Sky has given its ‘come with us‘ microsite a facelift by introducing an interactive browsing feature that takes the visitor on a short promotional journey through the programming currently on offer to subscribers.
Navigation through the updated microsite is driven by a nifty control panel that links to trailers, promotions and ad campaigns that the broadcaster is currently running.
Sky’s head of corporate comms Kirsty Way says that Sky is also working on updating its main website at the momement.
“We are currently working in the background on overhauling the whole website. This is still just in the early stages, and we will only be releasing the update in about January next year … Due to the complexity of the change, it’s difficult to tell exactly when the updates will be completed,” she says.
In related news, the broadcaster has also announced that it has penned a partnership with Boston-based, text-streaming technology company Spritz.
The American start-up’s technology allows viewers to read text on screens one word at a time without having to move from word to word or around the page. The ‘redicle’, a visual frame designed for faster reading, only requires 13 characters, which is all the human eye can focus on at one time.
A release from DDB says that Spritz’s fast streaming of text is easier and more comfortable for the reader, especially when reading areas become smaller, such as on mobile screens.
Sky’s marketing director Mike Watson says that Sky is currently working with DDB to find useful applications for the Spritz offering within the context of its advertising.
“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to engage with our audience and promote SKY’s incredible content offering. This partnership with Spritz will allow us to do exactly that.We’re excited to put our heads together with DDB, explore the possibilities of Spritz, and develop unique ways to use this new technology online and in the social space,” he says.
Spritz co-founder and chief executive Frank Waldman says that Sky and DDB are the first New Zealand-based organisations to express interest in the technology that was recently launched in Barcelona.
“[DDB and Sky] have got some great ideas up their sleeve and we’re looking forward to seeing these come to life and have Spritz used by a growing audience around the world,” he says.
Sky has not yet announced an official release date, but says that Kiwis will get taste of the technology within the next few months.
