MuchMusic Teams with Badgeville to Gamify MuchMusic Video Awards

TORONTO and MENLO PARK, Calif., June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MuchMusic continues to lead the way as one of the world's top-ranked brands for social media influence with its newest, social-rewards and loyalty program MuchCloser. Launched by MuchMusic in partnership with Epitome Pictures and global gamification leader Badgeville, MuchCloser connects viewers to their favorite artists, programs, and on-air talents by rewarding fans for doing what they're already doing online. Now watching videos, leaving comments, "Liking" Much on Facebook, and voting on polls earns users points that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes.

"By engaging our audience through our social rewards program MuchCloser, Much can provide unique and exciting opportunities to build customized programs around a client's objectives and key messaging," said Neil Staite, vice president and general manager, music and entertainment. "MuchCloser is the perfect program to combine multi-screen content, social media and branded sponsorship opportunities."

Upon registering on muchmusic.com, users are encouraged to rack up points to earn 'badges' which unlock rewards and win trophies, highlighting them as key members of the MuchCloser community and fans of their favorite television series and artists. Badges can qualify users for exclusive opportunities and giveaways that only Much can offer, including meeting A-List stars, winning concert tickets, event access including the MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS, exclusive online chats and more!

To coincide with the launch of DEGRASSI's upcoming twelfth season in July, MuchCloser will introduce tasks and missions specific to the show and its characters. Users can earn points and custom DEGRASSI rewards by watching show clips, sharing content, reading the blog, following characters on Twitter, and tuning into the show when it airs on Much. Users who engage with DEGRASSI content could earn the chance to be part of online chats with cast members, be the first to see exclusive content, and a chance to visit the set!

Hot on the heels of 2012 MMVA announcements, MuchCloser is launching more activities for users to engage in including the 'MMVA 10K Mission' and 'Wristband Wizard Mission'. Both will challenge users' knowledge of the MMVAs delivering a chance to win wristbands, as well as a shot at $10,000.

"MuchCloser is a refreshing example of modern gamification for the entertainment industry, focusing on rewarding audience engagement and loyalty, as well as surfacing exciting new programming and events across existing popular properties," said Kris Duggan, CEO, Badgeville. "The next generation of social media engagement for the world's leading entertainment companies, such as Bell Media's MuchMusic, allows these brands to reward users for performing specific activities and highlighting their loyalty by returning to the site frequently and engaging with new content."

Below is a breakdown of sample activities to complete to earn points and rewards on MuchMusic sites:

• Register
• Leave a comment
• Upload content
• Vote on polls
• "Like" Much on Facebook
• Read an article
• Visit the site
• Watch a video
• Share a link

The program also includes missions, which feature a set group of activities that incrementally earn users more points and badges, including:

• Blog Addict
• Video Vulture
• Comment Machine
• Watch DEGRASSI

By completing all of the activities in a mission, users earn points that get displayed on their profile. Points raise the user's ranking in the Much community and can earn them access to prizes, content and exciting experiences.

MuchCloser Program Increases Engagement & Retention

Since the program's launch across MuchMusic digital properties in early May, more than one in three registered users return daily. These tens of thousands of users have performed more than 325,000 activities including watching, voting, reading blogs. Activity has increased by an average of 59% from week to week, with an average of more than 14 activities per user. Thus far, more than 116,000 badges have been issued.

Last week, MuchMusic introduced the MMVA Performers mission. This mission launched alongside the announcement that Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Nelly Furtado, and Marianas Trench were performing at the MMVAs. Users were encouraged to watch the most recent video from each artist and tell Much what song they wanted to see that artist perform at this year's show. There was an immediate 6% spike in the registered user base, and that number has grown by 21% since then, proving the introduction of new activities and missions is a strong way to encourage additional sign ups as well as keeping interest among existing users.

About MuchMusic

As the No. 1 Canadian brand for young adults, Much is an integral part of today's pop-culture landscape. Live performances and interviews with the best Canadian and international artists, and celebrity guests put fans in the centre of the action making Much's acclaimed street-level Toronto headquarters Canada's epicentre of celebrity. A multiplatform Canadian icon, MuchMusic.com is a favourite destination for youth delivering music videos, user-generated content and more. Much spotlights homegrown talent through original productions and nurtures the Canadian music video production industry through its annual, multi-million dollar contribution to MuchFACT. It is available in 8.6 million households across Canada via cable, satellite, and mobile. Much is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company.

About Badgeville
Badgeville (www.badgeville.com), The Behavior Platform, is the leading provider of gamification and social engagement solutions for world-class businesses, enabling companies in virtually every industry to influence and measure user behavior. Companies and organizations from across the globe are using our award-winning Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution to increase customer loyalty, user engagement and employee performance. With 175 customers, Badgeville brings Game Mechanics, Reputation Mechanics, and Social Mechanics to world-class companies including Bell Media, NBC, Universal Music, Deloitte, EMC, Samsung, CA Technologies, Dell, The Active Network, and Recyclebank. Founded in 2010, Badgeville is based in Menlo Park, Calif. And has offices in New York and Europe.  Follow @Badgeville to learn more.

SOURCE Badgeville