TV EVERYWHERE!!!

Ever wanted to run your own television network? Or wanted to be the person deciding what goes on air at what time? Well Network Ten’s current ad for its new online streaming service, Tenplay, will have you believe that you can. The new website/app was released on the 30^th of September and is part of Network Ten’s “TV everywhere” strategy, a necessary move in the transforming media landscape.

Some features of Tenplay include:

Lives streaming of channel Ten programs
The ability to customise playlists
Social media integration including Facebook and Twitter
Extensive TV guide and detailed information on programs

Live streaming is nothing new in the Australian television industry with ABC’s iView, SBS on demand and Network Seven’s Plus7. However Tenplay has taken television’s new and changing form to a new level. Tenplay has been successful in doing so through its social media integration and its unique continuous play feature. The continuous play feature is a clever and convenient feature that allows viewing to travel seamlessly from one device to another. An excellent feature for when you forget one of your chargers and the device cuts out mid show.

iLoungeroom has been a blog about ways that television is broadening its channels to make it more interactive and shareable and I believe that Tenplay’s use of social media is an excellent example of exactly that. Not only can the viewer access whatever show from the network they want, whenever they want, wherever they want and how many times they want, but they are able to communicate to the show and other viewers whilst simultaneously doing so. This interconnectedness that Ten allows viewers to have is a step that all other networks will soon implement. Lets hope that this trend continues to the point where popcorn and snacks can be shared online whilst watching our favourite programs.

tenplay.com.au

Let me know if you use one of these online (legal) streaming sites.

What do you think television will look like in 20 years?

YELP! People are faking reviews!

Ever been on Urbanspoon or another review website/app and thought, ‘Really?! This place got a 97% rating and even though the service was crap and my soup was cold all the reviews are positive!’?

Or ever wondered whether the businesses that use these review sites fake their own comments or deliberately post bad comments on their competitors page?

Well Yelp, a consumer review site, came out and said that a quarter of the reviews it receives could be fake. A QUARTER!? Are you kidding me?! Through Yelp’s automated review and filter of “suspicious” reviews, it “suppresses around 25% of reviews”, the company said. These fake reviews are a blatant attempt of businesses to skew consumer opinion. However is it such a bad thing?

Today’s commerce relies heavily on Internet presence and the ability for consumers to share and compare a businesses products and services online. This means that businesses need to be more transparent when it comes to their quality control as offering a consumer something of poor quality could result with an instantaneous critique of their goods/services online. Hence the use of sites such as Yelp and Urbanspoon.

However if customers are so easily able to give a business a bad rap because the cappuccino they were served was a tiny bit under temperature, shouldn’t the business be able to write a positive review to even the playing field? If you answer no to that question, ask yourself: what’s the difference between doing that today and having a sign out the front of the store saying ‘Best cappuccino ever’ out the front of the store 10 years ago?

In my opinion not a whole lot. Its all marketing/advertising (manipulation?). The ability to offer consumers added value. Or more realistically, the ability to get the consumers money into the businesses pocket.

Just because the playing field has changed thanks to electronic marketing and the wonderful innovations of today, doesn’t mean that the game has changed. A fake review and skewing customer responses is just another one of those dirty little tasks that people in this industry have to do. And if you’re having trouble getting used to that, then you’re in the wrong game and should get out as fast as you can before your innocence is completely corrupted.

Ok. Maybe a bit strong and a bit harsh and even a bit of an exaggeration, however maybe it is time that people in this industry did ask themselves the question: is faking reviews really so different to anything else communicated by the marketing department of a business? Let me know what you think below.

Beer prank gone horribly right!

http://www.theage.com.au

A good beer marketing campaign is something we all love to be a part of. There was the Carlton Draught ‘Big Ad’, the VB theme song and who can forget the Hahn ad where the guy does a bomb into a spa bath! There are reasons beer ads have so much appeal and with the new ways companies are marketing themselves online and on social media, there is a whole new realm of creativity that beer ads have wondered into.

I recently stumble upon this video that now has become a viral marketing success. At first glance you wouldn’t tell that it is part of a marketing campaign but just a home movie and this might be part of its success.

The video is part of a Tui beer (NZ) marketing campaign that involves Sean Brown, 29, fitting out the pipes in his brother’s house with beer! There is a whole team of mates helping and they all wait quietly whilst they watch the reaction of Sean’s brother.

The success of the campaign and the virility of it, in my opinion, is based on the fact that it doesn’t seem like an ad. It is clearly filmed with a hand held camera, the production value isn’t necessarily very great and most importantly you only see the Tui logo once and they never mention verbally that its Tui! If people knew they were watching an ad, they would click away after the first 2 seconds, let alone stick around for the whole 7 minutes!

I rarely will pursue a video for more than 2 minutes unless it’s a funny cat compilation, however this really sucked me in and got me to watch the whole thing. There are three basic elements that Tui got right to engage me and the reason for its close to 1 million views worldwide and these are:

1. Element of stupidity
2. Appeal to the imagination
3. Ability to make the audience want to be involved

Out of these three characteristics I believe that the 3^rd really plays the biggest role. The video shows a group of mates, having a good time and a laugh. Everyone who watches the video will want to be there and be part of it and watch his brother’s reaction when he pours beer out of the bathroom tap rather than water. This desire to be there in the video will translate to desire to purchase the beer as there will be positive associations of friendship, laughter and spontaneity made between the video and Tui. This is why it wasn’t necessary to overload the clip with brand logos and mentioning it throughout as this would take away from the creative integrity of the video and disengage the target audience.

What do you think the key to developing a viral video is?

What is/was your favourite beer ad?

Qantas Challenge

Here is a video I made to demonstrate how Qantas delivers value through social media marketing. It was an experiment that had the potential to go horribly wrong, however thanks to technological innovation and the smart ways Qantas has digitized the whole flight process, ended up going exceptionally well. Hope you enjoy

Smart-Tech: KILLING MACHINES!!!

Whilst this blog has focused on ways digital marketing is broadening the televisual experience, this week I will venture out into new territories. This is because I have just come across a new device brought out by our good friends from last blog entry: Nissan.

http://www.zdnet.com

Smart watches and wearable technology is taking the gadget and digital marketing worlds by storm. Nissan has just released its version of a smart watch called the ‘Nissan Nismo’. It is the first of its kind and something from out of a James Bond movie! However to me, Nismo could be the villain in a Bond flick rather than the dashing hero that Bond is.

The reason I believe this device is more foe than friend is because it’s an example of technology gone too far. The Nismo does the following:

• Connects to the car using a smartphone app as a Bluetooth Smart device
• Accesses vehicle telematics and performance data
• Captures biometric data via a heart-rate monitor
• Monitors the efficiency of the car with average speed and fuel-consumption readings
• Gets tailored car messages from Nissan

I’m sorry… but aren’t I supposed to be …driving … whilst in the car? How on Earth am I supposed to capture biometric data whilst driving without running into the back of the person in front of me? Last time I checked it was illegal to touch your phone whilst driving in Australia. How is reading efficiency outputs and telematics any less distracting than touching a phone? To the best of my knowledge, there is no real difference between the Nissan Nismo and my iPhone being sticky taped to my watch!

Now I’m not for creating legislation for every little thing that might cause a few incidents here or there, however we need to ask ourselves: with the increase in tech-innovation and tech-implementation, how much are these devices really helping us?

Yes I know that Nismo was created for Nissan Performance Vehicles, how long can it be until technology like this exists for our everyday cars. If you ask me, technology like this is more likely to hinder our lives than help. It frightens me to think of what effect these technologies will have on road tolls. Whilst I know this little blog post may not be enough to take down the smart-tech villain, hopefully it will start people thinking about the ways in which technology is becoming integrated into every facet of our lives and whether you would prefer to live in a time of more simplicity.

Hot Chicks, Fast Cars

Sexy. Elegant. Stylish… Words one might describe a super model with. However I was of course referring the newest range of Nissan cars. Yes one might usually look at a car and describe the horsepower, suspension and whatever else petrol-heads discuss in their free time, however due to Nissan’s partnership with the FOX8 show Australia’s Next Top Model, one could be forgiven for comparing cars and beautiful women.

Nissan, being a major sponsor of the Top Model, is cleverly using the “aesthetics” of the show to give viewers and customers something to associate its brand with.

Pretty girls = Pretty cars

(And hopefully not for Nissan)

Silly girls = Silly cars

So how have they been successful in achieving the former equation? Well on the show’s website http://www.fox8.tv/shows/australias-next-top-model it is possible to interact with the brand and show in two innovative ways.

Firstly, Nissan is emulating the show by pitting the different car ‘models’ against each other. Online, viewers and potential customers can vote for their favourite Nissan car for the chance to win it. They can see pictures and stats on the cars and really judge them as if one of the judges on the show. It’s a great way to engage viewers with information on the vehicles as well as gather valuable information on consumer preferences.

The second way that Nissan and Top Model use online marketing to increase exposure and engagement is by offering a ‘Car Cam’ on the website. This is behind-the-scenes footage of the models travelling inside the Nissan cars on the show. This engages the consumer by making them feel like they are on the show and getting to know their favourite models in more detail. Whilst doing this Nissan gets great exposure and the occasional model chat about the car. Below is a sample of Car Cam (keep your eyes open at 1:50).

I believe that this eMarketing campaign is a great way for a brand like Nissan (who doesn’t really have a very strong brand in my opinion) to redefine itself as something cool, sexy and young. However I believe that if they really want to pull off this campaign they would need to actually make sexy cars! I don’t believe that there is anyone out there that is as ugly as the Nissan Micra, and that’s coming from someone with a ginger beard!

Let me know what you think about Nissan’s relationship with Australia’s Next Top Model. Also do you think there is a car out there that is uglier than the Nissan Micra?

Not Just Another Jack in the Box

If digital marketing apps were heroes of our time, than the app Zeebox would be Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, Steve Jobs and J.K Rowling all rolled into one. This SUPER-APP is my hero! When it comes to broadening the electronic couch and allowing TV viewers to interact and connect to their favourite shows in ways never previously possible, nothing does it better than Zeebox.

So what is this Zeebox? Its not just the way a Russian would pronounce the words ‘The Box’, but it’s a tool to allow television viewers to ‘discover, connect, share and interact – all live as they watch’ (ten.com.au). But this ability to interact live with shows is all because of the rising levels of second screen viewing. Second screen viewing involves using a smart phone, tablet, laptop or other device that can connect to the Internet whilst watching TV. A study in the UK showed that more than 60% of web users watch TV with a second screen.

These figures would be somewhat similar in Australia and reveal an alarming conclusion for Australian TV networks. The public need more than just a good script and hot chicks to stay interested in a TV show, as with a second screen in front of them, it has never been easier to tune out of TV and start playing Angry Birds. The networks need to adapt to this new way of broadcasting and Channel Ten’s use of Zeebox is an excellent example of how to lead the charge.

Many of Network Ten’s more popular shows such as The Project, Master Chef and Offspring (see my recent post https://iloungeroom.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/spoiler-alert/) deliver extra value through the use of Zeebox. For example viewers can dig deeper into a show through the use of ‘Zeetags’. When these appear on screen the viewer can click on it on their second screen to get more information about what is going on. Similarly there are many behind the scenes videos and extra content that the viewer can access on their second screen.

Whilst doing this however, they can be sharing it with their friends, family and THE WORLD, as you can log onto Zeebox with Facebook and Twitter. This gives the audience the ability to comment on the shows (and in the case of The Project get the comments read out live), find out what their friends are watching and inform the world just how sad they are that PATRICK IS DEAD!!! (get over it! I already blogged about it a few weeks ago!). Also followers can create and become members of show specific ‘Rooms’ that discuss the show and I am sure to vent about certain plot twists and character developments.

Zeebox is the wonder drug that boosts all of TVs qualities to turn it into a value-delivering machine. It ticks the three eMarketing boxes:

1. Delivers incentives to access it through Zeetags
2. Allows users to comment and participate in the shows
3. Brings together the community that are watching

It is for these reasons that Zeebox takes out the gold medal, blue ribbon, yellow jersey and black belt of the digital marketing world. If you are one of the above-mentioned people who is a second screen viewer (and if you’re reading this I’m sure you are) do yourself a favour and download Zeebox NOW!

And while you’re at it, leave a comment telling me what celebrity your favourite app would be if it was one.

Dreams, Footy and Beer!

In my pre skater-boy phase of youth, all I wanted to be when I grew up was an AFL football player. Growing up in a family that madly supported Carlton, were MCC members and put a lot of emphasis on playing footy for school and club, its no wonder that I wanted to be the next ‘Kouta’.

Then eventually the long hair began to grow, my curiosity for beer and women became ever stronger and my fitness was undermined by my unwillingness to sweat. All these factors were part of the reason I didn’t make the 2008 draft of the AFL.

However that younger version of myself need not worry, because thanks to social media innovation integrated with the live broadcast of Australian football, it is as if I am playing footy during every match I watch.

The AFL, Channel 7 and Carlton Draught all endorse a new social media app called ‘Draught Pick’. The clever slogan of the app being:
‘You play live whilst they play live’.

The way this app works is simple, interactive and engages consumers in the television broadcast. Basically the app is a game where as a player you can challenge as many of your friends on social media as you want. You challenge each other at guessing things like who will kick the first goal, who will win, who will get the most possessions etc. If you get it right you get points and the person with the most points wins. Then there is what is called the triple shot. This is something that can be activated for a 5-minute period and gives you triple of any score that is achieved during the match.

This ability to interact with friends and fellow AFL lovers is a beautiful example of broadening the television experience to outside the living room. Also the competitive nature of the app is an excellent way for consumers to come back looking for more.

As well as this, Channel 7 cleverly makes references to ‘Draught Pick’ during live coverage of the game, with pop ups on screen stating ‘now is a good time to activate your triple shot’. This is an excellent way to engage social media users into accessing their app and integrating the two media forms. By reminding users that there is more than one way of ‘watching’ the game, the AFL, Channel 7 and Carlton Draught are ensuring that their messages and brand is getting as much exposure as possible from the one event.

This new way of interacting with the AFL coverage ticks all the right digital marketing boxes. It both engages followers with the brand and fellow users as well as attracting users to constantly engage with their product throughout the season. I raise my glass of Carlton Draught to the marketing manager who thought of that…delicious.

SPOILER ALERT

One of the beauties of television dramas is the ability to captivate the audience to the point where they create emotional relationships with characters. This has been true of many television characters: Ross and Rachel, Buffy, Vincent Chase etc.

Channel Ten’s program Offspring is no exception to this phenomenon and their ability to use digital marketing to harness their viewers’ emotional connections has been an excellent way to interact with their audience.

In last week’s episode, 1.06 million viewers watched the show kill off the core male character Patrick Reid (below). This bold move by the show brought channel Ten “back from the dead” (according to the experts) and saw channel Ten make an appearance in the top 5.

Whilst the ratings may have exploded, nowhere did it explode more than on Facebook and Twitter. The show maintains highly active social network accounts and the hashtags #offspringDeath and #pleasenotPatrick have been trending heavily ever since.

https://www.facebook.com/offspringonten

Tweets by Offspringtvshow

However, Offspring cash in on more than just plot twists and character deaths on social media. On Facebook they hold competitions allowing their viewers to win trips to the set, a Mazda 3 (the car that lead character Nina drives) and day spa vouchers. These are excellent ways to engage with the viewers and increase the exposure of the show and the sponsors. This has become a crucial part of the TV network’s business model. The networks rely heavily on sponsorship to produce their programs and create healthy profits. Digital marketing has become another way of increasing the exposure of the sponsors, whilst also increasing the coverage of the show. In other words:

keep the viewers watching = keeps the sponsors happy = keeps the money coming.

Most impressively however, is how Offspring uses the interactive TV app Zeebox to give their viewers another forum to interact with the show and other followers of Offspring. This is truly one of the most exciting revelations in the television experience. Whilst I would love to go into it now in detail, I will dedicate an entire blog post in the next few weeks to Zeebox. So like any good TV show cliff-hanger, you’ll just have to wait and see.

Avatar: fact or fiction?

The world we live in is not too dissimilar to the world of Avatar. In Avatar the Na’vi people on planet Pandora were all connected. They were connected to each other, to the soil, the trees, leave, those weird rhino looking things and everything that existed. Their connection was due to a guiding force that bound them all, a ‘mother nature’ if you will. This was called Eywa.

On planet Earth it is not too different from James Cameron’s vision. However our ‘mother nature’ goes by the name WiFi. Yes thats right, the Internet. This wonderful creation allows every human the ability to interact, share and communicate with anyone and everyone on cyber space. This has become much more occurrent since the expansion of social media, which allows everyone to connect.

Whilst we may not have a mystical tree that we can all upload information from, we do have Apples and other devices which allow us to achieve the same goal as the Na’vi. The interconnectedness of these devices makes old school media a thing of the past. This is very apparent with the TV. This blog will look specifically at how TV uses digital marketing to allow us all to connect better.