It is the goal of local TV news marketers to engage our viewing audience and to motivate them to watch your stations’ news. We do this by airing news topicals, news image or special report promos. Of course we do. But for all of the local TV news promos that air around the country every […]
It is the goal of local TV news marketers to engage our viewing audience and to motivate them to watch your stations’ news. We do this by airing news topicals, news image or special report promos.
Of course we do. But for all of the local TV news promos that air around the country every day, how do we know what works?
On Wednesday morning’s session at last week’s 2015 PromaxBDA Station Summit, Graeme Newell and Greg Derkowski of 602 Communications presented “Breakthrough Local Marketing: What’s Working, What’s Not—And Why,” a look at how to make your news promotion break through the sea of sameness that characterizes most local TV news promotion.
In Thursday morning’s session at the summit at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Magid presented research that goes to the heart of the matter — measure scientifically what speaks to TV viewers, what engages them and motivates them to watch your news.
Again, how timely, given that the 2015 TVNewsCheck/Market Share survey of creative services directors shows that this is the overwhelming answer creative services directors want from the marketing VP — share success stories, what works.
They seem to be saying, teach me.
Enter Jim Thomas and Dick Haynes from Magid. Thomas is VP of marketing, and Haynes is SVP of research.
Their presentation was called, “Marketing to the Home Team: Local TV Viewers Speak Out.”
They conducted a nationwide study of 1,000 people who watch primetime TV and consume local news. The survey was commissioned by PromaxBDA and co-funded by Magid.
The study tested 14 news promos submitted from TV stations across the country.
Will they watch the news if they receive messages during primetime?
What needs to be in the messages for them to be effective?
And which medium is most effective — television, online, mobile, Facebook, or Twitter?
The study created a measurement system to judge the power of messages to entice and motivate them to watch.
Two key elements about the method of reaching viewers came out.
Television remains the most impactful among the various platforms tested, however, digital platforms are drawing closer to TV when it comes to interest and decision-making power.
Potential TV news consumers watching primetime television are multitasking and interacting with other screens and devices.
Three key tactical findings emerged from the study about what works when it comes to engaging and motivating them to watch your news.
Viewers want explicit value for investing their time in local TV newscasts.
The promise of value has to contain specifics. Point them to the qualities of a particular story, the style and tone they can expect from a TV brand and they will make their decision.
Viewers are savvy and have watched lots of video. Every message must be vetted for “fit” within the perceived brand of the TV station. If they get a feeling from the style and the promise matches, they will consider watching if it fits their lifestyle.
Of the 14 TV news promos tested, two tested “amazing,” two tested “great” and two tested “strong.”
The entire presentation will be available on these two websites in about a week:
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