WTHR Indianapolis embarked on a seven-month research project to check the health of the station’s “News Leader” brand. The goal was to enable WTHR to connect better with its viewers in authentic and meaningful ways.
We often get checkups to make sure nothing’s going on inside our bodies that might threaten our health. Even though we feel healthy, there could be something lurking that we can’t see or feel. So we routinely seek professional help to reassure ourselves that all is well.
And it’s good business for TV stations (and brands in general) to occasionally test the health of their brands to make sure there are no underlying issues in the minds of consumers and viewers.
WTHR, Tegna’s NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, recently embarked on its own checkup, to check on the health of its brand as the market news leader, even though the station has felt healthy for years.
“WTHR has been the news leader for decades,” says Christine Warren, WTHR’s marketing director “I really wanted to dive into what does that really mean?”
The station commissioned a research project to collect data, held focus groups and asked staff for feedback.
Warren says the station has historically been the No. 1 local TV news source across the board in all dayparts. Currently, WTHR is the top choice in early and latenight newscasts, according to the station. However, the Fox affiliate in the market leads morning news with six hours of local news from 4 to 10 a.m. WTHR’s morning news airs from 4 to 7 a.m. then goes to Today.
“As the competitive landscape continues to expand and media consumption habits change every day, our station reached a pivotal moment to truly define who we are and what we stand for,” Warren says.
Thus, the research project “Brand Health Journey” that took seven months, an inclusive process working across all departments at the station — news, marketing, digital, production, engineering and sales — on what it means to be a leader.
The goal was to enable WTHR to connect better with the community and its viewers in authentic and meaningful ways.
In 2023, Warren and her staff shared a video internally with the entire station staff that defined what the news leader brand is all about:
And here is the promo that aired on WTHR:
Warren says the station followed that image spot with some POBs (proof of brand) promos, “reminding and reinforcing why we are the news leader.”
When you’re the dominant market leader in local news, even historically, the challenge is to hold on to that position. Research can help you identify your strengths and any weaknesses that might be creeping into your position, so you can take steps to address them.
WTHR’s strengths are its talent, Warren says. “Our team has been in the market and a noticeable familiar face for decades, very long tenure. They’re trusted, they’re reliable. Research shows that.”
However, research also tracked areas of opportunity where the station could improve with their talent, she says.
To address that issue, the station took steps to get the talent back out in the community.
“That helps a lot,” Warren says.
Recently, WTHR launched a new image campaign to demonstrate their reverence for the journalistic process.
Warren tasked Heath Benfield, the station’s marketing producer, to create a news leader campaign that focused on the main reason viewers watch WTHR — its people.
“He did a great job,” Warren says. “Our approach was a more introspective, thoughtful and natural tone, an authentic delivery to the viewer about connecting with them,” she says.
Benfield’s creative approach was to give the campaign a cinematic production style of the team’s newsgathering thought process.
“And that’s where the authenticity comes in,” Warren says. “Their conversational tone reflects their personalities, giving viewers an inside, up close glimpse into how they approach each day.”
Warren says the station will continue to reinforce the station’s brand as the market’s news leader, “leaning on the station’s legacy and the trusted team of talent at 13News.”
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