ITV to launch Shazam-enabled ads
ITV will partner with music recognition service Shazam to provide interactive TV advertising for users of the app.
Shazam users (there are 10m in the UK) will be able to use the app to interact with ads and enter competitions, get more info, view additional content or download free music.
ITV to Apple: don't use 'iTV'
Is Apple's next big move the revolution of the small screen? Despite the company's less-than-stellar past attempts at putting its imprint on the television, many believe 2012 is the year Apple will up its efforts to change the device with a big product launch.
If Apple does move forward with a smart television, there's one obvious name that would be most fitting: iTV. After all, Apple has become synonymous with 'i-' products, from the iPod to the iPad.
Sky's sound social media advice hijacked by brand police
Last night the Guardian released details of an email sent to Sky News employees that outlined new social media guidelines.
Of course, the most sensational part of this - that staff now seem to be banned from retweeting rival "journalists or people on Twitter" - has been highlighted by many amid cries of ‘they just don’t get it’.
What do social media managers do? Part 3
In the my previous post, I spoke about a single aspect of my work process, and in future installments I'll be looking at other areas where I speak to different audiences. However, by now I’m fairly sure that you’re all getting slightly tired of me
shouting about how great I am , so this time round I thought we’d
take a break and begin looking at some leading social professionals from
other industries.
Social media tools and initiatives are increasingly widespread, but their use can vary dramatically from company to company, and while Econsultancy has an interesting business model, it's also fairly unique. By looking at other industries I'm hoping we can uncover how the core principles of social media (Listen. Consider. Respond. - you hadn't forgotten had you?) can be applied to different situations.
A good social media manager needs to be highly adaptable, applying these tenets to differing business models for a variety of reasons.
To kick things off, I recently spoke to Tom Webster, Social Media Producer at ITV Digital Channels about how the broadcast media industry applies social media in order to engage audiences and promote content on a variety of platforms.
ITV way behind on World Cup web usability: study
ITV's World Cup website has plenty of room for improving the user experience for visitors, with a score 20 points behind that of the four other sites in the study.
Webcredible's World Cup usability study found the FIFA website was the most usable, while the BBC, Sky and Eurosport were joint second.
ITV fails with online World Cup coverage
With the World Cup well underway, more and more people are choosing to watch online, with both ITV and BBC showing live coverage of each match on their websites.
I've been attempting to watch a few matches on both websites, and the BBC is the clear winner so far...
Friends no more: ITV finally dumps Friends Reunited
When times are good, the internet is responsible for memorable stories of rapid riches. But economic downturns are different. Even through parts of the internet economy have held up well, relatively speaking, in this economic downturn there are a growing number of gold to lead stories.
The latest such story: ITV's sale of Friends Reunited to DC Thomson for £25m after down-to-the-wire negotiations with a number of suitors.
The Susan Boyle Effect: Always be prepared to monetize
Monetizing viewership is a recurring problem online. But companies need to be prepared for spikes in popularity, whether they expect them or not.
Case in point: Susan Boyle's now infamous rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Susan may be bounding ahead in the competition for "Britain's Got Talent," but she's not making the show's parent company ITV any money online. YouTube videos of the singing sensation still don't have ads in the U.S. Because ITV hasn't figured out where to put the money earned on YouTube, the network is wasting 1000s of views a day.
Hulu tries to schedule its UK debut: report
Hulu has fast become one of the internet's top destinations for professional video content. With free high-def programming from the likes of NBC, FOX, Comedy Central and many others, it's not hard to see why.
There's only one problem: it's only available in the United States.
Showtime premieres new ITV tech
Interactive TV is about to get a boost. Showtime Networks will unveil a new (ITV) application next week that uses remote control ordering to give consumers access to long form video, and free full-length episodes of Showtime programming. The technology will bring television commerce (tcommerce) and advertising that allows watchers to become customers a little closer.
Showtime and its two other channels, The Movie Channel and Flix, do not currently accept advertising. According to the company, which is pitching the technology as a Showtime Marketing Application, "the most valuable component is the ease with which a viewer can now order Showtime, and the upgrade can be processed and authorized within seconds." If that ease of ordering can be applied to other networks, and ad units within those networks, ITV is tied to the remote control.
