Case study: Txtstation grapples with graphics - March 2006  

S&T looks at how New Zealand-based Txtstation Global uses SMS to provide invaluable material for broadcasters and engage audiences at the same time.

New Zealand based Txtstation Global provides an SMS voting to live TV service with a difference: rather than collating data just for an end of match award, the current voting positions are regularly updated and given a graphic representation on screen. Furthermore, the service is not limited to TV viewing, but is also provided in real time to spectators and guests via the stadium’s large screens and hospitality facilities. Txtstation provides its service to KCAL/CBS and Fox Sports Net for their Major League Baseball coverage, and NBA coverage of the LA Lakers, New Zealand Cricket on SKY TV, and V8 Supercars and the Indy 300, which IMG manages. In addition to providing a revenue stream for rights holders and broadcasters, the service also enhances the entertainment for fans while the graphic banners and the prize offers create new sponsorship opportunities. In developing the service, Txtstation has been keen to work with the rights holder to utilise its marketing channels and database to promote the voting, as well as providing exclusive high value-low cost prizes, such as signed merchandise and player access.

It’s all about the graphics

“The graphic representation has been key,” says Matt Coleman, managing director of Txtstation. “The ability of the fans to see the ongoing state of the votes and influence the outcome plus naturally serving as a regular reminder of the competition has massively boosted voting.” Txtstation’s overall response rate is at 2.5% of TV audience in the USA, which represents a 200% increase over the previous text votes. The number of unique entrants has doubled as well, as the moving graphic grabs the audience’s attention.
Another important factor in generating responses has been the structure of the ‘vote and win’ strategy; the provision of prizes to randomly selected people in the winning or most popular group. Prizes have ranged from simple merchandise, such as signed photos and bats, to bigger ticket items including holidays and cars.
Unsurprisingly, the bigger ticket items stimulate the largest responses. In a one-day cricket international between South Africa and New Zealand, the chance to win a car produced 13,000 in-stadium votes from just 12,000 spectators – a penetration rate of 108%. In addition the chance to talk to or meet the stars has proved a major vote generator. For example, during a live event by the freestyle motocross team, the Crusty Demons, the winning prize – a chance to meet the Demons at the post event backstage party –
stimulated 16,500 votes from a 22,000 audience in a 90 minute period before the start.
Similarly sport has the ability to create and deliver a range of unique, high value, experiential prizes. In the case of the Indy 300, the crowd were prompted to text their vote by the commentator, with the chance to win one of three rides in the Audi RS6 pace car during the race itself.
In addition to the main prize, at some appropriate live events, Txtstation promotes ongoing interest in the text votes by making a series of smaller awards at periodic breaks in the play. For example, in live cricket, by texting in their seat numbers, winning voters at the ground were announced at regular intervals and publicly given a Sony Playstation and related EA
cricket game. The promotion was supported by advertising leaflets at the stadium doors, press ads in the programme and stadium loudspeaker commentators.

Prize opportunities galore!

Txtstation currently to date has not offered mobile content prizes but this has not been ruled out for the future. In-stadium text votes and competitions provided the chance for ringtones, games, logos, and wallpapers to be among the lower end prizes. These phone personalisation services have a perceived quantifiable value to the fans while being relatively cheap to produce and deliver. In addition, the immediacy of receiving the prize at the event creates a stronger association between the prize, the competition, the event and the sports brand.
Whilst Txtstation has a number of different vote and competition formats to generate SMS traffic, it has been asked by some sports bodies to stay away from one area likely to produce a major spectator response in-stadium, i.e. it does not run real time text voting on contentious issues, such as disputed referee decisions.
Says Coleman: “Rights owners are clear they didn’t want the crowd questioning referees’ decisions. If a guy is given out they don’t want the screen display to then flash up that 70% of fans think the umpire is wrong. It could easily happen, especially given the nature of home crowds.”

The above article was reproduced from Mobile Technologies: The Opportunities for Sport, published by SportBusiness Group, and featuring a chapter on WiFi by Sport and Technology’s Editor, Rachael Church. To claim a discount of 10% on the report, contact Paul Santos - paul.santos@sportbusiness.com - +44 (0) 20 7934 9003 - citing ‘Sport and Technology Report Offer’.

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