Objectives

"Mob Wives" is a docu-soap series following the lives of a group of women at a crossroads, struggling to establish their own identities while their loved ones do time for alleged Mob-related activities. This drama-fueled series has less than half of its total audience (48%) watching live, and the other 52% is "time-shifted," or watching pre-recorded. VH1 decided to socially engage not just the 48% of live viewers, but 100% of total viewership to create a "DVR Proof" engagement for fans.

Strategy and Execution

Vh1's strategy centered around engaging fans to the show's most dramatic moments, scenes, and arguments in a fun and organic way. In order to achieve this, VH1 set out to sync the viewer to the OnAir action by leveraging the mobile application, Shazam, and their ACR technology in a way no other TV Network has done before. Viewers use their smartphones during a precise moment of "Mob Wives" and a custom "play-along" casual game syncs the gameplay to the narrative of the show – whenever, wherever, and on whatever platform (Live, DVR, VOD, VH1.com). Games and features went into development to fit the needs of both live and time-shifted audiences.

When a juicy, compelling moment happens On-Air (two such moments are created for each episode), immediately a CTA pops up consisting of the Shazam logo along with a message prompting the viewer to get out their phones and "Shazam now!" to weigh in/play along with the action. VH1 created five gaming experiences that were used through the season (see supporting visual docs for screen shots and further explanation):

1.) Beef-o-Meter (Who's side are you on?):

• Select which cast member you favor in an argument while it happens on screen

2.) Trigger Finger (Keep up with the drama!)

• Right before a "bleep-filled" scene is about to air, we challenge viewers to try to count the number of curses each cast member utters.

3.) Judge and Jury (throw your verdict down!)

• Viewers weigh in on what is about to or what should happen on the show

4.) The Polygraph (Can you spot a lie?)

• Right after a lie is utter On-Air, we ask viewers if they can tell the difference between facts and lies about the cast members

5.) The Wiretap (Who said that?)

• After a cast member delivers a fantastic one-liner, we ask viewers if they can identify who said classic quotes from seasons past.

The campaign also features three evergreen experiences that viewers are able to engage with if they "Shazam" during a moment in the show that is not associated with a game. These include: "Which Mob Wife Are You?," "Music from the Show," and "Cast Bios."

Results

Results:

• 314k total Shazam tags over 14 weeks
• 58% (181k) of total tags happened during Live/Same Day (LSD)
• 27% (85k) of total tags happened during L+2 – L+7
• 15% (46k) of total tags took place after L+7
• 73% incremental engagement on top of LSD across season
• Higher Interaction and Completion Rate seen during L+2 – L+7 vs LSD

Evaluation

• There is a significant portion of the audience that is not socially engaged with your brand due to how they watch content; this should be viewed as a huge opportunity, not a problem.
• This "undiscovered" audience is ripe for engagement, marketing, and sales opportunities as they are arguably the most passive viewers.
• Time-shifted viewers engage more deeply vs LSD viewers

Media