Turner is set to roll out Gumball VIP in 10 Asia Pacific and Europe markets in the next six months. The app is an innovative and unique experience that combines the linear TV viewing of Cartoon Network’s global hit series The Amazing World of Gumball with interactive, second-screen activity.
Fans can download the free Gumball VIP app from the App Store or Google Play and will receive a push notification before linear transmission of the episodes. It then uses a robust audio watermarking technology (which connects to the episodes by listening for audio triggers) to pose fun quiz questions about what is happening on screen. Correct answers will win stars and unlock codes, which can be redeemed on the Cartoon Network websites for prizes. The technology is licensed by Austrian start-up Tonio.
Turner EMEA and International Kids Strategy chief content officer Patricia Hidalgo said, “Linear TV remains a key medium for kids, but what we need to do is ensure that it remains relevant in today’s world where there is a big shift in how our fans watch and engage with our content. Using this innovative technology allows us to do just that, by digitising the linear TV viewing experience and adding that all-important element of interactivity.”
In a 2017 trial, the app usage demonstrated an appetite for dual-screen activity, with average TVR increasing from previous comparable periods by up to 44 per cent. Additionally, the second screen experience showed an uplift in older kids coming to the channel – proving that appointment-to-view moments can win linear audiences.
Hidalgo continued: “At Turner we proudly create environments that our fans can move through seamlessly. We are in a world without limits and by creating fun, engaging and rewarding second screen experiences which complement our incredible original content on TV, we are giving our fans across the world something that is truly unique.”
Daily reach amongst older kids (10-15) was up against all benchmarks during the trial, with a +22 per cent increase year on year and a +108 per cent increase versus February half term stats in 2017. In addition, Gumball VIP featured in the App Store top-10 during the trial period.
In Asia Pacific, Gumball VIP will roll out in the Philippines and Singapore in late 2018, and in Australia and New Zealand in January 2019.
