|
|||
TV stations are under increasing pressure to grow revenues. Ratings sold to advertisers are still the major source of income for most commercial TV stations, yet they face a multi-channel and multi-media world where great programming is no guarantee of ratings success. Quality shows fill the airwaves these days, so simply getting viewers to tune in and ‘sample’ their shows is becoming more of a challenge for TV stations every season.
Competition is fierce between stations for ‘the next big thing’ which will capture the public’s attention, and the revenue that goes with it. Whether it is a TV show, a format, or a premium phone line project, everybody is motivated to get it.
Our product is bigger than ‘the next big thing’; it offers TV stations the chance to shatter the schedule gridlock, increase revenue, and gain a lasting strategic advantage over the competition.
Brand marketers are well aware of the fact that consumer communications channels are cluttered, and that unfortunately clutter, like a bad soap opera, only gets worse over time.
Even the best loved and most well-known brands sometimes find it difficult to break through the clutter and be heard, let alone to speak in a fresh voice that enriches the brand, captures people’s imagination and responds to their desires.
In a world where it sometimes seems that everything in marketing has already been done before, it is rare that something truly fresh comes along which captures consumers’ imagination and offers a significant competitive advantage to a brand.
So you can understand why we are proud to present to you an innovation which does just that.
SpaceBUG is an electronic device just a little larger than a bottle cap. It is small, attractive and robust, and can be distributed as a giveaway, packaged with a brand partner's product.
Incidentally, the name SpaceBUG is our generic name for the device. Its name and design can (and should) be altered to fit the identity of the brand or media partners.
At home, consumers peel off the back of the BUG to activate it, and then attach it to the corner their TV screen. The BUG works on any TV and no extra equipment or software is needed.
Once activated, the BUG needs 'food' to stay alive from day to day. This food comes in the form of discreet TV signals sent by the partner TV station(s) during the course of their normal programming.
Viewers are motivated to keep their BUG 'alive' so that they will be able to receive a 'call in' signal which will be transmitted once every day, inviting them to enter a daily draw. On receiving this signal the viewer must make a call or send an SMS to the given numbers, within a certain timeframe (e.g.. 10 minutes) to be included in the draw.
On the same day, in prime time, a live on-air draw will be made to select that day's winner from all those who responded to the 'call in' signal. The winner will be called, live on-air, and told the good news – that they have just won a pile of cash.
Of course, all of this TV activity is perfect for featuring the brand partner as the facilitator who is providing opportunity and reward to their customers.
In addition, TV shows where these signals are transmitted will increase their ratings. Your TV station partner can identify specific shows during which signals are sent; this could be a new show that they want to get off to a good start, or one that they have invested a lot in, but which is not performing as well as expected. Alternatively, they could dripfeed 'food' throughout a specific daypart. If there is a show which is already sponsored by a suitable brand, then including them as the brand partner in the SpaceBUG campaign and planning signal transmissions around that show will bring additional value for both parties.
As long as the BUG stays alive (through being fed), consumers are eligible to receive the daily invitations to enter the prize draw. At the end of the promotional period there will be one last mega-draw with a jackpot cash prize, so there is a strong motivation for consumers to keep their BUG alive. Of course if their BUG does die through lack of 'food', then they can always go to the shop and buy the brand partner's product again in order to get a new BUG...
The game format is designed to be habit forming, and uses people's natural acquisitiveness, desire to win, and spirit of fun and play, to create and reinforce certain patterns of consumption and viewing which benefit the brand, the TV station, and you.
Communication with the consumer's BUG is done individually, which means that 'call in' signals need not be sent to all bugs at the same time – we can target clusters or even single, individual BUGS to receive 'call in' signals, at whatever time we want.
The scenario above is given as an illustration of the basic functioning of the SpaceBUG promotion concept. In reality this technology offers many possibilities and there are limitless variations on this scenario. These can be developed and tailored to suit the particular needs and priorities of your brand and TV partners. If you would like us to explore with you how the SpaceBUG can create value for you, please fill in the short contact form below..