In a bid to democratise the Internet and fuse traditional and new media, Vodacom and Primedia Broadcasting have originated a “cat and mouse” game that involves radio listeners physically engaging via a smartphone application.
A tried and tested concept in Australia and a first for SA, Gotcha SA is an integrated virtual and social media game aimed at 94.7 Highveld Stereo and 94.5 KFM listeners in Johannesburg and Cape Town, respectively.
The game involves participants chasing down a virtual wallet, or “smart money” with the aim of winning a share of R700 000 split across the two cities.
Described by Vodacom as being “like hide and seek, but better”, the game goes like this: Once players have downloaded the Gotcha SA app, they can track the virtual wallet via their smartphone's GPS capability and “grab” it when they are within 100 metres of it. The aim is to be holding the smart money when the game closes live on air. However, a minute after a player grabs the money, they can be tracked on the app by other players, who will pursue them for the smart money. Pre-determined Vodacom outlets act as “safe zones” where players can take the smart money - rendering them invisible to other players, for 10 minutes, giving them a head start to make a run for it.
Internet activity
Vodacom marketing executive Enzo Scarcella says the game marks another step towards the operator's drive to democratise the Internet, by leveraging traditional media and new or social media - both of which have the potential to reach a large segment of the population.
Smartphone penetration and the speed with which South Africans are going online, says Scarcella, are positive aspects for the growth of the country. He cites a World Bank report on broadband in developing countries, which says every 10% increase in broadband connection boosts economic growth by 1.38%.
“The Internet in Africa is mobile. A kid in Africa today has more access to information via the Internet than US president Bill Clinton had 20 years ago during his term,” says Scarcella. He adds that Vodacom has almost five million smartphones on its network - a number that is growing by over 40% annually.
94.7 Highveld Stereo and 94.5 KFM presenters will keep listeners up to date over the air waves, interacting with players on a real-time basis. Ravi Naidoo, station manager at 94.7 Highveld Stereo, says the station's listenership is that of techno-savvy and digitally advanced individuals.
Scarcella says the Gotcha SA competition “speaks volumes” about the level of smartphone adoption in SA, the sophistication of mobile networks and how readily the community has embraced social media. “More importantly, it is the first concrete example of how technology is changing the way South Africans interact with traditional mass media. It is a great test case to see whether SA has passed the tipping point in terms of smartphone adoption, whereby brands fundamentally change their behaviour from broadcasting to consumers to truly interacting with them on a one-to-one basis.”
The game kicks off on 13 August and will run until 7 September, from 6am to 7pm daily, Monday to Friday. Gotcha SA is available for download to all listeners who have access to an Android, BlackBerry or Apple smartphone - or from the Vodacom App Store for Vodacom subscribers.
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