The power of video
With television viewership strong and on-demand viewing growing at light speed, smart marketers are leveraging their brands across these video mediums to drive effectiveness and results
With more time spent watching than ever before, TV is still Kiwis’ favourite pastime by a country mile.
At the heart of popular culture, its influence is undeniable and its appeal universal.
Leading the way is TVNZ, connecting to 2.5 million Kiwis every day, and over 90 percent of all New Zealanders every week — that’s more than any other medium. And thanks to its focus on research- driven insights, the broadcaster outperforms all other media in terms of return on investment and sales impact, according to TVNZ head of sales Jeremy O’Brien.
Research has been “hugely influential” in the TVNZ approach, he says. “It helps us understand what works and it gives everyone a level of reassurance and confidence.”
Consequently, TVNZ has increased its major research capacity to more than 20 projects a year.
“We want to arm marketers with the facts to make better decisions at the beginning of a campaign,” says O’Brien.
The approach has been successful. The Communications Agencies Association (CAANZ) named TVNZ this year’s Media Brand of the Year for capitalising on its market strength in television, and raising the bar in the online media space to deliver effective business solutions for its marketing partners.
“The award is nice recognition, but what really matters is producing quality results focused work for our advertisers,” O’Brien says. “We’ve got great solutionsminded salespeople and offer fast and vast reach, which delivers unparalleled integration possibilities across a powerful portfolio of high quality on-air and online assets.”
While time spent watching broadcast TV has remained strong, the popularity of video on demand has surged – and 2013 has been a watershed year. The explosive growth in TVNZ Ondemand streams – nudging close to four million streams a month – signals a momentous shift in viewer behaviour.
“Online continues to accelerate at light speed. TVNZ has embraced this momentum and is following viewers wherever they are,” says O’Brien. “TV’s real power doesn’t lie in the technology or devices. It starts and ends with content: the stories we tell, the way we make people feel, the compelling power of sight, sound and motion.”
Making compelling local and international video content available to viewers when and where they want it, is key to the TVNZ strategy. Video content anytime, anywhere – on-air and online – is a killer combination to drive advertiser effectiveness.
“Both are great in their own right, but they are even better together,” says O’Brien. “Marketers who use television both on-air and online enjoy big upswings in ad awareness, recall, purchase intent, increased consideration and ultimately sales.”
Wendy’s Kitchen Rules
Fast food chain Wendy’s needed to stand out from a crowded market to connect with hungry consumers. As a first-time programme sponsor, it put its name to TV2’s ratings juggernaut MyKitchenRules on-air and online.
“The MyKitchenRules deal was an efficient and effective way for us to reach our target in the cluttered peak TV viewing time, and also seamlessly weave our campaigns between TV and digital media,” says Fay Stretch, Wendy’s national marketing manager.
As a result of the combo, purchase intent among those who watched the show on TVNZ Ondemand skyrocketed by 30 percent.
Kleenex Cottonelle
Paper Dresses, now in its fourth year, is a documentary-style series of commercials made by TVNZ’s Blacksand team, and exemplifies the calibre of TVNZ’s branded content offering. The multiplatform campaign captures the drama and excitement of young designers fashioning around 20,000 metres of Kleenex Cottonelle toilet paper into beautiful cocktail dresses.
The involvement of Kiwi supermodel Kylie Bax garnered primetime attention on Seven Sharp and a Next magazine cover story. Not only that, but the show made toilet paper a social media talking point. Both outcomes sparked conversations that elevated the brand and distinguished it from its competitors.
“Branded content campaigns are highly compelling,” says O’Brien. “They allow TVNZ to collaborate even more closely with advertisers to tailor their messages — and they drive the most engaging and immersive experiences for consumers.”
Toyota’s Got Talent
Content integration made Toyota a star of TV ONE’s NewZealand’s Got Talent driving deeper connections with consumers through its involvement. Toyota supported the country-wide talent search, the Toyota Talent Tour, and was integrally entwined with the emotion of the live shows, featuring in show segments, imagery, break titles, promos and ad breaks.
By the time Marlborough schoolgirl Clara van Wel was declared the winner, Toyota had retained its number one position, increased brand association for Corolla, and increased sales for Toyota cars — up 23 percent on 2011.
The collaboration with TVNZ was a core pillar in the broader Toyota sales and marketing plan for 2012, which drove sales of the entire Toyota range of new and used vehicles. The company saw a 19 percent increase in share of consideration among serious potential purchasers, and 17 percent higher consideration for Toyota after exposure to New Zealand’s Got Talent across digital media.
“No-one else comes close to matching TVNZ’s ability to connect with huge audiences across multiple touch points,” O’Brien says. “This partnership is a shining example of how, working closely with our clients, TVNZ creates business solutions that effectively prompt action and deliver tangible results.”
For more information on driving effectiveness for your brand on-air and online, please contact Jeremy O’Brien on (09) 916 7491 or jeremy.obrien@tvnz.co.nz.