AT&T 'American Idol 2' Sponsorship Activation

Marketer: AT&T WirelessCampaign: American Idol 2 Tie-inAgency: Einson FreemanAward Category: National Consumer Promotion with a Budget Greater than $5 MillionService Category: Wireless telecommunications servicesMarketing Overview Wireless telephones are today's essential item, particularly for AT&T Wireless' core young adult (18-35) audience. And text messaging is the big opportunity for the industry. "Texters" are more likely to be frequent wireless users and are more prone to upgrade handsets, offering an enormously lucrative revenue stream. While 80% of AT&T Wireless subscribers have phones that are text-enabled, national numbers showed that only 12% were sending text messages prior to the promotion.ObjectivesThe objectives can be summed up in two words:TrialFrequencyFirst, we had to introduce the idea of text messaging to the target through hands-on experience. Research told us that only by trying the service can someone understand how fast, easy and practical it is.Next, we had to make sure a frequency habit was created, both among new users and "light" texters who average only 0 to 5 text messages per month. Strategy & Tactics AT&T Wireless' promotion and direct-marketing agencies teamed up to convert the huge audience and buzz for American Idol 2 into real, measurable revenue.Creating "TextTV" was the key. Negotiating for the right for fans to vote via AT&T Text Messaging was the pivotal element in our plan as we moved beyond product placement and gave viewers the ability to actively participate in the show via the service. A special "short code" was provided on-air during American Idol 2 broadcasts. Fans with AT&T Wireless merely dialed the short code to vote for their favorite performers. Gaining trial through voting was the easy part. To increase frequency, an exclusive sweepstakes offered fans the chance to "Live Like an Idol." To enter, all they had to do was register once via an initial text message. After that, every text message they sent to anyone, any time, from anywhere counted as another entry -- thereby promoting frequent, real-world, peer-to-peer usage. To provide even more reasons to text, AT&T Wireless subscribers were given exclusive access to Idol Alerts, trivia, polls and content.The chance to Live Like an Idol hit the spot with the target. From the grand-prize Ultimate Idol Experience (a trip to New York or L.A. with an entourage of 10 friends that included limos, a first-class hotel and a shopping spree) to weekly winners of trips to the show, $10,000, invitations to karaoke parties, and T-shirts and CDs, fans had lots of reasons to text.Consumers who weren't AT&T Wireless subscribers were invited to visit their nearest AT&T Wireless retail location to receive a free American Idol Party Kit if they signed for service. (The kit also was offered to existing customers who upgraded their service to a frequent text-message payment plan.) Store employees were instructed to emphasize the promotion to all customers. Results Of the average 18 million votes cast weekly by the American Idol audience, 15% came via AT&T Wireless text messages. (During voting periods, AT&T processed nearly 1,000 text votes per second.) One-third of all promotion participants had never sent a text message before, indicating enormous trial and fulfilling the first objective.Sweepstakes registrants sent an average 23 text messages during the promotional period, a significant increase over the 0 to 5 monthly messages sent by the targeted users prior to American Idol 2. That fulfilled the second objective.

AT&T 'American Idol 2' Sponsorship Activation

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