TVB debuts mobile voting app for Miss Hong Kong pageant

The online voting mobile app will be available to all iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone 7 smartphone users. Audiences will be encouraged to vote in a newly created award for this year's pageant event.  TVB is currently promoting the initiative through its infotainment programme ‘Scoop’.

Luk Fok Jewellry, Sa Sa Cosmetics, and Hong Thai Travel are some of the key advertising sponsors for this year's event, scheduled for August 7. TVB is also looking for an advertiser to sponsor this new mobile app voting platform.

Carmen Kung, senior marketing communications manager of TVB, expects the app to rejuvenate the Miss Hong Kong pageant in several ways. “With the new mobile voting app, audiences could have more direct impact on our TV shows,” she said. "There are also new impacts for advertisers in promoting their activities or programmes on TVB. Mobile app voting increase interaction between and advertisers and TV viewers — the communication channel was often one-way in the past.”

TVB is planning to extend the mobile app voting initiatives to other TVB programmes.

As well as voting, smartphone users can see video clips of the 14 remaining contestants on the Miss Hong Kong mobile app.

TVB’s Miss Hong Kong Pageant started in 1973, and has been a successful  breeding ground for  producing many famous celebrities and brand ambassadors, including Maggie Cheung, Michele Reis, and Charmaine Sheh.

The mobile app follows from another move toward interactive TV, earlier this year. Reported in Feburary, NowTV channel 101 launched an interactive quiz TV show 'ATM' which boosted live interaction with TV audiences.