Smart Screen Exclusive
ConnecTV Connects the Dots from Ad Sync to Second Screen and Social TV
Story Highlights
By Lyndsey Schaefer
ConnecTV goes by the tagline: Sync, Share, Play: Sync automatically with whatever ad or TV show is being watched, share with one-touch integration via Twitter, Facebook and other major social media platforms, and play along.
Three distinct tentpoles make up ConnecTV’s primary areas of focus, further reinforcing that motto, says Stacy Jolna, CMO and Co-Founder of ConnecTV. The first is ConnecTV’s unique partnership with local broadcasting affiliates nationwide – representing 76 million U.S. households – the largest consortium of local TV broadcasters. Second is the company’s social TV timeline content initiative, which integrates tweets, news, polls, trivia and promotions in a dynamic stream of content, all synced to whatever show is being watched on TV. Third is ConnecTV’s new Ad Sync network that syncs instantly to what’s being watched and pushes ads to the second screen to allow viewers to take action on that ad.
Getting connected is easy. “You just download the app and can also come into the app through Twitter to begin to browse. When you begin to engage, you register for ConnecTV,” Jolna says. “We’re really focusing on Twitter in a way specifically built for TV fans – so users can design what comes in on the conversation. You can really personalize the Twitter feed to what you want. ConnecTV is a laser beam just for TV fans.”
ConnecTV is able to sync in two ways – a social TV timeline so users can join the conversation and reply and add hashtags, creating a 360 degree relationship between the Twitterverse and ConnecTV. Its Ad Sync system instantly recognizes ads, and pushes a synced marketing experience to the user’s second screen. For example, if there were an ad for a movie such as “The Hangover III,” with a tap of an icon, the user could see where the movie is playing locally, purchase a ticket, gain access to behind-the scenes content and more, Jolna says.
“For the very first time, viewers of an ad on TV can take action and extend the branding experience and buy the product. If ‘hangover’ and ‘drinking’ were the keywords, it automatically triggers the second screen marketing experience,” Jolna explains. “So brands can essentially buy keywords as well as purchase the ability to activate their television buy on the second screen using ConnecTV.”
A partnership agreement with local broadcasters includes promotion of ConnecTV twice a day, so their Fox affiliates carrying “Master Chef” are also promoting the ConnecTV experience. In social media, they utilize Twitter and Facebook to create awareness and on search, when users search for a specific show, one of the entries that bubbles up is the opportunity to join ConnectV for that show, so the company is search engine optimized.
ConnecTV’s social TV timeline and Ad Sync network both debuted in February, and are compatible with iOS, smartphones, android tablets and PCs, and Jolna says that user response has been great, with its registered users approaching one million, with the majority of users engaging for more than an hour per session.
