NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in developing, producing, and marketing entertainment, news, and information. Most know them due to the NBC TV channel.
Recently, they've started to expand their production and media umbrella over the online retail industry as well.
As a result, they recently launched their own interactive shopping technology called NBCUniversal Checkout. Other brands can use this service on their websites to enhance video marketing and the shopping experience.
What was their approach?
NBCUniversal Checkout is somewhat unique in that it integrated the in-video shopping interactions with the shopping cart on your website. This means that, unlike in many other shoppable videos, the user doesn't have to navigate to an external site to purchase the item. As you can see from this example on E!, clicking on the "Buy Now" button automatically brings up the side menu shopping cart with information about the product:
The video in the example above used the telemarketing format with professional presenters showcasing the apparel. They also deliver commentary on celebrity fashion and draw parallels between what the celebrities wear and the in-store products.
Users can see product information in the popup cart, such as price, an image gallery, colour variations, etc.
Image taken from NBCUniversal
Why it worked
The key success factor behind NBCUniversal Checkout is that it shortens the gap between the point of inspiration and action.
Whatever actions the user takes on the video is immediately reflected in the website's shopping cart. This completely streamlines the process and avoids navigating the user to an external website to complete their purchase.
This lets brands exercise greater control over the entire customer journey and lifecycle. It also enables them to run more accurate analytics, which can further optimize their sale's channels.
What were the results? What's next?
NBCUniversal claims that Checkout generates interactivity rates of over 30%.
It's currently used on various TV and streaming services, and its developers say that the technology can be used in nearly any web-based platform. PayPal is one of the major brands that has already signed up as a brand partner.
All things considered, it's easy to see why many brands will flock towards using NBCUniversal Checkout in the future.
Contributor
Ivo Lochtman
Creative and visionary media professional with global experience in Marketing, Sales, TV Content, Product Management, Marketing Communications and Brand. Specialised in profitability management of business lines and customer driven innovation. Launched and improved many entertainment products across more than 20 markets, working with the biggest entertainment brands and content suppliers across the globe as well as disruptive new content creators. Inspiring public speaker.