Television and digital media company LIN TV’s Hartford-New Haven, CT-based stations WTNH-TV (ABC) and WCTX-TV will participate in Backchannelmedia’s TV-to-Internet Click Through market trial.
Participants in the trial can press a button on their TV remote controls when prompted by a small icon on the screen during both advertising and news content. This allows users to bookmark interesting content and advertisers’ offers to view at a later time. The offer is sent to the viewer’s personal Web site. The site is branded and framed into WTNH.com, which is linked directly to their Backchannelmedia set top boxes.
“Sixty percent to 70% of commercials have a [toll-free] number or a URL,” said Michael Kokernak, founder and co-CEO of Backchannelmedia. “With this technology viewers don’t need to remember or write down that information. They can revisit it at their convenience.”
He also said this would reduce ad spend because it could save advertisers money on keyword search marketing by allowing users to visit companies directly online.
The trial is scheduled to launch at the end of November. Should nationwide channels decide to pick up the technology, it would be compatible with 65 million homes’ existing set top boxes, Kokernak said.
Backchannelmedia is currently running other trials in Boston, Providence, RI, and Manchester, NH.
