MTV Networks plans to unveil a case study to advertisers demonstrating how consumer engagement with programs and brands expand with each additional digital platform they are exposed to, including virtual worlds, according to a report from advertising news site Ad Week.
The "Multiscreen Engagement Case Study," which was conducted for MTV by Harris Interactive and MauroNewMedia in January of this year, details the involvement of 600 consumers with MTV's prime time hit show The Hills and their perceptions of key sponsor Pepsi.
The case study examined a control group of 300 people who did not watch The Hills and a group of 300 who did, finding that Pepsi's positive brand image traits dramatically increased among fans who watched the show and browsed The Hills content online, and even more so among fans who played in The Hills virtual world.
About half of the 240 fans who watched only the on-air version of the show said Pepsi promotes music events and supports music artists. Less than 30% of them said the brand was in touch with youth culture, and about 15% said they considered Pepsi "cool" or "hip."
Those numbers skyrocketed among those who watched the TV show and went online to enter The Hills virtual world, where upwards of 90% said Pepsi promotes music and recording artists, and nearly 70% considered the brand to be "cool," "hip," and in touch with youth culture.
Network executives say the study helps them make their case that MTV is the place to target 12 to 34 year olds, showing that in prime time, the networks are down 14% in that demographic, and MTV has had a gain of 14% according to Nielsen Media Research.
Said MTVN's integrated marketing executive vice president Tim Rosta: "What we've learned from the study is the more our audience engages with brand across platform the greater level of brand affinity they have. When we infuse it appropriately, brands become part of the dialog giving us the ability to create brand ambassadors. They know somebody is paying for the programming so they embrace brands where we don't try to fool them."
