Youth Marketing News South Africa

Vodacom launches VideoWars on Channel O

VideoWars, described as a first of its kind that allows viewers use a synchronised Facebook application and mobile site to decide which music video plays next, while interacting with other viewers on air as well as online, has been launched by Vodacom.
Vodacom launches VideoWars on Channel O

Wishing to give its core youth audience an 'unlimited' experience, the organisation knew its focus on music would be invaluable, but needed a new platform to demonstrate the idea of 'power to you'. Trinergy Brand Connectors came up with the new concept, having been a component in the rebranding of Vodacom.

"Complete consumer engagement"

Trinergy creative strategic director, Wandile Collis says, "The music video space is a multi-million dollar industry, which reflects and influences the current pulse of youth culture. Seeing that the client has begun playing in the music space, it made strategic sense to be in this visual realm of music.

"But we didn't just want to be in music activations, we wanted the brand to live music and allow music to give deeper meaning to the new brand positioning."

Sponsorship director Nicky Scheuble explains, "We were looking for a TV platform using music to reach our core youth audience and we needed to develop a property that would allow for complete consumer engagement and total control of the show."

Vying for votes

Collis says the show allows young consumers to interact with each other and the show in their favourite forms of communication platforms - the internet (Facebook and Twitter), MMS and SMS.

At any time, four music videos from around the world will go head to head in an all-out war for television domination, vying for the votes of Channel O viewers to see which one is going to dominate Live on their television screens.

The show advances the concept of social TV by selecting and displaying the names and profile pictures of viewers who supported the winning video and by hosting a live audience chat channel, which combines Facebook, Twitter and SMS interaction on air, as well as on Facebook.

Vodacom Unlimited has collaborated with Channel O on VideoWars, which is screened very Tuesday to Saturday from 3-4pm.

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