Gamification Opportunities Bring Value to Dedicated Companion TV Apps

Integrating Rewards with Consumers’ Media Interests Will Also Provide Free Advertising

Boston, MA – November 12, 2015 – Dedicated companion TV apps have slowly but surely made a name for themselves, with gamification opportunities making them even more compelling and easy to adopt and use for consumers. A new study from the Connected Home UX (CHX) group at Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) has found that with the increase of consumers engaging in social TV behaviors and the release of such apps on the rise, TV networks have taken the opportunity to not only provide interactive tasks to ensure consumer loyalty and encourage consumption during scheduled broadcasting, but also provide another avenue for advertising brands and importantly, their own show, as consumers share their experiences on social media.

Surveying consumers in the US and UK, Strategy Analytics found that the main appeal of dedicated companion TV apps was having exclusive or relevant information regarding the TV show being watched, available without the hassle of having to search for it. Participants in this study indicated that such apps would be particularly useful for shows where viewers can vote for different talent/contestants. The ability to earn rewards via dedicated companion TV apps as well as earning and winning free products just for watching favorite TV shows was also appealing. However despite their appeal, current usage of dedicated companion apps remains low; consumers are still unaware of such apps and instead, utilize social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook for social TV behaviors related to what they watch on TV.

Click here for report: http://bit.ly/1Gnw60N

Taryn Tulay , Senior Analyst and report author commented,

“Dedicated companion TV apps need to provide a way for users to be connected with close acquaintances and other viewers, people associated with TV shows like the actors themselves, and give the option to connect to social media such as Facebook or Twitter. Apps should be free to download and easy to use; interaction must be on the consumer’s terms and not overly demanding; and calls for action should be during commercials to eliminate disruption. Importantly, interaction with apps should also be available with DVR TV, catch-up on demand TV and OTT VOD – and not just live TV.”

Diane O’Neill, Director, User Experience Innovation Practice, added

“Gamification opportunities bring value to companion TV apps. However, rewards must be tangible and easy to obtain. Integrating these rewards with the consumers’ media interests via popular OTT VOD services such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video, or music services such as iTunes or Spotify, will not only provide users with relevant rewards but also free advertising for the companion app itself via the media services used.”