In what I feel is a brilliant online marketing effort, which also migrates to their offline TV show, the DIY Network launched what it called its first "Blog Cabin," which solicits the comments and input of visitors to determine the eventual design plans for a real log cabin, and are encouraged along by DIY's Amy Devers.
What the network did was offer visitors the chance to vote on various elements of the cabin design like floor, roof, window, kitchen cabinetry and bathroom fixtures; among a number of others.
Over the duration of the initiative (two months), there were close to 3,000 comments and an approximate 1.7 million page views. Votes for the cabin design totaled about 4.7 million.
Eventually it will all lead to an eventual sweepstakes winner who will get to own the new cabin.
The network is currently filming the contruction of the cabin which will be aired as a 13-part TV series, starting on August 18.
What's great about this is that vested interest created by building the microsite where people could offer their opinions and votes. Not only has the network extended the show before it's even aired, but they already have a built-in core base of fans waiting to see how "their" creation is taking shape.
As a further incentive to keep the viewers engaged, the network encouraged them to upload their own cabin-building project pictures, videos and experiences.
To me this is a basic strategy that has powerful possibilities. This isn't for TV networks by any means. They could have been any online marketer and have been successful already, even without the upcoming TV series.
The monetization possibilites would be numerous also as sponsorships of certain stages or elements that relate to specific products of companies is a great carrot to offer to advertisers. That's just one of the many possibilites that could be done with something like this.
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