Every consumer wants more for their dollar. More gas, more food, more house. The promise of “more” is a marketable, competitive advantage. Just ask retail giant Target. And even when the product is free, like local TV news, telling viewers they can expect more can be a differentiator for viewers who think all newscasts are […]
Every consumer wants more for their dollar. More gas, more food, more house.
The promise of “more” is a marketable, competitive advantage. Just ask retail giant Target.
And even when the product is free, like local TV news, telling viewers they can expect more can be a differentiator for viewers who think all newscasts are the same.
The trick is whether it’s true and can you prove it.
Louisville, Ky., may be “the most competitive news market in the country”, according to Adam Frary, the marketing director for the NBC affiliate there, WAVE.
“It’s a tight news race here,” Frary says, “all of the local TV stations are within a point or two of being No. 1. In February, WAVE 3 News was No. 1 or No. 2 in every newscast in adults 25-54.”
In January, WAVE began using the promise of “expect more” into its image promotion.
“We know we have to prove it to them,” Frary says. “Viewers expect more, but we have to show them how they get more in WAVE’s newscasts.”
One area where WAVE claims more is in weather. WAVE is the only news operation in town with six meteorologists and the only one rated “most accurate” by WeatheRate, a paid service that verifies the accuracy of TV weather forecasts.
I think this spot does a convincing job of explaining the need to keep an eye on the spring weather forecasts.
The value of local TV news extends beyond the scheduled newscasts these days. Through your phone or tablet, local news is instantly accessible, and constantly updating. I think this spot demonstrates that concept well.
Regardless the market size, I think the “look” of local TV news marketing has increased dramatically, thanks to lower-cost, higher-quality cameras. The WAVE spots were shot with the Blackmagic Cinema camera, and all of the music comes from Killer Tracks.
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