Hakuhodo DY Media Partners develops “Full Golf”,
an Android app designed to enhance golf tournament and live broadcast content

Hakuhodo DY Media Partners (HDYMP) in partnership with Digital Advertising Consortium Incorporated (DAC) have developed “Full Golf”, an Android smartphone app designed to stimulate interest in golf tournaments and live broadcasts and enhance content by providing smartphone users with a virtual game linked to golf tournaments and broadcast programming. HDYMP operates out of Minato-ku, Tokyo under the leadership of president and CEO Hisao Omori. DAC is based in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo and is led by company president & CEO Hirotake Yajima.

As smartphones become increasingly popular, more and more sei-katsu-sha are using their smartphones to watch programs and gather information about them at the same time, an activity known as “double-screen” viewing.

Based on sei-katsu-sha-media relationship and characteristics, “Full Golf” is able to cultivate a sense of familiarity with golf content by providing sei-katsu-sha with a virtual game linked to golf tournaments and program information. What’s more, releasing the app before tournaments can help both promote tournament attendance and increase program viewing.

And besides linking to programming and golf tournaments, the app can be customized in line with corporate needs and used in marketing as an original entertainment- and participatory-based game app.

After downloading the app, the user swings his or her smartphone like a golf club and the smartphone’s speed sensor detects the swing’s head speed and impact angle. The app then uses the data to calculate the trajectory and distance of a golf ball and displays the results on the screen. What’s more, players can use the smartphone’s telecommunication features to share and rank their results with others.

With a design based on actual tournament golf courses and with links to live programming and information, the app provides the user an experience that is like competing with pro golfers on an actual tournament course.

For the first release, we have developed and released “the Kyoraku More Surprise Smartphone Cup app” in conjunction with “the Kyoraku More Surprise Cup 2013 for active seniors” to be held Friday, June 7 through Sunday, 9.

Users who download the app can take part in a virtual nearest-to-the-pin and long-drive contest at the tournament course’s 16^th and 18^th holes on their smartphone screen. The app displays and ranks the results, and the first place performer is featured on the live broadcast, Gold Digest Online, and elsewhere, and given a prize.

The app is also closely tied to live broadcasts with such features as a special club that explains details when watching a live broadcast.

The HDYMP corporate philosophy is to be “the force behind media design”. As we look ahead and at an evolving media environment that continues to create even more ways for sei-katsu-sha to interact with media, we will continue to actively develop ways to revalue broadcast, sports, and other entertainment content by providing new ways for sei-katsu-sha to experience their smart devices and other digital technology.