AdTrack: App teams iPhone with NCAA March Madness, CBS
NEW YORK -- March Madness on iPhone is turning out to be a slam-dunk for CBS TV advertisers.
Advertisers for CBS cbs broadcasts of the NCAA men's basketball tournament now underway are getting a bonus: Their ads show up in games viewed on iPhones via a $4.99 CBS application.
Coke ko, for one, is happy. "It's an innovative iPhone application that gives us an additional way to connect Coke Zero with NCAA fans," says spokeswoman Susan Stribling.
Marketers didn't know about the iPhone bonus when they made their TV ad buy. The network and Apple aapl sank one at the buzzer, announcing just days before the tournament began an application to make game video available.
It is one of more than 25,000 apps, which provide the phone with specific added capabilities or services, available for the iPhone (including one for USA TODAY). Advertisers increasingly have become involved, including with apps of their own.
CBS has streamed the games on mobile devices since 2007 on the TV subscription services used by AT&T and Verizon mobile customers. The $15-a-month mobile TV service is through Qualcomm's MediaFLO. This year CBS is providing all the games vs. just 26 last year.
But the iPhone app is the first stand-alone option, and it adds some fun features.
"One of the really cool things you can do is pull up stats, and it shows up as a transparent overlay while the game is on," says Jeff Sellinger, general manager for CBS Mobile.
Advertisers' exposure on the mobile stream has been a free bonus so far, but that could change after this year. Greater mobile distribution should boost the out-of-home audience numbers CBS can tout for advertisers — and put a price tag on.
"As the audience grows on mobile, we'll be in a position to start talking to advertisers about the rest of these numbers, and we can finally quantify them," says Chris Simko, senior vice president of CBS sports sales and marketing. He says it's not really a free ride even now: "People are paying a premium for our audience on broadcast" TV.
Ad prices for the TV broadcasts range from $300,000 for early-round games to as high as $1.2 million for a 30-second spot in the championship game on April 6.
Tracking tournament viewing, however, remains tricky, particularly for early-round games played during the day. TV tracker Nielsen monitors only audiences in the home, not viewing at work or in sports bars, for example.
"We are doing everything we can to (count) our broadcast audience out of home," Simko says.
CBS is counting on the iPhone app not only to add to that total, but also to have its own special appeal for advertisers. "There's no doubt that apps have sponsorship and advertising value," says Sellinger.
Audi, which is airing TV ads in the tournament this weekend, saw enough value to create its own iPhone app. It's been downloaded 3 million times, and 95% of all mobile traffic to audiusa.com last year came from an iPhone or iPod Touch.
"Reaching new consumers via a device they enjoy and with an app that is fun and engaging provides an excellent branding opportunity for Audi," says Jeri Ward, general manager of marketing strategy. "We know that our owners and potential buyers are tech-savvy, connected individuals. What better device to showcase our spirit of innovation?"
Ask the Ad Team
Q: Who is the lady in the Rosetta Stone language software commercial? She is beautiful and has a wonderful voice.— Jim Ihlenfeld, Naperville, Ill.
A:You are not alone in noticing Lesley Ann Machado, 35, in ads for Rosetta Stone language-learning products. Machado, from New Jersey, has appeared in the ads for a year. A new one airs this week.
Spokesman Reilly Brennan says that he gets e-mail and calls about Machado, and even requests for autographed photos. "She's popular, and there's a lot of chatter about her."
He adds, "Lesley is a natural fit for the brand. She has a multicultural background, and her personality helps convey enjoyment, confidence and success Rosetta Stone learners experience."