Telescope, which specializes in participation media services, has revealed that it has extended its multichannel services, embracing mobile, landline, and online, to 12 television programs that will air in the first quarter of 2008. Telescope, which managed almost 1 billion participation media interactions in 2007, says it is on track to exceed the previous years industry record. In addition to programs currently on ABC, Bravo, Lifetime, and TLC, Telescope will also manage the interactive voting – as it has since the shows inception – for American Idol on FOX, which will hold the first voting show of its seventh season on 19 February.
Telescope iME (Integrated Media Engine) manages mobile, phone, and Internet communications for brands, wireless carriers, media and entertainment companies. Among the latest broadcast and cable programs using Telescopes multichannel participation media services are Make Me a Supermodel on Bravo, which includes interactivity across mobile, landline and online; How To Look Good Naked on Lifetime, with mobile audio and text advice; Dance War on ABC; Miss America on TLC .
The growth of alternative programming, and the interest in audience engagement, has been a tremendous catalyst for participation media across an ever-wider range of media and entertainment customers, who want to leverage as many touchpoints as possible to communicate with consumers,” says Telescope CEO, Troy Sample. The trend toward greater levels of interaction, and ongoing relationship marketing, is clearly strong, given the already heavy increase in reality programming and non-scripted shows this season.
Scott Ellison from research firm IDC, believes the mobile marketing industry is now in a strong growth stage for the media and entertainment segment. He says:
The multiple modalities of interaction are now part of everyday consumer behavior, and Telescope and their customers are leading indicators of where interactive media has grown, in both qualitative and quantitative ways.
Last year, Telescope worked with the leading trade associations for marketing and content, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), respectively, to create and launch committees and best practices for participation media.