Become the TiVo Ambassador

TiVo made it clear in their recent stockholder call that next year was all about driving up their subscriptions and userbase. Expect to see loads of deals and marketing pitches to meet that goal. One marketing push is their new TiVo Ambassador contest.

It looks like TiVo is officially looking for innovative, outside help in their marketing efforts by throwing a contest to find someone that can convince people to sign up for TiVo. The rules are pretty simple: you refer five people by November 27th, complete an application, and make a short video explaining why TiVo is so great. TiVo will pick five finalists and the winner gets $25k, a mini convertible, starts posting to a TiVo company blog (!!!) and attends events as a TiVo representitive.

I've referred dozens of people to TiVo now and I have some ideas about the perfect TiVo commercial, so I just might take a crack at it. The deadline for submissions is December 31st, 2005.

Comments

[Jason Coleman]

Maybe a commercial about putting Fiona through college? Just kidding.

I really don't have any great ideas at the moment for a commercial, but I'm glad to hear TiVo finally getting into advertising. I've always thought that having a live unit in the store to play around with would be the best advertising possible. Maybe a commercial that takes a super-fast tour of just how easy it is to use the TiVo interface would be a good start.

[Alex]

I personally think the ultimate Tivo commercial goes something like this:

*Black screen, white text*
What if you could
pause,
rewind,
fast forward,
and record
life?

*Moves to scenes of every day life where there is an advantage to the above*

Scene 1:
Man taking directions misses a step, rewinds, and gets it when he plays again

Scene 2:
Person watching a live concert while drinking something, has to go to the restroom, pauses the event until he returns

Scene 3:
Mother watching her child's first steps, records the moment for later review

*Screen goes back to black*
That's point B, welcome to point A

*Tivo logo appears along with a tagline*
-Tivo-
We help make your life a little easier

*easier gets erased and replaced*
Better

*Screen moves to some people watching and using Tivo in a similar fashion as the scenes, laughing and having fun*

======================================
If you use this idea, throw some of the cashola my way :-)
======================================

[KKop]

Too little, too late

This was suggested years ago, and Tivo wouldn't have any of it. Tivo users have been ambassadors for years, telling everyone who wanted to listen (and those who didn't as well) how great TiVo was.

I still tell everyone how great a DVR is, only difference is these days I tell them to get the cable company's box.

May not be as good as Tivo, but will work fine for most, and is cheaper.

[Tyson]

Alex - that is a killer idea.

[King of the Tivotons]

I have a friend that would be great at this. He is definitley a tivangelist, even going so far as to buy coworkers tivo boxes to prove his
dedication to the one true tivo. Tivo is definitely a gift from the FSM.

[KevinHicks]

I used to be an evangelist also...but TiVo doesn't fit in with most people's digital cable boxes. (That's why I'm still with regular cable!) I'm also Macintosh based...like most of my friends and family. While I like my series 1, TiVo's embracing of Windows DRM and related uckiness means my next DVR will not be a TiVo.

[Pfister]

I referred two people to Tivo. I never got my referrals. I tried and tried to fix things. I got the email saying my friends put me down as the referral. But nothing.

I emailed them, but the worthless dirties never gave me credit. Tivo lied. I gave up referring people to Tivo since it was such a huge pain in the ass. Screw Tivo.

[Pfister]

Booohooo. Pity me. Booohooo.

[Todd Lokken]

Alex...you should work in an ad agency. That was a great idea! Todd Lokken.