Case Studies: Lifetime Television

In March 1999, Lifetime Television launched the Lifetime Breast Self Examination Reminder Service to raise public awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. Visitors to Lifetime TV's Web site are given the opportunity to register for a monthly examination reminder received via email. The message reminds subscribers to perform breast self-examinations to increase the probability of discovering irregularities before they develop into advanced life-threatening stages. The service is provided free of charge and is also accompanied by information about other relevant women's health topics.

In order to maintain the Breast Self Examination Reminder Service, Lifetime TV needed a high-performance email list management software that could meet its specific needs. Shobhit Kapoor, Director of Internet Technology at Lifetime Television, said, "We needed a solution that would grant us adequate levels of convenience, reliability and security for the monthly mailing of the reminders. It was important that the product have the ability to handle a large, continually growing email database, as well as a dependable Web interface to minimize the amount of input by our technical staff for maintenance and email address addition purposes."

Lifetime TV evaluated a pool of options and finally chose L-Soft's LISTSERV^® software to create the SELFEXAM list, a one-way announcement list used exclusively for the monthly reminders. "Our email server provided no appropriate management tools that would have allowed us to set up Web-based registration for a mailing list," Kapoor said. "There were various NT and Unix-based products available, but ultimately LISTSERV was the benchmark against which they were all being measured."

Today, the Breast Self Examination Reminder list has 120,000 subscribers. "LISTSERV's ability to control the subscription process via the Internet and email has proven to be greatly beneficial," Kapoor said. "The software allows all of the registration to take place on the Web and sends the addresses directly to the SELFEXAM lists, while simultaneously sending new members a confirmation of their addition to the list."

Since the launch of the SELFEXAM list, Lifetime TV has started nine other lists about topics ranging from its most popular TV shows to special promotions and offers. Some of these include the Lifetime Weekly Highlights list, the Lifetime Vendor Special Deals list, the Division Fan list, the "Golden Girls" Fan list and the Health Weekly list. Lifetime TV's most popular list is its Email Sweepstakes Reminders list with more than 240,000 subscriptions. These new lists have given Lifetime TV the ability to keep in constant contact with users and build strong customer relationships. The station uses the lists to promote its television shows and sell advertising space. Lists about popular programs such as the "Golden Girls" help to increase the network's viewership and the price of its advertising spaces.

"We are very happy with the performance of LISTSERV," Kapoor said. "It remains easy-to-use regardless of how much the lists grow. LISTSERV has provided us with the ability to develop a more personalized relationship with our audience and to have a direct impact on their lives."

Case study written on October 16, 2001, with the assistance of Shobhit Kapoor, Director of Internet Technology at Lifetime Television; and Lisa Black, Director of Business in New Media.

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