Who's Playing Games with iTV?
For those of us who follow interactive television marketing strategies for a living, we don't think of it as a game. But that doesn't mean gaming can't be a winning part of your iTV strategy. As the examples below demonstrate, you've got to:
- Think Simple: Particularly if your UI is the remote. It's Wheel of Fortune time, not Double Jeopardy.
- Think Social: Viewers are people, too. They like to win. And they love to see their names on winning lists.
- Think Familiar: Quizzes, slot machines, Bejeweled with points adding up quickly.
- Think Rewarding: Give your viewers what they want - their name on top! Or coupons, like ones that reward your advertisers with some gaming opportunities.
So Who's All In?
Discovery: Shark Week Live iPad app users racked up points by giving the correct answers to quizzes, etc. and playing against other viewers. (Check out my blog review from last week which has some screen shots.)
HSN: The king of interactive television shopping recently introduced a gaming arcade where customers can take a breather from shopping - that is, until they win a coupon to save some on their purchase. Available on HSN.com, the arcade is surrounded by the channel's live video stream and other t-commerce calls to action.
Cablevision: This MSO has offered its viewers the chance to play games since late last year. Per Cablevision, "ActiveVideo®’s TAG Games provide an array of puzzle, arcade and children’s games, and allow customers to play on their own or even against other iO TV customers in a unique house-to-house mode." The Verizon FIOS widget bazaar also has an array of game widgets.
What's the Point(s)?
Clearly the goal is to engage viewers. Simple games are a proven strategy that taps our innate competitiveness. Games can be part of an effective multichannel iTV strategy that:
- Drives traffic to your website where you can feature your programming (streaming or otherwise).
- Keeps viewers coming back for play time with your dual screen tablet app.
- Gets reticent viewers to engage with your single screen iTV campaign.
Have you been playing? You don't have to tell us whether you won, just what you thought of the interactive television experience.
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.
