Challenge
In its first two seasons on HGTV, “Design Star” became one of the highest rated shows on the cable channel. The show’s premise – part reality show, part interior design showcase – proved to be a hit with HGTV’s target audiences. The network was looking to capitalize on this success and turned to 360i to develop a digital word of mouth campaign that would help make the third season their most popular yet.

Solution
To help get the word out about Design Star’s third season, 360i reached out to influential bloggers to spark buzz and engage the show’s target audiences. Bloggers were solicited for feedback on the show’s content and offered interviews with eliminated and current contestants, making them feel like a part of the program and increasing loyalty among content producers and fans alike.

To give bloggers regular fodder for conversation, 360i tied the DWOM outreach to other online efforts, such as a casual game 360i developed for the show. In addition, 360i syndicated video recaps and previews of each episode. The game and videos gave bloggers another reason to talk about the show and provided viewers with a fun way to learn more about the program.

DWOM efforts were coordinated with online media buys, enhancing the impact of both. In several instances, rich-media advertising appeared alongside bloggers’ editorial about the show. Ad creative was developed in such a way that the advertising appeared to be integrated within the content of the blog.

Results
* TV Tune-in: WOM contributed to 12% ratings increase for the third season premiere, compared with the previous season’s first episode

* Online Buzz: 5+ million impressions to date on major design sites such as Apartment Therapy and CasaSugar

* Web site Traffic: Almost 60% of blogs who wrote about the show linked back to HGTV.com

Client: HGTV (Design Star 3)
Agency: 360i