While sales may be hurting for many these days, some super opportunities are on the horizon. On Feb. 1, for the first time in its 43-year history, the Superbowl will be enabled with hyperlinking technology, giving advertisers the opportunity to engage the largest TV audience of the year with interactivity on a pay-per-view basis – and viewers the ability to link directly from a 30-second network commercial to long-form content on demand.
Quebec specialty sportscaster Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) recently confirmed that commercial inventory on both standard and high-def channels for the Super Bowl XLIII live telecast from Tampa Bay, will be enabled with interactive functionality permitting viewers to opt-in and hyperlink directly from the RDS network to long-form video content. Viewers can also bookmark the content for future viewing.
Etc.tv, the Montreal-based pioneer of the on-demand ad serving system, provides real-time tracking of campaign performance to its ad clients. ‘The confluence of these factors – the audience, the event, the focus on highly anticipated advertising – provide advertisers with a unique opportunity to connect with ‘hand-raisers’ in an extended conversation,’ Ian MacLean, VP and GM, etc.tv, tells MiC, adding that he has seen ‘historically high’ engagement rates with viewers since launching the etc.tv solution on RDS and RDS HD. ‘The RDS audience responds to the etc.tv ‘Press Select’ icon at a much higher rate than other TV nets on which we are operating.’
Currently, the etc.tv ad management system’s hyperlinking solution provisions more than 850,000 households in Quebec, reaching over 2 million consumers.
Michel Gagnon, VP sales and marketing, RDS, says that other major telecasts including the World Series of baseball, Montreal Canadiens hockey, the Stanley Cup playoffs and the NHL All-Star Game will also offer the same interactive technology in coming months.
‘Because so many national advertisers choose to take advantage of that massive audience to showcase compelling new advertising, this presents an historical opportunity for brands to invite interested consumers to link from their 30 second ad to learn more,’ says MacLean.
Television advertisers currently using Etc.tv‘s platform span automotive, packaged goods, tourism, entertainment and financial service industries. Etc.tv plans to expand its service throughout Canada and in the US through 2009.
