Best Buy TiVos Marketing
Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co., which will begin an effort to respond to electronics inquiries posted by Twitter users on July 19, is also digitally expanding its marketing efforts via the TiVo digital video recorder (DVR) service. Best Buy is partnering with TiVo to create a unique user interface for customers who buy TiVo DVRs from Best Buy.
The interface would allow Best Buy to market its digital content services, offer guidance and advice to consumers, and engage in interactive dialogue with consumers about its products and services. As part of the partnership, Best Buy is committing to substantially increasing the levels of marketing and merchandising of retail TiVo DVR devices, as well as other devices that may feature the TiVo user interface and platform in the future.
Best and TiVo will also collaborate in areas such as integrating TiVo functionality with Best Buy private label consumer electronic goods and developing unique Best Buy solutions for delivery via TiVo.
In May 2009, Best Buy launched a new digital media fund focusing on strategic digital media investments as a complement to Best Buy’s current digital media and emerging technology investment activity. While there is no indication that either the TiVo partnership or Twitter program is directly linked to the fund, Best Buy is clearly dedicating itself to using digital media as a new means of performing interactive marketing with consumers.
Furthermore, in June 2009, Best Buy publicly released a list of four business priorities for future growth that includes developing connected digital solutions. To date, Best Buy’s connected digital solution offerings have mostly consisted of mobile phones and digital downloads offered through its online Napster service, but the TiVo partnership shows new development in this area.
Consumer entertainment retailer Blockbuster, which competes with Best Buy in certain product categories, announced it would begin directly downloading movies to TiVo devices and also start selling TiVo units in its stores.