Background
 At a time when consumers are able to zap past advertisements and have many viewing options besides the TV programme on the main TV screen, how can both broadcasters and advertisers generate engagement between the viewers, programmes and advertisements? This week’s egtabite looks at the second screen app, Le Jeu Connect, created by RTL/IP Belgium, which offers consumers a new, playful, synchronised and interactive TV experience thereby creating consumer loyalty and engagement.
Concept
 Following on from their original concept Connect, egta member IP Belgium and its channels RTL-TVI, Club RTL and Plug RTL went one step further and created Le Jeu Connect, Belgium’s first free mobile game that triggers consumer interaction during programmes and advertising breaks. Following the first launch over the month of May this year, and due to its promising results, Le Jeu Connect will come back officially for a second edition in March 2015.
When the Connect logo appears on the viewers’ TV, either in a programme or in an ad on one of RTL’s channels, they can activate the app on their second screen. A game then prompts them to answer a related question, for which they receive a “badge” if they answer correctly. Once their collection of badges is complete, they are automatically entered into a prize draw with a chance to win several attractive prizes. When the viewers answer questions, an advertising message appears. They can save it, share it or send it to their email address (if it is a coupon for instance).
 In order to promote this new experience, RTL and IP created a major cross-media activation campaign in which they used social media, websites and their own TV and radio channels, with presenters talking about the app. The campaign also included a special collaboration with the leading Belgian TV magazine Cine Tele Revue.
Click here to see the the explanatory video.
Results of Le Jeu Connect
After one month, the results were very positive. Ten advertisers trusted IP with this experience and sponsored the app. Figures from 5th to 31st May 2014 show 223,750 activations by consumers; 70,000 badges won and 35,300 unique players exposed to 291,600 contextual banners.
More importantly, according to a study by Ipsos, Le Jeu Connect was not only able to increase awareness of the ads, but equally their persuasiveness and recall. While spontaneous awareness grew by 19%, ad persuasion value was up 68% and product suitability grew by an impressive 83%!
Why does it matter to egta members?
As the relationship between television and the viewer evolves, sales houses and broadcasters need to embrace new strategies to continue to be part of this new relationship, as connectivity plays a key role in consumers’ habits. This app followed a two-fold strategy that led not only to a strong connection between viewers and the channel, but also between advertisers and viewers, ultimately strengthening the link between the sales house and its clients to transform ads in interactive events.
The app interacts with not just the programme but also with the advertising break, therefore strengthening attention, memorisation and recall, to create an emotional link with the brand.
When Stéphane Coruble from IP Belgium presented this app at egta’s annual Marketing Meeting in Reykjavik, he highlighted the need for unified synchronised app ecosystem. An environment in which each brand, each channel and each programme has its own app is not viable in the long term. Therefore he called upon his colleagues (both in Belgium and across Europe) to envisage creating similar apps in their markets and join efforts with their competitors so that viewers can benefit from a seamless experience from one channel to the other. |
