ES3
Bringing Back Premium TV Advertisements

What makes an advertisement truly exceptional? Is it the reach, the reactions, or the emotional resonance it elicits? Sure, those matter — but there's more. The best marketing doesn’t stop at grabbing attention; it drives engagement, sparks conversations and cultivates lasting relationships between brands and their audiences. The result – passive viewers turn into active participants, boosting brand visibility, loyalty, engagement and ultimately sales.

For the Pay TV and Connected TV industry, there have been several significant developments in the advertising landscape. These developments have been driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, and evolving business models. However, the industry is now facing a new challenge. With an industry now saturated with content choices and service options – How do you drive engagement and discovery for your brand?

Ad-tech and interactive TV leader, ES3 aims to turn this challenge into an opportunity for clients. Drawing on 22 years of experience serving North America (including Fortune 100 giants), the company has crafted a premium, interactive experiential ad platform tailored for the Pay TV and Connected TV markets. It delivers high engagement and conversion rates, turning followers into a community that advocates for and supports the brand's mission — something that can't be bought, only earned.

“Our products and services have been designed over the years to provide premium interactive experiential merchandising, advertising space and promotion for content providers, video service advertisers and brand marketers,” says Charlie Millar, ES3’s president.

The company’s suite of products and services can be used across traditional Pay TV and connected TV platforms like Comcast’s Xfinity and Xumo, DIRECTV, Verizon, Android TV, Fire TV, and many more platforms; helping brands keep the audience engaged and connected to the content.

Unparalleled INGAGE-ment

Foremost among ES3's offerings is the INGAGE platform — a premium, interactive experiential marketing platform. It one-ups traditional ad platforms through an interactive experience where viewers can engage with brands beyond the standard click-through experience on TV.

With multiple entry points, flexible menus and personalized user journeys, INGAGE experiences are created to capture attention and drive brand interaction. Gamified ads, powered by over 40 interactive TV game engines, reward users for engaging by letting them earn redeemable points for purchases, access to content or contests. The platform's versatile calls to action (CTAs) enable users to engage in meaningful actions depending on the promotion – from subscriptions, rentals, purchases, bookings and sign-ups. As the users spend time within the INGAGE experience, brand advertisers are seeing higher brand engagement, click-to-purchase intent and giving viewers access to exclusive content, brand experience and other rewards.

For content providers, INGAGE interactive ads enable viewers to click to engage and shop directly from the ad platform. Opening avenues to promote new releases, On-Demand content, TVOD, SVODs and AVODs.

For Pay TV and Connected TV companies, the INGAGE platform provides the ultimate in viewing destinations – Across platforms and operating systems.

For product and brand advertisers, INGAGE enables users to discover the products or services at a deeper level and take action, whether it is to purchase, sign up or scheduling that test drive for their new dream ride — all from the biggest piece of glass in their living rooms, the TV. Each ad unit is driven by a customizable template system, with the flexibility of brand advertisers’ designs and overlays throughout the experience.

The campaigns are fully managed and are paired with real-time reporting tools to provide comprehensive insights, allowing clients to analyze engagement, user interactions and purchase behaviors. INGAGE’s impressive results also stand as a testament to its impact. The platform has been instrumental in increasing sales by 30-55 percent, with a range of 20 to 40 minutes of brand engagement and a 70 percent lift in purchase intent, indicating its effectiveness in driving deep, sustained audience engagement.

The INGAGE Impact

Recent collaborations showcase INGAGE's effectiveness in real-world applications, providing measurable results for brands like Warner Bros. Discovery and DIRECTV. The company has been currently working with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to launch a premium interactive brand experience for the movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. INGAGE is delivering content across various TV platforms and Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MPVDs) in the U.S. and Canada.

The experience features extended previews, behind-the-scenes videos, character bios and a branded interactive game that fans can play using their TV remotes. Early results already show increased sales for the movie, extended viewer engagement with the brand content and a rise in purchase intent highlighting the collaboration’s success.

A recent collaboration with DIRECTV further demonstrates the INGAGE platform’s wide-ranging capabilities. Extending their desktop and mobile implementation of their loyalty and rewards program into the TV experience. DIRECTV partnered with ES3 to launch a new loyalty rewards program promotion, enabling customers to view rewards, play branded interactive TV games with points systems and sign up to the loyalty program through ES3’s immersive app on their TV service.

The program has been well-received, with users spending substantial time in the app and returning frequently to view new rewards, play games and interact with the platform.

Breaking Technological Barriers

INGAGE’s success is rooted in ES3’s decades of industry expertise and its commitment to delivering high-quality professional products and services across the digital landscape. ES3’s technical team, equipped with a wide array of skills, effortlessly integrates with diverse consumer devices and server ecosystems, ensuring seamless compatibility and functionality across platforms.

A core focus of ES3’s offerings is its comprehensive UI/UX design service, which takes clients from the initial idea phase through to full implementation. The company excels at crafting immersive, 10- foot experiences for connected TVs, teaming up with industry service leaders like HBO, MGM+, DIRECTV and Bell provide usability and design testing that captivates audiences on larger screens.

ES3 is a well-established leader in the TV application development space, with a portfolio that includes applications for top providers like Bell, Rogers, Intel, TiVo, Comcast, DIRECTV, Google TV, Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.

The Path Forward

ES3 is continuously expanding its programs in the market across operators and connected TV providers in North America with international partner expansion in 2025. Motion picture studios and TV networks can gain significant value by licensing the company’s products to create experiences similar to the Warner Bros. initiative.

Additionally, broadband and video distributors, TV OS and Connected TV platform owners are exploring ES3’s INGAGE technology to create new advertising revenue streams. They aim to license and resell INGAGE to partners, monetizing their own traffic by leveraging ES3's immersive, consumer-focused ad technology. ES3 is also exploring how INGAGE can reshape the IVI experience for in-car entertainment, as well as other travel experiences within the air and on trains.

“Our product is fully licensable and has the ability to be resold by industry segment customers and partners,” says Millar. “We are looking forward to other brand marketers licensing the product and creating new and interesting ways to engage the consumer using our technology.”

The company’s impressive track record and innovative solutions position it ideally to lead the charge in the next phase of digital advertising for the TV marketplace. ES3 is poised to redefine TV advertising with a new ad type of unit and format – promising an immersive, consumer-centric future for brands ready to engage the modern viewer on a personal level.