Overview
From the advent of digital television and mobile phones to advancements in the Internet and
wireless networking, the ongoing evolution of technology is constantly changing the way people
access and interact with information.
Giving audiences the ability to take part in programmes is now recognised as one of the most
effective ways for broadcasting organisations to cultivate consumer interest, and, through doing
so, improve their viewing figures and encourage advertisers to invest.
With so many convenient, new communications media now available, it is also vital that
television companies understand their audiences (in terms of their expectations, opinions and
preferred uses of technology), if they are to provide the optimal viewing experience.
Crosby's TAPS Solution
Crosby's Television Audience Participation System (TAPS) is a sophisticated alternative to
the costly switchboards, expensive computers and other outdated methods that many television
companies are currently using to provide interactive services.
In addition to facilitating reliable audience participation over a variety of different media,
TAPS gathers valuable information about viewers in real-time from various sources, including:
- Telephone calls.
- Text messages (including picture and video content).
- Sky Red Button UK.
- Cable Red Button.
- BT Ride 2 UK.
- Virgin Media Red Button UK.
- Website hits/clicks.
How it works
1. Whenever a viewer uses one of your interactive services (whether they do so via phone, text
or the Internet), TAPS automatically records a range of information about the exchange.
This will often include: the medium used by the participant, the exact
time at which the interaction took place, details of its purpose and content, and even the
participant s geographical location.
2. Once gathered, TAPS arranges these data using an in-built content management system, to
create a detailed 'profile' for every viewer who has ever participated in your
programming.
These 'profiles' can contain details such as:
- The preferred medium through which a viewer participates.
- Which programmes they participate in.
- Which competitions or voting procedures they tend to enter.
- How frequently they participate in your interactive programmes.
- Their preferred time for interaction.
By creating and updating profiles for every participant, TAPS gradually develops a footprint of
your entire interactive audience.
3. Using its content management system, TAPS then interprets and manipulates these data,
enabling you to predict the general opinions and preferences of your viewers as a whole, and
take action in accordance with your findings.
With our TAPS solution's content management system you can:
- Evaluate viewing figures based on percentage participation rather than relying totally on
BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) estimates.
- Retrieve a complete 'profile' for any participant at the touch of a button, including a
full history of the competitions they have entered, how often they have entered over the
last day/week/series and how successful they have been.
- Generate graphical interpretations and interactive charts based on audience participation
statistics, to better illustrate viewer trends and preferences.
- View data from live, in-studio audience systems.
- Analyse and contrast data from both live and "timeshift" audiences (consolidated
audience).
- Produce loyalty reports detailing your most active viewers.
- Estimate the popularity of your programmes and presenters.
- Provide advertisers with reports demonstrating the level of viewer interaction at
different times and through different media, helping them to target the most profitable
advertising techniques.
- View a map of your coverage area (which populates in real-time), showing an accurate,
up-to-the-second geographical distribution of your participants.
- Cross-reference audience response statistics and "audience share" figures with
programming schedules to ascertain the most profitable time to air a certain programme.
- Change your programme schedule in real-time and issue or amend recordings advising
callers of any changes to programming or other promotions/services instantly.
Summary
By putting detailed audience information and powerful content management apparatus at your
fingertips, our TAPS solution offers a variety of commercial and operational benefits for your
company, giving you a clearer understanding of your viewers, and empowering you to operate a
more profitable and customer-focused service.
Installation and cost
Crosby realises that every television company is unique and interacts with its viewers in a
different way.
With this in mind, we have aimed to make our TAPS solution as flexible as possible and we will
even spend a week in your business before installing our systems, to become acquainted with
your operations and establish your requirements. This will enable us to fine-tune our product
to suit your specific needs, and ensure its smooth integration with your existing setup.
Because TAPS is configured differently according to each situation, all systems are priced
individually. As a guide, prices start from around £24,000 + VAT for TAPS as part of a
fully managed service from Crosby.
|
