October 12, 2001
B & T MARKETING & MEDIA

TVCs in the palm of your hand

By Hudson Bawden

THE digital marketing opportunities offered by SMS have just broadened beyond text messages to mobile phones, with a Sydney company tapping into the power of hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) to deliver exclusive video content, including television commercials, direct to fans at sporting events.

The National Rugby League grand final was the first trial for the technology, which allows a variety of footage to be fed to PDAs held by spectators in the crowd.

The trial was conducted by Screenco and Platypus Telecommunications.

Selected attendees at the NRL final could access the Internet for exclusive video content, online wagering, merchandise purchase, NRL statistics and player profiles and previous game results. The attendees in corporate boxes were handed PDAs for the trial.

Television commercials can also be delivered via the PDAs direct to customers; Nokia placed 15-second commercials before each live footage feed during the trial.

Platypus Media director Garry Ohlson said the technology provided the opportunity for clients to engage in one-on-one marketing.

"We think it is going to be incredibly exciting because we know where [the device] is, for one, and we know who's holding it," Ohlson said. "From a marketing point of view, you've actually got one-to-one type marketing and we know the demographics of the thing, with these devices."

"Basically what we do is, we can then target them individually. We can put marketing campaigns together. There are about four or five marketing and advertising streams that we've identified," he said.

"One is branding the device, another is just straight advertisements. The TAB put together a specific site where the punters could go on and have a look at the odds and check out what was going on."

Platypus Media plans to take the wireless technology to all sporting arenas within Australia, and there are plans for another trial at the Australian PGA Golf Tournament in November.

Australian Open sponsor Heineken has announced it will use similar handheld technology during the tennis tournament to give spectators details of bars, accommodation and events in both Melbourne and Sydney.

The Heineken BarTrek, which people will be able to download onto Palm Handheld Computers at booths located at Melbourne Airport and Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, will help the beer brand leverage its sponsorship.