File this one under yet another Mobile Stumble. Came across this one today while driving through New York City. As part of an expansive marketing scheme to celebrate BBC World’s entry into the American market, the BBC put up a giant interactive digital billboard on the corner of 50th and Broadway. The interactivity part of the billboard is something that I have not yet seen but is an obviously good idea based on past text to screen examples such as those seen during U2 concerts and the like. It displays dramatic news photographs and invites people to text in their votes on key news issues. My fellow New Yorkers (and tourists) can vote whether illegal immigrants should be considered “citizens†or “criminalsâ€; U.S. soldiers, “occupiers†or “liberatorsâ€; bird flu, “imminent†or “preventable†(seen above); and China “befriend†or “bewareâ€.
Now, as you can tell from the picture’s above, the votes appear on the billboard in real-time (I tried it myself and watched the ticker change from 62-63). But that is not the best part, the updated tallies will also be broadcast twice daily on WFAN’s “Imus in the Morning” show, as part of the BBC World radio promotion. Talk about cross promotion.
This is just another ingenious use of SMS to External World I have been talking about. Although I do not know how it brings people back to the BBC via the website or anything other than through pure branding.
Seema Kotecha, Head of Marketing at BBC World, said: “BBC World has decided to develop an unprecedented, bold and interactive campaign to generate buzz around New York and spark debate around some of the key global news issues that affect all of us. These powerful images highlight the global perspective and the impartiality of coverage, for which BBC World is known around the world.
You can read more about what else the BBC is doing to promote its new American presence here.
The 24-hour BBC World channel is available to all iO: Interactive Optimum® digital cable customers throughout Cablevision’s New York metropolitan service area on channel 104.
