Over the last few years, Dijit has specialized in making apps designed to help users connect with TV shows they already love, and discover new ones that they might like as well. With its NextGuide iPad and iPhone apps, as well its Dijit Remote app and the Miso assets it acquired in February, the company has leveraged mobile devices to power TV discovery.
Now Dijit is taking a little bit of a different approach to helping users make sure they don’t miss their favorite shows, and it’s doing so in partnership with a number of big broadcast and cable networks. The company is announcing the availability of its Reminder Button, a widget that can be embedded on various networks’ websites, mobile apps, and even in their display ads that enables viewers to get reminders about when their favorite shows are being aired.
While Dijit’s work to date have mostly been focused on reaching consumers, the Reminder Button is a B2B effort — and an ambitious one at that. Its goal is to make the widget available pretty much anywhere a potential viewer my want to learn more about a show, and well, be reminded when the show airs.
From the consumer standpoint the button works by setting up email reminders for the broadcast of whatever show you’re interested in. When clicked, the button prompts a user to provide an email address either through Facebook Connect or by entering it manually. They also provide information about their cable or satellite TV provider.
In return, users will receive email updates 30 minutes before a show is about to air. They’ll also be notified when episodes appear on different streaming services, enabling them to view shows on services like Hulu and Netflix when they become available. Users will also have the option to choose to DVR a show, directly from their email, provided they are a Comcast, DirecTV or Dish subscriber.
For networks, the button is easy to implement and bridges the gap between viewer intent and actually tune in. They simply insert a bit of code into their websites, mobile apps, or even in display ads, and they can customize the button to match the show or network branding.
Already, 11 different networks have deployed the button for 80 different shows and are sending email alerts to their fans, including Fox, BBC America, and truTV. Since the product went live in August, networks are already seeing pretty interesting engagement, with the average user setting three or more reminders, and opening those emails at a rate that is double the industry standard.
So how does Dijit make money? The company takes a revenue split for advertising that appears within the emails that viewers open. Those emails will suggest other shows to be reminded of, based on a viewer’s interests or shows he’s signed up to receive notifications for.
It also provides detailed analytics about the viewers who have signed up and are receiving notifications. Based on early interest in shows, Dijit CEO Jeremy Toeman says a network can predict with reasonable accuracy what ratings will be based on how many people sign up for reminders. And that sort of information can be invaluable to networks.
