The creative technology company Ixonos has delivered its next-generation TV-viewing experience TV Compass™ for MBC Group as MBC Now 2nd screen solution. The service synchronizes smart devices with the TV set, converting tablets and smart phones into 2nd screen devices that enable viewers to access a wealth of online information relevant to the programming, interact socially as well as benefit from personalised interactive advertisements. Thanks to Ixonos’ service MBC Group now has an innovative way to engage their viewers in a mutually beneficial long-lasting relationship that also offers unparalleled monetization possibilities.
The viewers of MBC are among the first in the world to get to enjoy a more-informative and increasingly social viewing experience. Instead of having to use several different apps to search for current information and juggling multiple social media apps to reach the friends who are watching the same show, with the TV Compass service they can do all this and more using just the one all-inclusive service from the trusted broadcasting company. The viewers can synchronize their social media accounts with their MBC viewer account in the online service that runs in parallel with the channel’s TV programming, thus all the news and content is current 24 hours a day, every day.
The service’s deep social media integration enables intelligent advertising. “By combining data from the viewers’ social media profiles with their television watching habits we can create in-depth viewer profiles. This enables running highly-targeted – and thus more effective – interactive advertisements,” explains Roope Suomalainen, Director, Experience, from Ixonos. Synchronizing commercials with TV programmes benefits consumers and advertisers alike: it significantly increases the viewers’ engagement level while also encouraging them to take direct action with focused short-term offers. For companies looking to gain the maximum benefit from the service’s interactive functionalities and monetization opportunities, Ixonos offers extremely flexible hosting services via Ixonos Elastic Cloud™ and integration with the e-commerce platform Ixonos Experience Store™.
The collaboration with MBC Group began in 2012 when Ixonos customized a hugely successful application for the hit show “The Voice”. Based on the Ixonos Super App™ patent-pending innovation, the multi-platform app offers a truly interactive music and reality show experience for the viewers. “We are thrilled to continue working with MBC and helping them to realize their vision; to enrich people’s lives through information, interaction and entertainment,” explains Antti Aumo, VP of Marketing at Ixonos. MBC Group is the first private satellite broadcasting company in the Middle East and North Africa, with viewers in 22 countries.
