ve covered all of those elements in our series of posts on TV S.M.A.R.T.  Here, we’re focusing on “T” for Tailored:

The multitude of devices allows TV content to accompany people throughout their day.

• Video content is now available almost anywhere and at any time: to amuse people on their daily commutes, accompany them during mealtimes, help them decompress after a long day at work, entertain them at the gym, and relax them once they’re in bed
• Because TV is omnipresent, it plays a bigger role in people’s lives

Content must be in harmony with the viewing environment. 

• Bite-sized content is ideal for people on the go, in those unexpected free moments
• Downloads and recordings give people the freedom to watch when and how they wish
• Time-delayed live viewing, the ability to pause a show to chat about it, and the opportunity to binge-watch all help video content fit into viewers’ lives better