MTV To Expand Digital Features for VMAs

CoverGirl will sponsor Facebook Timeline Tracker for the event

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/28/2012 7:37:46 PM

MTV has added some new features and expanded others as part of its ramped up digital efforts for the 2012 VMAs airing on September 6^th, reports MTV's Colin Helms, senior VP of digital media.

One of the major efforts for the 2012 VMAs was to create a much more unified digital experience for its All Access Live, which offers views access to nine cameras feeds online and via the MTV News app and the MTV WatchWith second screen app. "We wanted to make the experience very consistent whether you're on desktop, a table or a smart phone," Helms noted.

Completely new features for this year's digital platforms include a CoverGirl sponsorship for a much expanded Facebook Timeline Tracker, which was launched in a beta version for this year's Movie Awards, voting via a Twitter hashtag for "The Most Share-Worthy Video" and a GIFs It tool that will allow users to create and share animated GIFs.

As usual the network is also expanding the use of a number of features that it had tested in earlier award shows. "The VMAs is like our Super Bowl," Helms said. "We like to test things earlier this year and then roll them out in a bigger way at the VMAs." 

One notable example of that is the Facebook Timeline Tracker first introduced at the Music Awards, noted Mike Scogin, VP of wireless and mobile. As part of this expanded feature, which will be sponsored by CoverGirl, they will be producing web vignettes in the run up to the show that will have CoverGirl integrated into the content.

The Facebook Timeline Tracker will also serve as hub for trending VMA content.

In recent years, Twitter Traffic has exploded during key moments of the show, with more than 85 million tweets following Beyoncé rubbing her "baby bump" last year, notes Scogin.

But in the past it would typically take a day or two for info-graphics of the traffic to appear. "This year the big headline for the Twitter Tracker is that we will be able to show traffic in real time a movement or two after the event," he notes.