• by Wayne Friedman , May 20, 2011

During the present upfront ad sales process, CW is pushing two mobile apps looking to support TV marketers' sales efforts.

The first involves an mobile app called Shopkick, which rewards CW viewers with special discounts and rewards from advertisers while they watch their commercials. The effort prompts viewers with special on-screen discount offers to drive viewers into the store.

On-screen alerts remind viewers to open the Shopkick app on their smartphone to receive deals. Also, a viewer's smartphone's microphone will automatically recognize the TV commercial when it is watched and deliver instant rewards.

The second effort is "Cwingo," a bingo-style game which connects viewers through Facebook, urging them to watch The CW live on-air in order to play and win. The main goal of the game: viewers challenge each other to prove who is the biggest fan.

During a live episode, viewers click the scenes on a "Cwingo" card -- connected through Facebook or on CWTV.com -- as viewers see scenes appearing on-air. If viewers correctly click five scenes in a row and hit "Cwingo," they receive a special social badge. Advertisers can sponsor the "Cwingo" card.

Rob Tuck, executive vice president of national sales of The CW, stated: "Cwingo and Shopkick really bring the second screen to life, enhancing the overall viewing experience in a way that our advertisers have been asking for and connecting them with our young viewers where they live and breathe -- social media and directly on their mobile devices."

Shopkick has various deals with retailers, such as Best Buy and Target; the media deal with The CW enlarges its reach. Shopkick says it has more than 1.5 million users; 40% are active monthly and 20% are active weekly.