Go2BroadbandSM Service Links Film Fans to High-Speed Connection
Bravo Networks – Bravo and The Independent Film Channel (IFC) announced today that it will launch a major national on-air campaign to educate and entertain the public regarding cable modems. The campaign includes a series of celebrity driven spots featuring acclaimed indie actors Jon Favreau, Eddie Izzard and Adam Goldberg. Bravo and IFC will commit to airing the three national spots over a period of the next twelve months.
On a local level IFC is forming strategic marketing partnerships with various systems, to launch a direct consumer call-to-action campaign geared specifically toward expanding distribution of cable modems. Gregg Hill, Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Bravo Networks made the announcement.
These celebrity driven call-to-action spots will showcase the network website, IFCTV.com, which is best accessed with a cable modem due to the extensive content on the site which is specifically designed to be viewed by a high-speed connection. The spots will help raise awareness of the opportunity for Bravo and IFC viewers to "up-sell" to cable modems, in order to connect via broadband, which maximizes the users experience on-line. These call-to- action spots are available to be "tagged" by the local system, and run cross-channel. The Jon Favreau call-to-action spot builds on the successful "Dinner For Five," IFC's original series and will include exclusive video cuts of the show. In addition, the call-to-action spots will be featured on both IFCTV.com and bravotv.com. Subscribers to the IFCTV.com newsletter will receive information regarding the opportunity to obtain a cable modem from their local cable operator via the IFCTV.com or bravotv.com. Finally, cable operators will be able to use an e-card, included on both IFCTV.com and bravotv.com and highlighting the call-to-action spots, to inform their subscribers of this opportunity.
"IFCTV.com is built for broadband," said Cynthia Burnell, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Bravo Networks Digital Media. "Site visitors accessing video clips and other online programming are encouraged to view with a cable modem, and can find out instantly if cable modem service is available in their area. The message is clear: If you want Web pages to load instantly, video to play clearly, and a connection to the Internet that is always on – Get Broadband!"
To drive cable modem sales, IFCTV.com (www.ifctv.com) and bravotv.com (www.bravotv.com) the flagship Websites of The Independent Film Channel and Bravo Network have integrated Go2Broadband, a cable industry wide cable modem service locator initiative managed by CableLabs® and supported by member cable operators. CableLabs is a non-profit research and development consortium of cable television system operators.
By simply clicking on the "Get Broadband" button or link found on IFCTV.com and bravotv.com respectively, users receive information on the benefits of broadband and can search a national database to find out if they can get broadband services from their local cable provider. If broadband service is available, the user can review the broadband service offer and immediately place a request for service. "Go2Broadband is a win-win situation for both the cable operators and IFC," said JP Singh, Director E-Commerce at CableLabs. "It provides a perfect vehicle for fulfilling business agreement(s) between IFC, Bravo and the cable operators and provides a one-stop shop to the consumers for high speed data and other offers from the cable operators" Singh added.
IFC will use its availability on expanded basic cable and its unique programming strand to help "up-sell" and drive cable modem distribution directly to targeted IFC viewers. "We are extremely enthusiastic about the possibilities the campaign promises and look forward to rolling out these spots nationwide," commented Gregg Hill, Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Bravo Networks.
Bravo is owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a leader in news, sports and entertainment programming. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) and NBC, Rainbow manages AMC, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, muchmusic usa, Rainbow Sports Networks, News 12 Networks, and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in Fox Sports Net. Bravo is one of the assets included in the Rainbow Media Group tracking stock (NYSE:RMG), a series of Cablevision common stock. MGM (NYSE:MGM) owns a 20% stake in four of Rainbow's national networks – AMC, Bravo, IFC, and WE: Women's Entertainment.