Case Study: The TODAY Show achieves private, scalable connections between viewers and celebrity coaches with Twilio

The TODAY Show Connects Fans To Celebrity Coaches with Twilio and Front

The TODAY Show wanted a private, scalable way for viewers to ask celebrity coaches personal questions during on-air segments without sharing personal phone numbers or relying on public social channels. The challenge was creating a simple, secure channel that felt personal enough for sensitive fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness questions.

They built a Twilio + Front texting service: viewers text a shared Twilio number, messages route into a Front inbox, and coaches reply from their browsers. The feature drove heavy engagement—questions poured in faster than coaches could answer—while enabling coaches to take shifts remotely with only a laptop, and the success prompted further SMS experimentation.

The TODAY Show

Andrew Pinzler

Head of Innovation Labs