The March edition of Inside the Screen puts the inside scoop on interactive television marketing from the past month in one handy document. Read reviews of the Super Bowl (see below Shazam-enabled commercial) and Grammy two-screen experiences, check out my video demos of and interviews with up and coming iTV vendors, and link to the latest on iTV from Multichannel News, The New York Times and Lost Remote.
For all my reporting, great video demos of the latest iTV technology and key summary articles from other news sources, check out March's Inside the Screen.
Will Keller, President, Interactive TV Commerce, is the go-to expert for t-commerce sales strategy and execution. For more iTV insights, subscribe to Inside the Screen or follow him @iTVcommerce.
Covert Affairs Handlers: Shazam and Delivery Agent
Covert Affairs, USA's spy drama, kicked off its second season in Berlin. Tagging along was a Shazam ACR (automatic content recognition) enabled dual screen experience that gave viewers first-in-line access to additional content. Of particular interest to a long-time TV retailer like me was the integration by Delivery Agent of a commerce module selling Covert Affairs fan gear.
5 Secrets You Should Steal
Let's get right to the debriefing. Here's 5 interactive television marketing strategies that the team followed that you'd do well to emulate:
1. App branding matches show branding: I got a kick out of the spot-on branding that started with USA Network's website directions. Engaging fans upfront is important since this is a multi-step operation for users and that has proven an impediment to higher usage rates.
2. Available on multiple platforms and devices: OK, all of us insiders love juggling multiple devices, but not everyone has an iPad (yet), so it's good to see this experience has been designed for both Apple and Android devices. That significantly increases accessbility. The app looks just fine on the smaller mobile screen, as it's been optimized for mobile (commerce check-out aside, see below). Just as important, the experience is driven by Shazam, which greatly increases the odds that Covert Affairs users don't have to download any app. Shazam has more than 150 million users worldwide who tag 4 million pieces of content a day. The show synced on my iPad and Android phone easily. Since no one has been blown away yet by second screen user numbers, the above strategies are key to gaining critical mass that attracts advertisers.
3. Main screen promotes second screen: Kudos to USA Networks for dedicating a brief but effective spot to promoting the Shazam experience (though it should have been slotted earlier.)
4. Viewers rewarded with exclusive content: After all this work, fortunately the safe viewers just cracked isn't empty. Fans get to check out behind-the-scenes video and pics (branded Globe Tracker), which for this episode were cool given the Berlin location (loved learning a bit more about the former NSA listening station). Let's see how well that holds up in less historically rich locations.
5. T-commerce module an equal: Right below the Globe Tracker Video and Facebook and Twitter modules (see 5 Social TV Best Practices), is the Shop Covert Affairs! module. No second class citizen shopping here. Clicking through brings you to Delivery Agent's mobile commerce site and a modest selection of fan gear.
In sum, five solid secrets to success that you don't have to run afoul of the CIA to follow.
T-Commerce Codes Not Yet Cracked
We're still early on in the effort to integrate commerce with co-viewing experiences and I applaud Delivery Agent for continuing to push forward. So what's missing?
1. Easier payment: By the time I screen typed my way through the check-out process, Covert Affairs was back in the USA. Fan Gear drives mainly one-off purchases, so it's unlikely that many customers will take advantage of their data entry work mutliple times. We need to identify an easier check-out process. PayPal anyone?
2. More product: Expanding the assortment for a mobile app is a double-edged sword, but I bet core fans would like to choose from more than 13 items. But how to expand the assortment? That's the key strategic challenge to merchandising entertainment programming.
3. Shazam me with a discount: I've gone through all this work and proved I am a super fan. How about rewarding me with a special offer only available through this app?
Have you checked out the Covert Affairs Shazam app? What secrets did you uncover?
Will Keller, President, Interactive TV Commerce, is the go-to expert for t-commerce sales strategy and execution. For more iTV insights, subscribe to Inside the Screen or follow him @iTVcommerce.