KCAL'S NEW CARL'S JR. PROMOTION IS A SLAM DUNK

It was that great French marketer Louis Pasteur who said, “Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits prepares”—When it comes to observation, fortune favors prepared minds.

So those keen-eyed, well-prepared minds at CBS-owned KCAL in LosAngeles knew they had a hot opportunity, the moment they spotted SportsTop.

Invented by Santa Monica-based Jacked Inc., SportsTop is a Web-based interactive platform that lets sports broadcasters provide their viewers with a media-rich second screen that overflows with sports data, advertising widgets and other interactive content.

“We’re always looking for new technologies that enhance the experience of our Lakers viewers,” says Patrick McClenahan, vice president and station manager of KCBS and KCAL.

“KCAL has been the home of the Lakers for 31 years. We’ve made a huge investment in them through 2012. So we’re always looking for ways to engage viewers, especially the next generation.”

McClenahan says the key demo for Lakers games is adults 25-54, which overlaps nicely with the target customer for fast food upstart Carl’s Jr.—“hungry guys 18-34,” according to media manager Phil Hruska. (The chain’s TV ads famously target said customers with big, drippy burgers and an even more luscious Paris Hilton.)

Thus was born the Carl’s Jr. Lakers Live SportsTop. “We know that many sports fans are cross-platform, multitasking consumers,” says Hruska. “The partnership with Jacked and KCAL allows us to reach them on multiple levels in an environment where they are most engaged."

During Lakers games, fans can access SportsTop through the KCAL Web site, where they’re greeted by a selection of 16 interactive widgets. The default choices include a detailed scoreboard, a box score and a running chat window where they can trade messages live with other fans and with KCAL personalities.

Fans can customize their SportsTop “dashboard” with additional widgets that deliver everything from player stats and bios to photos of the famous Lakers Girls. Naturally, a link to the current Carl’s Jr. promotion is always displayed.

The  Carl’s Jr. Lakers Live SportsTop is only accessible while KCAL is broadcasting a Lakers game, but even if you don’t live in LA, you can check out the technology via the Jacked Inc. Web site. Click here for instructions about how to register to access a SportsTop dashboard, while watching a regional game in your viewing area. Currently NBA and NHL games are featured.

“As a sports fan, the coolest thing about the SportsTop is instant access to all that great information,” says McClenahan. “There’s only so much we can fit on one screen without cluttering the experience for TV viewers. But when you want to know somebody’s shooting percentage, or how many rebounds a player has, all of that is literally right at your fingertips.”

Best of all for stations, the Jacked platform doesn’t require additional producers or graphic artists to update that second screen. Using a proprietary technology they call SearchCasting, the Jacked software constantly monitors every game stat and dynamically updates each relevant widget.

Jacked also provides stations with a toolkit to customize online display ads with leader boards, banners and buttons. And stay tuned. It's poised to introduce contextual ads that can be tied to key events in a broadcast and a viewer’s ZIP code. For example, every three-pointer could trigger a chance to click on an ad widget to win a coupon for a free item at the nearest Carl’s Jr.

McClanahan says that value-added services like the Carl’s Jr. Lakers Live SportsTop are certain to spring up alongside each new media initiative at the CBS stations.

“As technology shifts to PDAs and cell phones, we’ll have to address those as well. The challenge is always the same: to enhance the viewing experience for that next generation of viewers so they’ll be more invested in the game and want to watch our broadcasts.”

Market Share by Arthur Greenwald showcases successful local marketing every Monday in TVNEWSDAY. And don’t you think it’s about time we showcased one of yours? Send the details to Arthur at greenwald@tvnewsday.com.