by Laurie Sullivan, Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 23, 2017

Hooked on Phonics, a literacy and learning program, has undergone some major changes in the way it reaches consumers in the past 30 years. More recently the company has been focusing on digital products such as a Web-based program and mobile application for Windows, iOS and Android devices.

“We’ve gone from putting Hooked on Phonics on TV everywhere, to reaching families with specific age groups,” said Austin Feld, director of user acquisition at Hooked on Phonics. “Digital has allowed us to have a better relationship with our customers.”

For instance, Hooked on Phonics can message consumers who decide to participate in the seven-day trial. Through that trial period, the brand can message users based on how they use the product. A system of rewards is given to children who participate in the program, which also keeps parents up to date on their child’s progress.

That shift to digital drove Feld to work with Lucktastic, a free app and entertainment site, which hosts a high rate of young “highly engaged” mothers on the site — and enables Hooked on Phonics to reach this demographic, who are more likely to download its app, through video.

Hooked on Phonics uses video advertising on Lucktastic to reach potential consumers. Those videos unlock games on Lucktastic. Players must watch videos before they gain access to one of the mini games.

The site uses first-party data such as gender, age and psychographics to serve the correct video. The company claims that this level of first-party data targeting helps to generate high video completion rates, at more than 80%.

The Lucktastic app reaches about 12 million unique U.S. consumers monthly who play on an average of 3.8 days per week.

Lucktastic also helps to drive more than 60 million engagement moments for gaming apps, brands and ecommerce players primarily through native video.

Hooked on Phonics’ Feld said the most valuable traffic is organic from people who take an action on their own to search for their brand. “Generally we see a higher conversion rate when they find you on their own,” he said.

For Hooked on Phonics, that conversion rate today stands at about 2.1 times more often from a free trial, compared with traditional ad networks.

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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