GSN–a cable/satellite TV channel which was formerly known as the Game Show Network and which has pioneered broadcast-synchronized interactive TV in the US–says that it has commissioned Ball State University’s Center for Media Design (CMD) to produce a comprehensive report that will examine how people use interactive TV in their daily lives. The study will be led by Mike Bloxham, the CMD’s director of testing and assessment: its goal, according to GSN, will be to enable the advertising community to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of marketing through interactive TV. Its results will be released in February. "By commissioning this study, we’re hoping to better understand how consumers interact with brands," Chris Raleigh, GSN’s SVP of advertising sales, explained. "As the leader in this space, it is up to us to establish its value for our customers. This report will benefit the entire ad community when the findings are released detailing consumer engagement toward brands in the ITV environment."
GSN–which currently offers over 133 hours of interactive TV programming–says that its programs have triggered over 25 million ITV plays since 2002, and that, in the same time period, it has run over 166 ITV-enabled advertising campaigns for 34 companies, in 17 major advertising categories (including pharmaceutical, automotive, travel, retail and packaged goods), highlighting over 80 brands. The channel says that, since 2002, average interactive viewing time has increased from 24 to 35 minutes (i.e. 46%).
(Note: The Ball State CMD recently appointed three high-profile interactive TV industry veterans as Industry Research Fellows, tasked with leading the Center’s research into how consumers are likely to respond to new television interface designs and services. The new fellows, who will have a one-year tenure, are Dale Herigstad, executive creative director of TV interface design company, Schematic; John Herne, head of studio and media consulting at ebusiness consultancy, Sonalysts, who was formerly director of new media at Discovery Networks; and John Canning, senior product manager and field producer for the Yahoo! Media Group, who was formerly a technical evangelist at Microsoft’s eHome Division.)
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