Internet TV Co. Launches Click-Through Trial
Backchannelmedia, an internet-TV tech and service company, is testing a new system that lets television viewers use their remote to "remember" the URL of brands featured on TV,
writes Internet Retailer.
When an advertisement - or news content - comes on the screen, a small icon appears that prompts the viewer to users to bookmark the offer or related content and store the link on the company's web portal to view later. Alternatively, the viewer can simply click to email to themselves the link to the product's e-commerce page.
The trial will launch at the end of November in several New England markets, including Boston, MA; Hartford-New Haven, CT; Providence, RI; and Manchester, NH,
writes DMNews.
In the first stage, Backchannelmedia gives participating homes set-top boxes and ties them to broadcast TV networks. The next stage will use downloaded software to make cable and satellite TV set top boxes compatible with the program.
As many as 3 million homes are expected to participate within one year, but Backchannel emphasizes the scalability of the program. Some 65 million homes have potentially compatible set top boxes, said Michael Kokernak, the company's founder and co-CEO.
One goal of the program is to greatly increase the reported 0.2% conversion rate among TV viewers who go to an advertiser's website after viewing a TV commercial that displays the URL. If the program succeeds in boosting the rate to 1%, that's an extra $40-$50 billion in ad revenue, Backchannelmedia estimates.
Moreover, the program helps viewers get to the website: "They don't need to remember or write down [the URL], but can revisit it at their convenience," said Kokernak. By pushing viewers online directly, advertisers may also save money on keyword search marketing.
The technology allows advertisers to track consumer behavior - that is, if a viewer clicks "OK" on his/her remote while watching a commercial, the click information is saved, so if the same consumer goes online and buys something that purchase can be traced back to the ad.
The Timberland Co. and the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut are among the advertisers participating in the trial.
