@Squawka_Sports: Providing Sports Fans with

In Part 1 of my interview with Squawka co-founder and CEO Sanjit Atwal, we explored the company's efforts to provide a web application that gives soccer fans access to “Stats worth Sharing.” Today, we dive into how second-screen applications can turn popularity and relevancy into a profit.

Organizations and brands looking to capitalize on advertising revenue are forced to straddle the fine line of marketing effectiveness versus annoyance during sporting events. Whether it be live and in person, at home on television, or through second screen applications, sports fans don’t always have the highest tolerance for commercials and advertisements. However, Squawka has implemented a style of effective advertising that allows the company to offer consumers timely and relevant messages.

“The main opportunity was, obviously, that we know where someone is online,” said Atwal. “We know what channel they are watching on their TV and what is going on in that show at that exact point. It is very powerful, because if we can synergize across those mediums, then suddenly we have a very powerful brand message.”

Squawka has already been able to take advantage of such campaigns by offering deals that appeal to consumers in real time.

“The example we always give as a successful campaign is the Domino’s campaign, in which 15 minutes into the game all of the brand messaging changed to say, ‘Here is your halftime voucher code.’ So there is a call to action right there in the campaign. What it is saying to football fans is, ‘If you order your pizza now, then you will have it at halftime.’”

But the Domino’s example is just the jumping off point for Squawka. As the company continues to search for new ways to reach the consumer, they hope to offer more innovative ads that align with events taking place in matches.

“We are building our campaigns to synergize with every event that can happen on the football pitch. If Lionel Messi scores a goal, then instantly, we can change our messaging to show what boot he wears and where you can buy it from. We foresee in the future that we will have in-stock availability as well, and where the nearest store is to you if you would rather go out and buy it yourself, rather than buying it online.”

However, the realm of advertising is not the sole channel that Squawka is using to expand their current offering. Further adding to the application’s credibility is the continued exposure from the media, including such outlets as Football365, TeamTalk, Bleacher Report, CNN International, YouTube and a variety of leading soccer blogs.

“There are a number of broadcasters that are very interested in using some type of our performance score,” said Atwal. “One international broadcaster will be using it next year as a key measurement, which is obviously fantastic. The press are very interested, in terms of newspapers, and tons of blogs are picking it up.”

With the combination of innovative advertising and momentum from media outlets, Squawka has taken a fun and engaging application, and transformed it into a potential game-changer for the second screen app industry. Starting with a ground-breaking big data offering, Squawka was able to leverage their hold on the market by implementing advanced advertising that appeals to consumers in real time. This enabled the company to continue to grow the application globally with credibility gained from various media outlets. However, all of the company’s advancement and growth can be tied back to one concept – an understanding of their consumer.

Marketers today must be able to identify customers across all channels and utilize real time social engagement. Not only does ExactTarget offer the tools for marketers to identify and target consumers, we are also helping marketers plan for the future of marketing. Second screen applications, such as Squawka, are helping to define the future of how fans across the globe watch sports. Although Squawka is still relatively unknown here in the United States, this state-of-the-art application could soon be coming to a sporting event near you.

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