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Fox TV?s interactive contest for Gotham lends opportunity for creative fans

Author

Caitlyn Bohannon
Broadcasting company Fox readies fans for the premiere of the new upcoming show Gotham with an interactive contest involving the movie trailer and mobile application SendUs.

Marketers within the entertainment industry hope to keep the consumer?s ongoing attention through adding an interactive experience on mobile for smartphone users. Through these efforts, networks can use the power of user-generated content as brainpower for their own future initiatives.

"The beauty of mobile is that now smartphones come with incredible cameras, easy-to-use editing applications and Internet connectivity,? said Nick Namikas, Co-CEO at SendUs, Marina Del Rey. ?This combination empowers audience to create engaging content, and with SendUs, to now be invited to become co-creator of content. 

"Smartphones are the device through which video, photo and text storytelling begins, and SendUs is the cloud-based platform which enables the engagement between broadcaster and smartphone empowered audience members," he said. 

A tailored trailer
To participate, fans can watch the trailer and recreate a segment or the entire trailer in animated or live-action formats. The most creative submission will win a trip to New York City to attend the Gotham world premiere party.

Participants can submit their creations between July 20 and July 27. FOX TV plans to show the winning creation on its network.


"Movie Trailer" | GOTHAM

Through SendUs technology, Fox TV was able to manager the volume of submissions and intertwine the contest?s reach between broadcast, TV and digital platforms.

SendUs users can upload videos and photos from their camera roll, desktop or social media accounts using the submit icon. Brands can tailor the platform to fit their needs. SendUs encourages submissions through the mobile app because of the convenience of the chunk uploading capability, which pauses an upload if there is a break in connectivity rather than forcing the user to start over.

Entertainment going interactive
Broadcasting and cable company Comcast and entertainment corporation Lionsgate initiated a partnership to build mobile applications for Lionsgate films, offering bonus clips and features for Comcast customers purchasing movies through Xfinity On Demand.

For starters, the team created an app for Lionsgate?s Divergent in an effort to combat a decrease in DVD sales. The collaboration shows an attempt to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for fans of the Divergent franchise and future Lionsgate films to come (see story).

Broadway musical ?Holler If Ya Hear Me? promoted strategically through social to target urban, hip-hop enthusiasts, particularly a younger generation. 

The musical was inspired by the life of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, with the marketing strategy designed to connect the world of hip-hop to another area of entertainment: Broadway. These initiatives showcased how entertainment properties can leverage mobile to reach a targeted audience (see story). 

Virtualizing the experience for consumers? favorite films or plays continues the life of these creations, building a community of consumers that serve as dedicated representatives for the brand.

?Customer interaction and engagement are strategies that evolved marketers are using as a way to establish sustained loyalty among their audience,? Mr. Namikas said. ?Millennials, the most sought after market group, reject traditional advertising in favor of being invited to a seat at the table through continuous engagement.  

?When the Millennial audience is engaged and feels validated, they become loyal brand ambassadors and share with their friends on social media.?

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Marketer, New York