Background

Audience participation has contributed to the enduring popularity of television since its first days as a mass medium. Producers used studio audiences to create a sense of excitement for programs. Wide, pan-shots of audiences interacting in response to shows helped engender loyalty to programs and made viewers feel like a part of them.

Since then, participation has come a long way, and now millions of viewers all over the world participate in programs, directly influencing the outcomes of some of the most popular shows on television.

Historically, the public’s quid pro quo relationship with broadcasters has been to accept a regulated dose of advertising in exchange for free television. Such model still pre-dominates the mass market in many developing countries around the world. However, as incomes rise, the demand for choice, exclusivity and quality, and the willingness to pay for this, increases accordingly: in more affluent markets, subscription television is steadily replacing the pure advertising model.

The perfect balance of subscription and free television is difficult to achieve. Some channels have in fact switched from a subscription model to free-to-air, claiming more revenue can be generated from advertising than from subscription fees; or to competition television, generating revenue from premium-rate calls.

The Challenges

Despite the growing range of alternative distractions, television is likely to continue dominating our entertainment, locking our attention through high definition content delivered via ever larger screens. Although on–demand television and interactive programming will likely grow, the scheduler’s job will remain as many people may be too lazy to watch anything other than whatever happens to be on.

The television industry should not regard participation as a panacea. Nevertheless, effective deployment of participation programming could have a significant impact on audiences, loyalty and revenue. The sector should however ensure that it remains relevant for its audiences from year to year and be diversified, otherwise revenues, e.g. from voting, may well decline.

Furthermore, the information gathered by tele-voting, television shopping, viewer calls, etc. could be used for marketing and viewer research/ influencing. Careful monitoring of regulations concerning, for example, privacy and tax is in this case required.

The WISeKey solution

Platform independence

One of the opportunities enabled by WISeKey’s technology is to protect privacy and authenticity while allowing mass deployment and the exploitation of the “community effect”. It allows the consumer to use his/her (anonymous but unique) identity to join clubs or communities with similar interests, such as user groups, support forums, like-minded bloggers, like-interested consumers etc. The user will be in full control of his/her on-line identity, offering the opportunity to opt-in and out at any moment.

Reality TV-shows succeed very well in creating a community of fans, however once the show ends the community usually falls apart as fast as it was created. In order to enable television companies to maintain the community, WISeKey will offer the opportunity of improved profiling to the television companies and to maintain the community live, even after the show has ended its run. With the intelligence from the improved profiles of the community members, television companies can better retain the attention of the community, and attract targeted advertisements.

In order for television companies to respond to the existing needs of advertisers towards a more focused/ targeted approach of consumers, WISeKey wants to offer improved profiling with strong security and without disclosing the consumer’s personal details.

Television audiences could be persuaded to receive (targeted) ads through loyalty programs. For example by allowing ads to pop-up on the television screen, the viewer could collect points for a free/ discounted movie on demand.

The consumers’ advantages:

• Due to the improved profiling, consumers only receive ads related to their interests.
• Consumers’ personal details are protected: neither television companies nor advertisers have the possibility to link the profile to an individual (family).

The advertisers’ advantages:

• Based on the offered profiling, advertisers are able to better target their advertisement.

The television companies’ advantage is to generate revenue from up- and downstream sources:

• Due to the improved profiling, advertisers are willing to spend extra money for the release of ads.
• Viewers who are not keen on receiving advertisements, will be able to subscribe to a non-advertising channel, paying for liberty of choice and a non-intrusive viewing experience.

Current partnerships / projects

• Digital Video Broadcasting Project Office
• Secure Video Processor Alliance