• by Tanya Gazdik , August 6, 2007

When Pontiac wanted to get the word out about its NCAA scholarship sponsorship, it turned to a Web site overlay device called InPerson that made it look as though veteran CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel had strolled onto the screen and wanted to have a word with the visitor.

The result was the highest click-through that Pontiac has ever experienced from any campaign, according to marketing executives at the General Motors division.

With Web surfing having lost its novelty long ago, most marketers will admit it takes a lot to hold the attention of visitors to their site. That's where the In Person technology from Owings Mills, Md.-based Rovion Inc. comes in.

InPerson helps "humanize" the delivery of content to online audiences, says Len Ostroff, Rovion's CEO. What could be more human than an actual human form appearing seamlessly on top of all other content, outside the four walls of traditional video players? The InPerson spokesperson, which can be a celebrity or any other actual person--it's neither a cartoon nor animation--appears on top of the other content to interact personally with the Web site visitor.

Unlike streaming video, which Web visitors are apt to ignore, Ostroff says the human benefits of voice inflections, facial cues and body language help marketers get their message out. The InPerson overlays invite visitors to click on them to learn more, dig deeper into a site or just hear about a new offering on a Web site.

The InPerson spokesperson helps make an emotional connection between the Web site visitor and the brand the site is promoting, Ostroff says. The result is increased response rates, retention and revenues, he says.

"What it comes down to is, the engagement factor is really predicated on some human-to-human factor," Ostroff tells Marketing Daily. "When a person is speaking to you, you are immediately engaged by it." Since it's not a cartoon or animation, it just seems more real, he adds.

Since it introduced the technology several years ago, Rovion's clients have included many of the world's leading brands such as Pontiac, Toyota, Dodge, Cisco, Microsoft, VH1, Showtime, ABC, Merck, Nascar.com, LasVegas.com, Roush Racing, the Miami Heat and Atlantic Records.

The technology has also been licensed to media groups, including Clear Channel, Raycom and Scripps to offer to their advertisers. Examples of how it works can be found at www.rovion.com/showcase.asp.

InPerson easily integrates into any Web site or ad server, requiring the site to add one line of code to its Web page or server. No additional hardware to buy, bandwidth to pay for or site redesign is necessary.

Pontiac has used the technology for the past two years to promote its NCAA scholarship program. The campaign appeared throughout the NCAA basketball tournament on Web sites including CBS SportsLine, CSTV and HighSchoolSports.net. The high click-through rate they experienced is similar to what other marketers using the technology have experienced, Ostroff says.

Companies using InPerson have experienced on average a 5% click-through rating; the industry standard is only 1%, Ostroff says.

Mile One Automotive, which has 63 auto dealerships on the East Coast, is a recent addition to Rovion's client roster. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 New Autoshopper.com Study, 67.5% of new-vehicle buyers use the Internet in their research and selection process. With more consumers seeking information online, Mile One looked to Rovion to provide an interactive component to its once static Web site.

The technology has resulted in a 900% increase in credit applications for Mile One, from 100 to 1,000 applications per month. Metrics show that 34% of visitors to mileone.com interacted with the video, and 37% of the visitors watched the entire InPerson message.