TV Check-In Apps Get Social

Jeremy Lin and Pinterest weren’t Social Media Week’s only hot topics. Also dominating discussions was the maturation of second-screen experiences, especially when tied to TV’s biggest events. “Check-in is not the goal; [it’s] the beginning for us,” Patrick Albano told Adweek. Albano is vp of social mobile and innovation at Yahoo, which last spring acquired TV check-in app IntoNow, which recognizes shows through audio fingerprints and then delivers content. The Oscars, of course, broadcast live, is the perfect opportunity for prolonged engagement. Mobile app GetGlue is covering the event big time, having started with the Jan. 24 nominations announcement. Consumers have been able to check in to receive various stickers in the lead-up to Oscar night, and, along with Hyundai and Entertainment Weekly, are rewarding users this month with a Hyundai-branded sticker and a sweepstakes entry when they check in to a Best Picture nominee in theaters. The staggered check-in program continued last week with Oscar.com adding a GetGlue widget that consumers can use to check in ahead of the telecast for an exclusive sticker. And for the big day, GetGlue has specific stickers for checking in to the red carpet, the actual awards show and then the postceremony Jimmy Kimmel Live airing. But Kimber Myers, director of partnership at GetGlue, said, “We really want to make sure it’s not only about stickers, but also that we’re driving great conversations [within the app].” Some say conversations, however, are not ideal for Oscar advertisers dropping roughly $1.7 million for a 30-second spot (per Kantar Media estimates). Albano himself noted that a TV ad can swing eyeballs away from a brand whose spot appears, say, while a poll is being answered . But Steve Lanzano, president and CEO of TVB, said ad campaigns just need to become part of the programming on second screens, such as Kraft’s Golden Globes app promotion. Consumers who checked in with IntoNow took a branded Velveeta Cheesy Skillets poll on their opinion of the show. Kraft’s digital and social marketing lead Beth Reilly wrote in an email that the company had employees keeping tabs in real time. “Our teams were on call and commenting as consumers were,” she noted. “In order to win here, you need to be in the conversation when they are.”

Convergent TV

TV Check-In Apps Get Social

With mobile utilities wanting to keep users engaged, big events like the Oscars are golden opportunities

Tim Peterson

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Tim Peterson