Red Bee Media launches RedDiscover
January 25, 2012
Red Bee Media, a media management company providing multi-platform technology and creative solutions to broadcasters, content rights holders, platform operators and brand owners, has announced the launch of RedDiscover, the first end-to-end portfolio of content discovery solutions built specifically for media.
Recent research conducted by Red Bee Media revealed that an overwhelming 74 per cent of UK consumers claim that they can’t find anything to watch on live TV on a weekly basis. In response to this, Red Bee Media has developed RedDiscover, which provides broadcasters, platforms and content owners with a range of discovery solutions that help consumers to proactively find the content they want to watch both on live TV and on demand, and guide them to new content and related services on every platform and every screen. RedDiscover combines Red Bee Media’s established metadata build, sourcing and distribution services with award-winning search, recommendation and personalisation technologies, creative and user interface design and companion apps and ‘second screen’ experiences to enhance the user journey.
Iconic international lifestyle and entertainment media company, Time Out, has appointed Red Bee Media to create and launch the UK’s first ever, state-of-the-art online social TV guide, built using RedDiscover technologies. The Time Out TV guide has been developed to harness the growing use of social media by consumers to create a new and richer TV experience and will seamlessly integrate traditional TV listings with social networks, Facebook and Twitter, allowing users to engage with their friends and connections in real time. Users will be able to login, ‘like’ programmes and see what their friends ‘like’, share, recommend and ‘favourite’ content and see what programmes are trending on Twitter, what’s being said about them and interact with the Twittersphere.
Red Bee Media has also been selected by Dutch publishing house, Veronica Publishing B.V., to create and launch the first integrated social TV guide in the Netherlands using RedDiscover technologies. Veronica Publishing, which owns Veronica magazine, the leading TV listings magazine in the Netherlands, is rolling out the new social TV guide nationwide via tablets and smartphones and will showcase functionality including: the ability to ‘check in’ via Facebook and let friends know what you are watching, ‘like’ programmes and see what friends ‘like’; Twitter integration to see what programmes are trending in real time and interact with connections; and search, share, rate and recommend content across Facebook and Twitter. Veronica Publishing is owned by Dutch media company SBS Broadcasting B.V.
Bill Patrizio, CEO of Red Bee Media commented: “We believe that the explosion of content available to consumers whenever and wherever they want it, combined with a new wave of consumer adoption and interest in new social and mobile technologies, will lead to a markedly increased demand from consumers for robust content discovery solutions to help them to navigate and make the most of the increasingly fragmented world of TV. In turn, this convergence will create a significant opportunity for providers at every point of the value chain to drive new revenue potential, increase content consumption and obtain consumer feedback to target their services more effectively. We’ve designed RedDiscover in response to these needs and opportunities, fusing ‘science and art’ and bringing together emerging and existing discovery solutions to help our clients build lasting relationships between their content and consumers.”
Tim Arthur, Editor in Chief, Time Out said: “We are incredibly excited about working with Red Bee Media on our new online TV guide. Time Out has a long tradition of covering TV in the magazine with our unique voice and critical eye. It’s great to now be able to bring this to a much wider audience online.”
Bart de Wijs, Head of Digital at Veronica Publishing added: “Thanks to Red Bee Media’s RedDiscover technologies, we are able to be the first to launch a true social TV guide in the Netherlands. Due to the increased use of social media and the trust in advice from friends, there is a need for a personal TV guide that combines these things and gives advice that is relevant to the interests of the viewer. Now, with the help of Red Bee Media, we are able to provide this in a way that’s never been seen before.”
RedDiscover has been designed to drive content consumption and revenue, increase brand loyalty and provide direct feedback for targeted advertising. It is organised around four pillars, which can be delivered as standalone modules or as part of an integrated solution. These components are:
– Rich metadata: sourcing, build, aggregation and distribution of editorial information and images to deliver a richer and deeper viewing experience.
– Search, recommendation and personalisation: personal, social and contextual search and recommendation applications built for live TV and VOD.
– EPG development and design: the design and build of intuitive interface and user experience for every screen, deeply integrated with social media.
– Companion applications: ‘second screen’ applications ranging from interactive games and related content links, to targeted ads and social interaction.
The launch of RedDiscover is the latest in a string of strategic business developments and innovations. In August 2011 Red Bee Media acquired TV Genius, an award-winning software company that specialises in cloud-based content discovery across the internet, TV and connected devices. In June 2011 the company launched RedPlayer, the first ‘media grade’, next generation online video platform which allows broadcasters and content owners internationally to deliver and monetise high quality video to multiple devices, including PC, iPhone, iPad, gaming consoles and connected TV in a secure and scalable manner. RedDiscover is also an integrated, core driver behind RedPlayer.