HYPERtext linking technology and communications

Situation Analysis

Mobile television is poised to become a significant application for mobile phones worldwide, with the U.S. mobile video user base alone expected to reach more than 20 million by the end of 2007 (American Technology Research). Currently two broadcast standards enable carriers to deliver next-generation TV on mobile services: DVB-H and MediaFLo. DVB-H is supported by an extensive ecosystem of companies, including Philips, Nokia, Crown Castle, Vodafone and others while MediaFLO is a technology put forward by Qualcomm.

Qualcomm had already made inroads with its MediaFLO technology when Philips tasked Text 100 with introducing their TV on mobile solution and raising awareness of the DVB-H technology standard in the U.S. Aggressive media relations activities surrounding the launch at CES resulted in more than 25 pieces of coverage for Philips

Execution

With Qualcomm actively touting its proprietary MediaFLO technology, the Text 100 PR team recommended leveraging Philips’ global expertise to promote industry collaboration and standards as critical success factors to ensure mobile television adoption in the U.S. As the Philips semiconductor division had already been working globally to prepare the market to meet the new challenge of mobile content delivery, they were uniquely positioned to discuss how new networks, technologies and industry collaboration would be critical factors in driving mass consumer adoption for mobile television in the U.S.

The planned launch for Philips’ TV on mobile solution was CES 2006. To lay the foundation for the formal launch, the Text 100 team pitched and secured the opening keynote for the Broadcast Engineering Conference at NAB 2006 for the CEO of Philips Semiconductor, promoting Philips executive visibility in the arena. For the formal launch, Text 100 coordinated pre-briefings with media and analysts two weeks prior to the show to ensure audience attention during what is historically a very difficult venue for a semiconductor company to gain mindshare at. Third-party support for Philips was provided by the key tower operator for DVB-H in the U.S., Crown Castle Media, which lent further credibility to a European company entering the U.S. TV on mobile market.

All activities reiterated Philips’ unique technology advantages and described how standardization in the U.S. market can provide more choice to the consumer through more handsets and more content.

Evaluation

Text 100 secured more than 25 pieces of coverage on the availability of Philips’ TV on mobile solution for the U.S. market, including standalone features in CNET, Red Herring and EE Times. Philips was mentioned throughout TV on mobile news coverage during CES 2006 and Text 100 team secured CEO interviews with both Red Herring and Business 2.0 as part of the executive visibility program. Coverage included all of Philips key messages about standards, collaboration and its technology. In addition, the team secured support from Crown Castle Media for inclusion in its outreach efforts, lending further credibility to the story.