At this point, it’s no secret that marketers love and loathe data. Similarly, it’s no secret that people shamelessly share data (even – or perhaps especially – when they don’t even know it) on social media. When it comes to the social media data warehouse, even the “guess where I’m eating” food photos you posted Friday night are fair game.

You have probably noticed hashtags during broadcasts, tweets streaming across the screen, second-screen applications where viewers can check in to watch a TV show together online and numerous other examples of the TV industry transforming itself into something more than a lean-back experience. The multi-billion dollar TV industry is fast undergoing a realignment from appointment television on the couch to a real-time, 24/7 entertainment anywhere business. So what can brands outside of the TV ecosystem learn from this?