Building on two previous papers on the expression (ESOMAR, 2002 and 2003), the authors discuss progress made by Initiative, MIT, and most recently IPG Media's Consumer Experience Practice, to explore how the elements of the expression are identified and evaluated, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and applied in the development of an interactive, extended media experience that leverages audience, especially fan behavior. The effectiveness of the NBC Olympics Presents the Visa Championships-Torino 2006, an on-line gaming experience developed by NBC Sports and Visa to extend the Olympic content to younger, engaged audiences during the XX Olympic Winter Games in February, is used as a basis for analysis.
At the ARF/ESOMAR WAM Conference 2002, Initiative Media and MIT introduced the expression as a conceptual model of understanding the complex relationship between advertising message delivery, media channels, and audience engagement. In a dynamic landscape in which consumers are acquiring greater choice and control over their media environment, the expression was developed as a means of factoring the myriad ways that audiences consume and relate to media, and how such insights can be translated into more effective media measurement techniques. This paper summarizes the results of a second phase of research in which the authors begin to move from a purely conceptual framework to a more pragmatic system of media evaluation. Through quantitative and qualitative research, the study focused on exploring viewers' potential uses and gratifications of media texts, the context of viewing experiences, the appeal and usage of ancillary media properties (e.g. websites, cell phone voting, merchandising), and the relationship between program enjoyment and advertising recall.