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  6 September 2013 Please click here to view this e-mail in your browser  
 
 RTL Nederland's Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden

Dear egta members, we hope you have had a refreshing summer break!  

As of this week, egtabites are back as well, re-energised and full of new ideas – and our first idea worth sharing, appropriately enough, is on how to ensure that product-interest doesn’t drop in the quiet summer months. This season’s first new egtabite is an innovative idea from our Dutch member RTL.  

The concept

RTL broadcasts the Netherlands’ longest-running soap Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden (GTST). The show takes a break every summer, ending the last episode of the season with a cliff-hanger. Throughout the course of the last year's season the show introduced a new character, Tim, without revealing who he was. Tim acted mysteriously and the cliff-hanger episode questioned his identity. To keep their viewers engaged through the summer when the show itself was off air, RTL developed an app which gave the users clues to Tim’s identity.

How it worked

Realising that a large part of GTST’s target audience was highly active online and wanted to engage longer with TV formats, the idea was to tap into the audience’s use of multiple media and heighten their interest in the show while it was off-air. The app, available for download immediately following the cliff-hanger episode, gave viewers access to Tim’s diary (which plays a role in the series), games and exclusive videos. There were various clues, online and offline, which allowed players to unlock more levels in the game, and discover more secrets about Tim, as well as a space for fans to interact through various online platforms. The weekly prizes for the games were provided by the sponsor - Samsung- who had also placed banners within the app. Fans also created their own online communities to discuss their theories. On top of that players could even meet Tim at live events.

In addition, players had the chance to win a part as an extra in an episode shot in South Africa and all viewers who had used the app gained access to the first episode of the next season and discovered who Tim was, a full week ahead of other viewers.

The response

The app was almost immediately the number 1 downloaded app in the Netherlands (beating the free Angry Birds app) and the eighth most downloaded app in the world.

The first two weeks of the new season also showed a greater reach than earlier years, with a 14% increase as compared to previous season.

Why does this matter to egta members?

With more and more research indicating the strong link between TV and online behavior, it is important to adapt to the rapid changes in the way people watch TV, and to allow viewers to access content on different platforms to help them engage longer with TV content, even in the absence of the show itself. This type of initiative also brings a new dimension to the relationship with the advertiser. Not only does it offer a deeper engagement for the viewers, it also delivers greater client satisfaction through cross platform brand involvement and identification.

   
Target: TV
 
What they said ...
 

» Annemarieke Loderus - RTL Nederland

 
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Next events
 

egta TV Marketing & Sales Directors' Meeting

10 October, 2013
Helsinki, Finland

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