NBC Universal taps SinglePoint for interactive mobile campaigns

October 31, 2007

Doug Busk

Media giant NBC Universal is moving its advertisers onto the mobile channel with a company-wide mobile marketing campaign via wireless services company SinglePoint.

Under the terms of this deal, SinglePoint manages and executes multiple participation media campaigns such as mobile voting, sweepstakes, contests, text alerts and the delivery of personalization content.

"The strategy is to unite the viewer to the NBC show, to bring the viewer that much closer through mobile interactivity," said Doug Busk, SinglePoint vice president of industry relations, Bellevue, WA.

SinglePoint (www.singlepoint.com) allows NBC Universal to consolidate its interactive television offerings and participation media efforts. Several existing advertisers are participating in this new initiative.

For example, Lexus extended its sponsorship of the NBC Sports Golf broadcast to include SMS alerts. Bertolli Mediterranean Foods has sponsored several SMS efforts for NBC-owned Bravo Network's "Top Chef" show. Also, Japanese automaker Nissan has sponsored preview or "tune-in" text alerts for "Heroes" on NBC.

Previous campaigns from NBC Universal include mobile contests for the Kentucky Derby, a sweepstakes for SciFi Network's "The Lost Room" series for a $5 million grand prize, live voting on Bravo's "Shear Genius" show and a variety of "Today" show events.

"The primary method of encouraging viewers to participate in the mobile experience is the promotion of mobile shortcodes," Mr. Busk said. "The user opts-in via that shortcode to participate in the show they are watching at the time. Shortcodes are also advertised via the Web and within commercials."

SinglePoint allows content owners to create and confirm the delivery of wireless messages to mobile consumers. It delivers messages, and produces and distributes branded, made-for-mobile entertainment, interactive TV formats and mobile marketing concepts.

The company claims to send millions of messages per month as part of its marketing efforts for NBC Universal. In addition to NBC, SinglePoint has served clients such as cable music channel Fuse, record label Sony-BMG and the premium components of Fox's "American Idol."

"Just as in broadcast, you're going to see formats that are premium events alongside messaging sponsored by an advertiser," Mr. Busk said. "The eco-system is still developing but we think both premium and advertiser-supported formats are going to thrive."