Is Social TV the next big thing?
Is Social TV poised to transform television?
The buzz over at Ad Age certainly suggests it is. Ask serial media entrepreneur Robert F. X. Sillerman, the time for Social TV has come. Mr. Sillerman bought Gateway Industries last February (renamed it Function(x)) and this month released their first TV loyalty product called Viggle.
With big brands like Verizon, Pepsi, and Burger King, on board as strategic launch partners (speaks volumes of Mr. Sillerman’s clout), all that remains is how nimble Viggle can be keeping viewers engaged. The risk being Viggle going the way of Groupon. Of course we’re not talking about getting 75% off from a local hardware store. There is a reason why consumer brands spend big bucks keeping their names top of mind.
But for now you can get free make-up from Sephora or free movie tickets from Fandango just for checking into Viggle when your favorite shows are on. One thing is for sure, Social TV is something to watch.
Want some more insight? Read Ad Age’s interview with Viggle’s president Chris Stephenson.
Aggregating all the networks in one centralized loyalty program is a great idea. It remains to be seen how great but can see the value to brands and Sillerman is certainly the man to get it done.
Will be keeping an eye on this one.
The Super Bowl is shaping up to be the Social TV event of the year with just about every major advertiser going the extra yards to invest in taking the engagement beyond 30 second ads. I would say Social TV’s time is definitely now!
Looking forward to the premiere of Mad Men on 3/25! House Party! Now that’s Social TV!
Viggle is of course not the only game in town, it may be the newest with some serious backing, but there are also these fine Social TV sites offering rewards: GetGlue, Miso, IntoNow, Shazam, ConnecTV, and Umami.
Also, Pepsi recently launched its own Social TV platforms called Pepsi Pulse, a visualization of conversations about The X Factor (http://www.pepsipulse.com/), and Pepsi Sound Off, a Twitter-like channel open to any number of shows (http://www.pepsisoundoff.com/).