The results of the 2015 TVNewsCheck/Market Share survey of local TV creative services directors, marketing execs, and promotion managers are in, and over the next few days and weeks, we’ll be sharing them. In some of the questions, we asked open ended questions for the respondents to answer. Although it’s harder to tabulate the results, […]
The results of the 2015 TVNewsCheck/Market Share survey of local TV creative services directors, marketing execs, and promotion managers are in, and over the next few days and weeks, we’ll be sharing them.
In some of the questions, we asked open ended questions for the respondents to answer. Although it’s harder to tabulate the results, we think it’s important to hear their thoughts in their own words.
Question 17 asked the survey participants, if you became the news director of your station, what’s the first thing you would do to improve the quality of the marketing and promotion?
Since news and marketing work so closely together every day, we thought we’d give the marketing execs a confidential forum to address the challenges they face.
Before I reveal some of the biggest challenges local TV news marketers face, I want to share one concrete suggestion they named to improve topical news promotion — require reporter stand-up teases from the field, more often and sooner.
I totally agree. I made a DVD, Creating a Thirst for News, about topical promotion including some suggestions for reporter stand-up teases.
I have great news about what is the biggest challenge the CSDs face when it comes to the newsroom. We are all experts at it and it can be easily fixed.
Communication between news and marketing when it comes to the brand, the strategy, the schedules, the players, the topicals, etc.
Communication between news management and marketing management, and the people on the ground in the newsroom and out in the field.
If your station has a communication gap between these two important departments, fix it immediately.
Here’s what my experience has been as it relates to communication between news and marketing on a daily basis when it comes to topical promotion.
- I spend a lot of time in the newsroom. I know who everyone is and what they do.
- I know what’s in the news. I watch the station’s newscasts. I know and honor the time constraints of those in news, and try to work within them.
- I don’t expect producers to hand me video or footage, but point me in the right direction.
- In addition to attending any editorial meetings, I talk to the show producers, reporters, photographers, reporters about their stories. I have the phone numbers of any reporters so I can call them with questions on their story. And they have my number and know that they can call me.
- I collaborate or am open to collaboration, when it comes to copy. We all want the same thing, more viewers, so we want to best marketing product possible.
- I earn the respect of news every day through my work
Differentiate the product with better content
The second biggest challenge local TV news marketers’ face is the content of the news itself.
Among the comments were these:
More investigative stories and allow enough time for reporters to bring them to fruition and for marketing to promote them.
Find stories that engage and connect with viewers.
Better in-show tease writing.
Be different. Stand out. Don’t be afraid to take chances and attract younger viewers. Do something others do not.
Focus efforts on strengths.
Here are three interesting comments quoted verbatim.
Stop focusing on POPs where we were “first,” and focus more on where we delivered the best value to our consumer. I would also task reporters with getting real people sound to use in promoting stories, and push them to find story angles that actually go beyond basics and show me something I didn’t already know or expect.
Enough with the breaking news already! You cannot build a brand on breaking news, particularly if the news isn’t relevant to anyone. A house fire is only applicable to the person whose house is on fire. People want information they can relate to, that affects their lives and touches them emotionally. Go after that and we’ll build our brand with compelling promotion and marketing that people can relate to.
Rounding out what local TV news managers would tell their news directors is the importance of the news brand, and making sure the news product delivers on the marketing promise consistently.
Making sure that the newsroom understands and respects the importance of marketing and promotion.
Stop or stem the “revolving door” of news talent.
More topical promotion and more participation in social media.
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