HGTV is teaming up with mobile application Viggle for a cross-marketing platform designed to augment brand awareness and offer prizes and rewards to loyal viewers of the cable television channel's shows that check-in to the Viggle app.

Viggle, a marketing and entertainment platform, is aiming to increase audience adoption of HGTV television shows and enhance viewers? watching experiences by offering them exclusive points and prizes for engaging with HGTV programs on the Viggle app and other components of its digital platform, such as Wetpaint.com and Viggle Reminders. Viggle believes that its publishing tools will ensure that fans never miss an episode of their favorite shows and that their TV experiences are even more memorable and engaging.

?Mobile can bolster and enhance the viewers' experience with additional interactive benefits in the form of gaming elements, deeper content, socializing and even chances to win prizing,? said Greg Consiglio, president and chief operation officer of Viggle, New York.

?Most everyone has a mobile device with them as they watch TV, and we've shown the ability to promote shows, engage people in the shows they love and reward them over the past 2.5 years. Now, Viggle app users can redeem the points they get for additional entertainment content like movies, TV shows, music and more.?

Loyalty platform
HGTV?s move to create a loyalty rewards platform comes on the heels of many other top brands? successful rewards programs that have boosted customer engagement and brand retention. Fans are encouraged to check in to the Viggle app each time they watch an HGTV show to access bonus points, with top-earning consumers being eligible for HGTV prizes.

Viewers that check in during any primetime HGTV show between 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST will earn four times the rewards points. Viggle will be featuring play-along experiences for select HGTV shows to keep viewers occupied during breaks in programming.

Wetpaint?s Web site will also offer custom articles and videos before and after the home design channel?s programs.

?Samples of potential prizes and rewards include Viggle points, music, movies, HGTV merchandise like lunch totes, umbrellas, hats, t-shirts, keychains, bags and much more,? Mr. Consiglio said.

The Viggle app is free to download for iPhone and Android users.

Cross-partnership
As part of the fifteen month long partnership, HGTV will receive access to Viggle?s Publisher Tools, which include one click Reminders and Set DVR functions on all of its marketing channels. The television channel will also be able to use Viggle?s Social Distribution technology and will be able to add earning capabilities for Viggle Points to its own channels.

The benefits for viewers will be co-promoted on Viggle and HGTV programming, and HGTV will use specific check-in data to make insights regarding viewer behavior and engagement.

HGTV has been making a push for mobile in the past year following the launch of the HGTV Folio and HGTV Watch apps, both of which enable on-the-go viewing for consumers. Fans seeking on-demand full episode streaming can download the HGTV Watch app, while home decoration enthusiasts can browse the HGTV Folio app for home inspirations from television hosts and celebrated designers.

Meanwhile, the Viggle app allows consumers to check into any television program to gain rewards points.

The idea of leveraging second-screen enhancement for television watchers is steadily gaining in popularity, with popular networks such as Bravo and Oxygen offering additional interactive content for tablets and mobile devices to complement viewers? favorite shows (see story).

?New audiences will learn about Viggle and become users which is great for us,? Mr. Consiglio said. ?Ultimately, they'll watch even more HGTV because it just became more rewarding with Viggle.

?Plus, because of the rich immersive experience the partnership brings to life on the app, user engagement is expected to increase. Overall, the viewers win because their HGTV viewing experience is enhanced with Viggle and new audiences will be driven to watch great HGTV programming via the Viggle app promotion.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York