Shazam, Gomer, It’s For Marketing Too

Sorry…every time I use the Shazam app I hear Gomer Pyle in my head. Shazam! Of course, if you’re a TV addict like me, you might also get nostalgic about Saturday morning TV from the mid-70s. 

Anyway…I am a fan of the app. I tend to have my iPhone out when I’m watching TV so I can look up information about a show or an actor or identify a song used in the soundtrack. If I’m watching a documentary or a news story, I’ll probably look up information and facts. This kind of multitasking is probably going to make me have ADD. I know I’m not the only one who does this, and now marketing gurus have started really taking advantage of all of us and our smartphone habits.

 

When you use Shazam to identify a song, you can get extra information like a link to iTunes to buy it, tour dates for the artist, a link to the artist’s Web site, and ways to share the tag with your friends. Shazam has also partnered with eBay and Android phones to add the option of inspired purchasing (I think this was called impulse buying when I took Economics). With a free account, you get 5 tags each month. If you want the ability to tag more often, you can purchase unlimited tags for $3.99 for a year or $5.99 for a lifetime (clearly, your best price here is the lifetime option).  Until January 2012, you can get unlimited tags through eBay when using the Android app.

 

A few months ago, I noticed a Shazam message at the bottom of the screen during Royal Pains to get more information about the show. After tagging it, I had links to the show’s mobile site, some outtakes, bonus video, and an extended clip of the next week’s episode. The next time I saw it was during an Old Navy commercial. Out of curiosity, I tagged the commercial and again had access to the Web site, but it also gave access to the clothing advertised and an opportunity to shop right away.

 

Syfy channel’s Alphas is using the app to connect with viewers, giving them bonus video, wallpaper, and contests. The channel has been rebranding, but their audience leans heavy towards techies, so this was a good choice to partner with Shazam. It also seems like a great way to develop a grassroots following and foster a more interactive and social viewingexperience.

I’ll have my iPhone handy in order to fact check during the presidential debates next year. Who knows, maybe one of the candidates will use Shazam during their commercials to take us directly to their Web site, platform, and donation link.