Interactive sponsorships boost revenues for local broadcasters

Interactive sponsorships may be the solution for local broadcasters looking to improve advertising revenues.

Unlike traditional 30-second spots or online native advertising, interactive sponsorships allow broadcasters to immediately convert TV viewers into buyers for their clients — something no conventional form of advertising can do.

As local broadcasters compete for ad dollars with digital platforms, interactive sponsorships provide them with digital-friendly advertising options without cannibalizing their traditional revenue streams.

Megaphone TV allows local broadcasters to quickly roll out interactive sponsorship solutions to their clients to boost advertising revenue and campaign success.

Interactive Sponsorship 101

The principles of interactive sponsorship are simple:

• A sponsor chooses the right interactive content (news poll, trivia, prediction game, etc.) for their needs
• The content is broadcast live during news, sports, morning show, or entertainment segments providing visibility to their brand
• Audiences use their mobile devices to participate in the content
• After participating, they are served a digital offer — coupon, lead gen or commercial
• The sponsor collects valuable opt-in data as well as the potential for immediate online sales

When paired with on-air promotions and commercials, interactive sponsorships offer exciting advertising potential for brands resulting in tangible, measurable results.

Most importantly, they provide local broadcasters with a premium add-on to traditional ad inventory.

Advertisers Demand Immersive Brand Experiences

Advertisers and sponsors increasingly demand digital advertising and marketing solutions beyond traditional native advertising on a broadcaster’s website.

They want to build immersive relationships with viewers that last after commercials stop running.

Interactive sponsorships allow advertisers to continue marketing efforts to viewers who opt-in to communications, follow them on social media, or make online purchases.

E-Commerce: FOX 11 and Arrowhead

Recently, FOX 11 in Los Angeles used interactive content to secure Arrowhead as the sponsor for their Sports Poll of the Day.

For this campaign, Arrowhead received:

• Squeeze back 30s
• Branded pre-roll for the segment
• Sponsorship of the poll
• Post-poll participation video pop-up
• Option for viewers to shop on the Arrowhead website

Arrowhead sponsors Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Poll of the Day

Interactive sponsorship gives Arrowhead five significant touch-points — plus the potential for immediate online sales.

Customers that visit the Arrowhead website or make online purchases have the potential to be remarketed for the duration of Arrowhead’s digital campaigns.

This gives Arrowhead value beyond the on-air segments and makes interactive sponsorship a multiplier for their broadcast success.

Local Businesses: KATC and Rouses Markets

Interactive sponsorships also work well for local businesses lookingGood to drive local sales.

KATC’s morning shows Good Morning Acadiana was able to secure Rouses Markets – a regional grocery supermarket chain — as their sponsor for their morning poll.

The interactive segment is perfectly timed to connect with local working women who do most household grocery shopping, providing Rouses Markets with an ideal audience for their brand.

As part of their interactive sponsorship, Rouses Markets was able to secure:

• Prominent logo placement for the morning poll, with in-show promotion
• Sponsorship of the morning poll, with their logo prominently displayed
• Brand exposure to their perfect customer profile
• A pop-up that allowed participants to view Rouses Market’s weekly digital flyer
• The ability for viewers to add grocery items to a shopping list

This deep interaction with potential customers cannot be done with 30-second spots alone. But interactive sponsorship ensures much more fulfilling relationships for both brands and customers.

Automotive: WPXI and KIA

Some of the most prominent advertisers for any broadcaster are their local automotive dealerships.

But with dealerships turning increasingly to social media and digital marketing to drive their sales, how does a local station attract them?

Using interactive sponsorship, WPXI secured Smail Kia as their primary sponsor for their sports poll segments.

As part of the sponsorship package, Smail Kia received:

• On-air logo placement
• Engagement with WPXI’s most active viewers
• A post-engagement pop-up that promoted Smail Kia’s 0% financing promotion
• Redirecting interested viewers to Smail Kia’s website, where they could shop for vehicles and even chat with a sales associate

WPXI secured Smail Kia as primary sponsor for the station’s sports poll segments

For automotive dealerships, the ability to engage directly with potential buyers is worth the premium for interactive sponsorship. Turning a viewer into a lead for a high-ticket item — within seconds during a broadcast — is invaluable.What other traditional advertising vehicle (no pun intended) can do this?

Interactive Sponsorships Deliver Value, and Revenue, For Broadcasters

If you are a local broadcaster looking to improve on-air and online advertising revenues, you should consider providing interactive sponsorships as part of your inventory.

Interactive sponsorships can instantly convert viewers into buyers for your advertisers in ways that a typical commercial cannot.

But when paired with your station’s traditional advertising solutions, interactive sponsorships provide exceptional value, customization, results, and flexibility to attract new, lucrative, and long-term clients.

The ability to charge premiums for such sponsorship opportunities is not something your station should pass up.

Megaphone TV is the leader in audience engagement and interactive sponsorship for broadcasters of all sizes.

We make it easy for your station to provide cutting-edge, value-driven advertising solutions that brands of all sizes demand.

If your station wants to boost revenues with interactive sponsorships, you can try Megaphone TV for free through the end of the year.If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at: [email protected].

Yusuf Gad is the VP of Marketing for Megaphone TV.