The Overstocktober campaign will turn viewers into shoppers by extending their options through the ShopTV tcommerce platform. Now when consumers see a product they like on TV, it can be theirs in just seconds.

“Mobile has become an integral part of the television viewing experience,” said Mike Fitzsimmons, CEO of Delivery Agent. “Studies, including the recent Harris poll, show that more than 40 percent of U.S. Internet users browse the Web via mobile and tablet devices while watching TV.” 

Omnichannel sales
Overstockober runs through Oct. 15.

Users can shop products via the TV and their remote or via mobile.

Users can select Get Exclusive Offer Now and will be prompted to enter their phone number. The app then sends the direct link of the product to the user via text message. When opened, the link will take users to the Web site or Overstock mobile app if it is downloaded.

Being an online retailer, Overstock must put forth extra effort to reach consumers’ homes. With the help of Delivery Agent’s shopping platform, consumers have direct access to the products they see in TV ads.

Delivery Agent’s ShopTV platform is embedded on Samsung Smart TVs, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse. The commerce solutions provider has worked with many major TV networks, such as the History Channel, Showtime and CBS.

The products used in Overstock’s ads are likely to be high-quality selections, which enables the retailer to push its best or more expensive products to consumers.

Through these efforts, consumers will no longer be met with frustration of not being able to find products they see on TV. As the trend of tcommerce gains momentum, brands and retailers will find that consumers are very interested in gaining closer access to these products. 

Mobile, TV engagement
Sectors within the entertainment industry are seconding their presence on mobile to drive further engagement.

CW Television Network’s campaign promoting the premiere of “The Flash” put on a burst of speed for mobile consumers as a large number of them played a game that followed a video ad and engaged with calls to action.

Besides engaging with a rich-media end card that included a “Catch The Flash” mini-game following a video ad, users were invited to tap as fast as they could to catch The Flash on the screen and could tap to watch longer-form video from the show and add the inaugural episode’s data and time to the calendar on their mobile device. The AdColony-engineered campaign, which averaged an overall engagement rate of nearly 40 percent, underscores the importance of developing mobile-first executions and targeting them accurately (see story).

Similarly, broadcast and cable company Comcast’s new mobile application for X1 customers gives them the ability to enable cloud technology for television consumption across any mobile device in their home.

The decision to launch the app follows an increase in the number of consumers watching TV and video on laptops and mobile devices. The launch is part of a larger effort that is gradually taking effect in major cities. Comcast hopes to extend the ability for all X1 users by the end of 2014 (see story).

Incorporating tcommerce is certainly taking efforts to the next level.

“As we iterated on the development of the optimal tcommerce user experience, we factored in how viewers were using mobile devices,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “The output of our development process was an omnichannel t-commerce experience that gives brands and consumers the opportunity to link television shopping to a mobile device.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York