Background
- Pronounced “Three-Bee” and a play on words of ‘freebie’, this
was South Africa’s first-ever mobile technology-based television
loyalty campaign!
- The campaign used SMS technology as the platform to
communicate with and reward viewers for watching
SABC 3’s programme line-up and in the process set
radically new benchmarks for viewer interactivity. |
Client & Products
- Client: SABC
- Product: SABC 3
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Campaign Objectives
- To build viewer loyalty within the SABC target market with SMS as the mechanism
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The Campaign
- The 3BEE character (an animated television set), appeared during a programme. This was the cue for viewers to SMS the text 3BEE to 34811.
- Viewers then received an SMS asking a question relating to the programme currently being broadcast on SABC 3.
- Viewers then answered the question by return SMS (by simply pressing the return button on your phone). Viewers did not need to re SMS 34811.
- If answered correctly, viewers were notified that they had been entered into the draw to win an instant prize. Viewers were prompted to stay tuned to see if they were a winner.
- The winner(s) were then announced on-screen within the next programme.
- Viewers had the chance to win three times a night in other words 3BEE appeared in three different programmes per night.
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Facts and Figures
- Over 6 million smses were sent in the 6 month campaign (Feb – April 2004/ August – September 2004)
- 3BEE has been recognised as the most innovative and cutting-edge mobile marketing campaigns ever run on TV in SA. It has also become the biggest mobile marketing campaign ever in terms of total viewer interaction, eclipsing Big Brother SA and Pop Idols SA.
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Benefits for consumers
- The campaign was a completely opt in campaign, completely removing the SPAM element of SMS.
- The consumer was rewarded with exciting prizes for just watching SABC 3 programming during prime time television
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Benefits for SABC 3
- Increased viewer ship within prime time television viewing
- A decrease of channel hoping from SABC 3 to other channels during prime time
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Conclusion
- SMS has proven to be a very powerful and successful vehicle in creating an interactive medium between television and its viewers.
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