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U.K. companies utilizing interactive television (ITV) are beginning to see consumers spend money via games, voting and shopping options.
Mike Colling, managing director of DM media consultancy Mike Colling & Co., told attendees of the Direct Marketing Association's annual conference that some of the top sectors utilizing ITV include automotive, financial services and travel. Over half the U.K. population now has digital television — essential for ITV — and 30% of those homes have the highest levels of possible interactivity. About 70% of those with interactive services have used them.
There are three levels of interactive advertising, said Colling, who provided examples of each. To promote its stop-smoking product, Nicorette utilized an impulse response ad, which featured an icon consumers could click on to ask for more information. Whiskas cat food, meanwhile, used a “mini DAL” (dedicated advertising locator) spot, which directed users to a small text-oriented Web page to capture data in exchange for a kitten-care packet. A “full DAL” ad was created for the movie “The Hulk.” The ad took users to a full digital environment which included movie previews and a pay-for-play game.
About 80% of those who have used ITV say it enhanced their viewing experience, said Colling, who is chair of the U.K. DMA's ITV council. His firm recently helped manage the response for the U.K. version of the series “Big Brother,” which encourages viewers to vote which members of the series household should get the boot.
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