The Primetime Emmy Awards has added mobile to its repertoire with a new SMS program that engages television audiences in the run-up to its 62nd annual ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 29.

Up to and throughout the program?s TV broadcast, viewers can text the keyword ?EMMYS? to the short code 888777 to receive text messages straight to their mobile phone. Nixle WireWords is handling the SMS effort.

?We want to allow the Emmys to keep a constant connection with its members, viewers and followers on a year-round basis,? said Brian Finkelstein, director of marketing and business development at Nixle, Mt. Laurel, NJ. 

?[The goal is] to provide real-time interaction with viewers and audience members during the live broadcast, and to provide interoperability for the multiple internal departments, production crews and volunteers involved with the Primetime show,? he said.

A button on the Emmys.com homepage reads, ?Get the latest on the Emmys sent to your mobile phone. Text EMMYS to 888777.? 

Organized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Primetime Emmys is the nation?s most prestigious awards that honors excellence in national primetime TV programming. Top awards bestowed include the Governors Award and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

Along with the Oscars, the Primetime Emmys is one of the most watched awards ceremonies on TV.

Honoring mobile
Nixle services allow companies to send direct messages to consumers via mobile phone, email and Web. Its portfolio includes Municipal Wire, which comprises more than 4,300 public safety and government institutions and police departments in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas and San Francisco.

The company recently expanded to add media agencies, retailers and small to midsized businesses to its roster.

Targeting Emmy viewers and any consumer with an interest in celebrities and awards shows, Nixle is updating them with announcements, news and photos via SMS.

During the broadcast, texts will contain information about prizes, the Red Carpet and direct photos.

?What happens is that we send out a straight SMS with a tiny URL [linking to a photo],? Mr. Finkelstein said. ?If you don?t have a smartphone, you won?t be able to access the URL.

?But 99.9 percent of phones enable text messaging,? he said. ?But you can also get this URL through email, so you can download the photos right to Emmys.com.?

The text will simultaneously be posted on Twitter and Facebook.

?Instead of logging into three networks, it can be sent out automatically through social media sites,? Mr. Finkelstein said.

The company is spreading the word on this Emmys text functionality through public relations, making consistent daily announcements via Twitter and Facebook, and promoting on Emmys.com.

Celeb alert
Text message alerts have become popular across the board.

Public safety institutions at universities such as New York University and the University of California, Los Angeles are using the capabilities, as are retail stores such as Walgreens to drive in-store traffic and registration (see story).

But for the Primetime Emmys, partnering with Nixle is a first-time effort.

?Across the board [we want to reach] Emmys viewers,? Mr. Finkelstein said.

?We are looking at the viewers and also people that are interested in celebrities,? he said. ?It?s right across the board.?

Final Take
Kaitlyn Bonneville, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York