INTERACTIVE TELEVISION 513In June 2011, Burger King started a new interactive TV campaign ‘ The Whopperlust’ on Direct TV channel 111. Burger
King wanted to challenge people and do something beyond just a Facebook like. The longer you stare, the more free
Whoppers you get. If you stare for five minutes, at some point there will be an on-screen prompt to press an arrow
button on your remote. After that, you can go double or nothing and stare for ten additional minutes to win two
Whoppers. If you stay on for another 15 minutes, you can even win three Whoppers. To win the three Whoppers,
you have to spend a total of about 30 minutes staring. Burger King mailed coupons to those winning households.
After a couple of days Burger King had given away 50 000 Whopper scoupons.^126
Yeo Valley is the UK’s leading organic brand. To achieve growth during recession, it had to break out of its declining
niche and appeal to the everyday families of the UK. The goal of the marketing campaign was clear: take the Yeo
Valley brand into the mainstream. In essence, the strategy was to take a focused approach to media through the
popular TV programme X-Factor that in return delivered increased engagement with its viewers and results for YeoBUSINESS INSIGHT
Interactive TV campaigns: Burger King’s Whopperlust and Yeo Valleyfor marketers as they are now able to move buyers through the complete buying process.
Traditional TV is still doing its job in reaching and attracting people, while the power of
SMS and mobile is to convert and support. Interactive TV has many characteristics of the
Internet (attract, engage and convert) and can empower TV as a medium. Viewers can
choose among many more channels and watch content on demand. Th e viewer is in control.
Interactive TV can elaborate a brand with the possibility of giving more in-depth information,
generating leads and stimulating trial. Viewers can ask for extra information about products
and services, receive coupons or samples and even buy a product, all with one push of a
(mostly red) button. Western Europe will not reach full digital TV penetration until 2017,
despite a penetration of 85% by the end of 2011. Only Finland and Spain had fully converted
to digital TV services by the end of 2011. Another two countries are expected to have joined
them by the end of 2012 – Italy (currently on 87% penetration) and the UK (currently on
95% penetration). Switzerland, with the lowest digital penetration rate in Western Europe,
will rapidly convert from the 56% penetration it recorded at the end of 2011.^122 I n t h e
Netherlands, digital TV penetration rose from 69% in the fi rst half of 2011 to 73% at the end
of 2011.^123
iDTV will also enhance the possibilities of understanding the viewing behaviour of the
target group as well as developing personal relationships with viewers and making tailored
interactive advertising content adapted to the needs of the viewers.^124 Apart from interactive
commercials, the iDTV medium provides advertisers with other possibilities:z Programmercials or programme sponsoring , for instance a tour operator sponsors a travel
programme on iDTV that gives viewers the opportunity to receive more information
about a destination, order a catalogue or book a holiday.
z Advertising messages or logos on the electronic programme guide , visited on average
5–10 times by the iDTV viewer.
z Linking with certain t-services , for instance the Financial Times sponsoring the t-banking
application on iDTV.
z Bannering during programmes.
z Walled gardens , a kind of website created specifi cally for iDTV, and linked with an interactive
commercial or an iDTV programme, for instance through product placement.^125M15_PELS3221_05_SE_C15.indd 513M15_PELS3221_05_SE_C15.indd 513 6/6/13 8:55 AM6/6/13 8:55 AM