Auckland-based digital outfit pluk to launch phone app on Australia’s second-screen market
Fresh from its kickoff in New Zealand earlier this year, Auckland-based digital outfit pluk is about to launch an assault on the Australian second-screen market.
pluk is a smartphone app and supporting back-end that lets marketers deliver any digital content to a customer’s phone or tablet as they watch TV.
pluk works by recognising the ad (or programme’s) audio signature, then downloading appropriate digital content to the user.
According to Boyd Wason, pluk managing director, this can be anything that will fit on a phone or tablet.
Says Wason: “It’s a great example of how smart use of the second screen can give advertisers deeper engagement for longer than they’d get solely on TV. Whether it’s extended programme content, more images or video about a product or service, or a link to an e-commerce back end … there’s really no limit.”
Pluk shareholder and creative director (and former Y&R Auckland CD) Vaughn Davis says they’re looking forward to seeing what uses agencies find for the technology.
Says Davis: “pluk is a great platform, but once creative teams get their heads around the potential of tying any broadcast content to any digital content, we’re going to see some very cool stuff happening.”
pluk’s other strength, says Wason, is the way it’s built around the needs of marketers.
He concludes: “Audio recognition isn’t a new idea by any means, but what pluk brings is a whole end-to-end system that makes it dead easy for marketers and their agencies to turn broadcast audiences into engaged second-screen customers. pluk’s marketer-friendly setup is a big reason brands such as Holden, Subway, Roadshow and IAG insurance brand State have chosen to use the platform so far.”
Wason says now that the New Zealand operation is up and running (the app hit 50,000 New Zealand users within weeks of its launch) he’s focusing on Australia and is already in discussions with half a dozen leading national brands, as well as TV networks in the UK and Europe.