Sky has extended its partnership with engagement specialists, Rant & Rave, to poll public viewer opinion in real-time.
In September 2015 Sky deployed Rant & Rave to capture the voice of its customers via text message and email in an effort to understand what really matters to them. Customers are now invited to share their feedback in their own words before Sentiment Analysis technology is used to understand their comments automatically. Sky use the insight gathered to simplify processes, identify training opportunities and optimise its products, services and overall customer experience.
Following on from the successful launch, Sky News will now use the same technology to capture public opinion on topical stories in the news. From December 2015 customers identified by their demographic profiles will be invited via text message to take part in live polls, with the weighted results shared on air as soon as all participants have responded. This development will combine Sky’s already advanced statistical and Big Data expertise with a ground breaking polling engine to deliver something truly unique into an already innovative news marketplace.
Daragh Kelly, Insight & Decision Science Director, Sky, said “Text messages are such a simple way of gauging the views of the nation quickly and easily. This solution will give our news teams the ability to identify a topic in the morning, decide on the target responders and instantly initiate the poll, with results ready for transmission later that same day.”
Dennis Fois, Rant & Rave’s CEO, said: “It’s great to see a credible organisation like Sky News innovatively using audience communication technology to proactively invite their viewers to share their thoughts on breaking news as and when it happens. We’re thrilled to be helping them to do so.”
You can view footage of the results of the first poll being discussed live on air later the same day, here