MDI partners with Shoutz

Marketers can use Shoutz to send mobile videos to consumers, and consumers can use it to create, post, view and share their own videos. The Shoutz platform runs through free apps for iPhone and Android smartphones and tablets.

Under this new agreement, MDI will work with lotteries worldwide to help them adopt the Shoutz platform and establish Shoutz channels, where they can communicate with players and potential players via video messages delivered to their mobile phones. Lotteries can use their channels to promote upcoming drawings and games, provide live streaming of drawings and other events, and relate stories and important information regarding the good causes lottery revenues support.

“Video is an extremely powerful medium with a measured superiority in capturing consumers’ attention and in inducing behavior,” said Jim Mueller, Founder, President and CEO of Shoutz. “It has proven to be much more effective than text and pictures, and its popularity is on the rise. Combine that with the fast-growing primacy of mobile devices as consumers’ first choice for accessing the internet, and you can see why we believe mobile video marketing is the future for reaching consumers.”

Shoutz is not like other social video networks. While built to provide an enjoyable user experience, the Shoutz platform and mobile applications have been optimized to meet the needs of businesses. Shoutz’s features, functionality, administrative access and analytics have been designed to allow its business users now including lotteries – to create, run and track promotions and initiatives. Its technology platform also integrates with existing social media networks, allowing users to “reShoutz” videos to Twitter and Facebook accounts. “We believe Shoutz will prove itself to be extremely valuable to lotteries, and we are thrilled that MDI will be the single source provider of the Shoutz technology to the lottery industry,” said Mueller.

“The numbers are certainly compelling,” commented Steve Saferin, President, Properties Group and Chief Creative Officer for Scientific Games. “YouTube videos now get over two billion views daily, and Cisco predicts that two-thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2016. When you consider these statistics, along with the fact that U.S. mobile app consumption surpassed web consumption in 2011, we think there is tremendous potential for lotteries to use the Shoutz platform to increase their revenues for the good causes they support.”

Shoutz was designed to make it easy for marketing teams to upload and, when desired, link videos to chosen landing pages. It provides real-time analytics that detail views, opens and action on landing pages. Shoutz is multilingual capable and should be especially useful in helping lotteries engage young adults.

Beginning in September, lotteries that have adopted the Shoutz platform will be able to invite players to upload their own videos to the lottery channels as a way to enter promotional drawings, or simply to share their comments and stories about games, promotions, winnings, etc. Internal processes will monitor video content, and controls will be in place to give lotteries the ability to remove player-supplied videos if they wish, or even turn off the feature altogether.