The idea of a coupon app is anything but groundbreaking today. However, the idea of combining the power of a television commercial with the power of a digital coupon is intriguing.
According to the Lempert Report, IntoNow is a new social networking tool that enables users to see what TV programs their friends are viewing in real time. Similar to audio apps like Shazam, IntoNow picks up the audio feed from your TV and quickly identifies the program on your display screen. The newest feature of these audio apps is their ability to connect you with your friends by letting you know who else is watching the same program. It can then connect you to your friends through Facebook and Twitter and allow you to make new friends who are watching the same program. Currently, there are over 600,000 downloads of the app.
As a unique shopper marketing extension, Pepsi is the first brand to reward its audience for just viewing a TV commercial. Viewers who touched the TV screen on the app during the airing of the commercial were rewarded with a coupon redeemable for a 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi.
Creating a more interactive and engaging brand experience that can be delivered through a traditional medium is a compelling idea. Because consumers opt-in to the experience, they, in essence, become direct participants within the commercial experiment itself. This may indicate a fundamental shift in the way brands market and measure the effectiveness of their traditional media spending.
– Contributed by Paul Ballew
