TiVo, A&M Introduce ‘Artist of the Month’ Music Showcase

Reprinted from a TiVo press release:

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — TiVo, the creator and leader of television services for digital video recording (DVR), and Interscope Geffen A&M unveil this week a new “artist of the month” advertainment campaign that will bring directly to TiVo subscribers exclusive music video content featuring some of the world’s most popular recording acts.

The first IGA Artist Showcase on TiVo, featuring multi-platinum Geffen Records recording group Counting Crows, began airing Monday and features music videos, exclusive band interviews, performance rehearsals and never before seen video footage of the band as they created the music for their new album, Hard Candy. The critically acclaimed group, who have sold in excess of 12 million records worldwide, will be the first artist to premiere on the TiVo service in the IGA Showcase. Each month, the label plans to offer similar music videos and exclusive content to TiVo subscribers on a featured recording artist.

“TiVo lets us augment our promotional campaign for new artists in a way we never imagined. Interscope Geffen A&M has always been on the cutting edge in the use of New Media to deliver fans content about the bands they love. This newest vehicle, TiVo, provides a huge leap in the value of the content we can provide,” said Courtney Holt, IGA Head of New Media. “Our artist of the month showcase allows us to deliver entertaining videos and music to TiVo users who are an enlightened, empowered, entertainment savvy audience. We think this new medium is an exciting addition to the launch of new albums and new artists.”

The campaign with Interscope Geffen A&M will utilize the capabilities of the TiVo service to deliver advertainment — a blend of entertaining exclusive content with promotional material. With each artist showcase Interscope Geffen A&M can choose from a range of services that TiVo offers advertising and promotional partners, including the delivery of multiple videos, promotional giveaways, sweepstakes or requests for information.

For the Counting Crows, IGA will use TiVo capabilities to deliver the music video for the first single off the new album “American Girls.” TiVo subscribers will see exclusive video content prior to the national launch of the album. Additional video content will include rehearsal footage from the filming of the music video, interviews with the band and information about the latest album, Hard Candy, the band’s fourth studio album.

While viewers watch the IGA branded advertainment, TiVo pauses the live program they are watching so they can return immediately to the programming, whether live or recorded, without missing a moment of their show.

“TiVo is the perfect vehicle for delivering exclusive music content, and we are excited to work with a prestigious label like IGA to deliver our subscribers music entertainment they won’t find anywhere else,” said Brodie Keast, senior vice president and general manager for the TiVo service. “The campaigns made possible through TiVo add an unprecedented element to the promotion of new music, providing integration between music videos airing on national channels, exclusive content that may not have had a home previously and a tie to artist sponsors and concert promotions. In addition, and most importantly, we are providing our subscribers with interesting and entertaining content.”

The technology breakthroughs in TiVo offer capabilities that music labels have never had access to before, including:

– Branded Video Showcase

This branded content is stored on a reserved portion of the TiVo hard drive, allowing consumers the freedom to access the entertainment whenever they want and return again and again. This area can be branded by the artist or their sponsor. Content is recorded on reserved hard drive space and never infringes on consumers’ allotted recording hours.

– Lead Generation and RFI Capabilities

For the first time ever, lead generation and request for information capabilities are enabled in TV advertising through TiVo advertainment. With the click of the remote, viewers can enter sweepstakes or request info by mail.

– Audience Measurement features provide TV’s first Return on Advertising (ROA) Metrics

In addition to lead generation data, TiVo offers brand marketers near real-time audience measurement data on their campaigns. TiVo can provide information on how anonymous users interacted with the entertainment including when it was viewed and how often. These metrics will give brand marketers new tools for maximizing the effectiveness of their television campaigns.

“TiVo represents a revolution in the way people watch TV, giving new power and control to viewers,” Keast said. “This element of viewer control is now sparking the second wave of this revolution — a revolution in television advertising and the entertainment value it offers viewers. Now TiVo is providing the biggest labels in the world with an exciting new way to launch new albums and artists, and potentially a new medium for the secure distribution of music and video music content.”

In the future, as TiVo delivers new music services to its Series2 product, tie-ins could be created through the delivery of exclusive video content and electronic forms of the new music to be enjoyed through TiVo viewers’ home entertainment systems.

TiVo subscribers will see a promotion for the content on TiVo Central, the primary navigation screen for the TiVo service. Subscribers have the option to opt-in to access the content at their convenience. This content is recorded on reserved hard drive space and never infringes on consumers’ allotted recording hours.