In case you didn't have enough reasons to head to The Cable Show this year, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) is giving you one more. This year, the NCTA has partnered with Prize Monkey to bring sponsored vending machines to the trade show, allowing visitors to trade brand interaction (and maybe an email address) for free stuff.
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Prize Monkey's app will be on tap at The Cable Show. |
Prize Monkey works by asking users to communicate with a vending machine over a mobile device. Sponsors can theoretically ask users to do anything--answer a survey question, provide contact information, watch a mobile video--and then provide banana points in exchange. Users click on those banana points and receive a free item from the vending kiosk.
At the 2012 Cable Show, the NCTA is offering up Prize Monkey sponsorships to members including HBO, Showtime, Discovery Networks, and others. While there are no confirmed sponsors yet, the opportunity is ripe for programmers and operators to hand out the branded tchotchkes so popular at these events, or maybe even for HBO or Showtime to offer a free month of premium programming. (hint hint)
Prize Monkey initially made headlines at the Consumer Electronics Show this year as part of CES's Eureka Park, an exhibit area designed to showcase startups. At The Cable Show, visitors will be able to use smartphones and tablets to win cable-related prizes throughout the event space.
For more:
- see the announcement
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