FOX'S KTTV LAUNCHING 'BEST OF' SERVICE ON WEB

Here’s some breaking marketing news. Today marks the official launch of the Hotlist on the Web site of KTTV, Fox’s O&O in Los Angeles.

Built by CityVoter of Cambridge, Mass, Hotlist is a combination consumer guide, promotional vehicle and new business magnet rolled into one robust marketing tool—so powerful that Fox Interactive Media is rolling it out on all the Fox O&Os.

“In some ways the Hotlist is similar to the Best Of guides you see on newsstands in city magazines,” says KTTV/KCOP VP of Creative Services Adrianne Anderson. “But it goes much broader and deeper. We have many more categories.” 

The Best Of categories range from cultural venues to health and fitness to the ever-popular topic of restaurants. The “best” are nominated then elected by viewers, who are encouraged to vote online by a generous schedule of 10 and 20 second promos. Local businesses may also nominate themselves.

The frontrunners and eventual winners are showcased on Good Day LA, KTTV’s popular morning news by meteorologist and Chopper Dude Rick Dickert. Still more nominees will appear on the late news, profiled by meteorologist Mark Thompson. 

“This is a great opportunity for local companies that may not have budgets for traditional TV advertising,” says Anderson. Of course whatever budget they do have will be hotly pursued by the online sales force at KTTV.

Anderson stressed that businesses who buy ads receive no special treatment in either the voting or in the selection of news profiles. In fact, every local business receives the same help in the form of collateral materials and general tips on self-promotion.

“We’ve already gotten feedback from local merchants that they’re having fun drumming up votes,” says Anderson. “They all want to be chosen The Hottest of the Hot—an honor bestowed in each category after an eight-week voting process, with nominations taking up the first two weeks. Starting October 1, viewers can return to the Hotlist to vote for their favorites. And to encourage their return, KTTV invites viewers to register to win a new HDTV.

When the voting ends, KTTV will post the results on the Hotlist and publicize the winners on the morning and late news. “We may even highlight the top ten in each category,” says Anderson. “This is just our first step. We’ve started with the LA Metro region, but we plan to go really hyper-local.”

In fact they almost have to. The humongous Los Angeles DMA includes two more metro regions which stretch from the deserts of Orange County to the snow-capped peaks past San Bernadino—all separated by (trust me) the worst traffic in the world.

“Even if you have LA’s Best Pizza on the West Side, that doesn’t mean someone is going to drive there from Oxnard.” Of course, the more hyperlocal the better, when it comes to viewer satisfaction and station revenue.

Geographical divisions are just one way to organize the Hotlist data. Anderson also envisions calendar-driven opportunities. “There are all kinds of seasonal variations. We can see a Best of the Holidays list or a Best of Back to School promotion. These are a nice fit for seasonal businesses.”

CityVoter’s experience in other markets suggests that still more services, categories and therefore sales opportunities will be suggested by the viewers themselves. It’s a natural byproduct of the nomination process.

“This project definitely has legs,” says Anderson. “We’ve seen it grow and sustain itself in other cities where it started. In some ways, it’s like a mini focus group. As a marketer, I can’t think of anything better than having this ongoing database of consumer preferences.”

Anderson expects to take advantage of this new resource by occasionally posting questions designed to attract viewer feedback about the newscast business profiles and the content and focus of the Web site itself. But KTTV won’t use the Hotlist for more serious surveys such as news research or political polling.

“Viewers already have ways to speak out on those topics,” says Anderson. “This is a new way for viewers to speak out on topics they really enjoy and to see their votes make a difference.”

Market Share by Arthur Greenwald highlights successful promotions every Monday in TVNEWSDAY. So stand up and make sure that your station promotion is counted. Write to Arthur at greenwald@tvnewsday.com.