TVNZ GETS INSIGHTFUL WITH CONTENT PARTNERSHIPS

Marketers everywhere are grappling with putting together integrated campaigns that work. TVNZ helps brands connect more powerfully with audiences through its insight led content solutions.

You don’t need to be an expert to understand that things are changing rapidly in the media business—and television is no exception. Technology and media fragmentation are driving changes in viewing behaviour, while ratings methodologies are not quite in step with the pace of change. The struggle is real for marketers looking to achieve reach and be effective doing it. But thanks to its two-fold approach incorporating insights and its in-house content solutions initiatives among other efforts, TVNZ is helping to solve some of these issues for its advertisers.

“What we’re doing is just talking to our viewers more and more and more,” says Kathryn Mitchell, TVNZ’S group insights manager. “Whereas previously we relied on traditional market data to understand what audiences wanted, we’ve shifted that to have a bit more of a conversation.”

While ratings data still obviously plays a hugely important role, the broadcaster complements that by getting closer to viewers through polls, surveys, user experience feedback and segmentation efforts to achieve a much deeper understanding of audience behaviour and needs. Last year, TVNZ launched The Green Room, now a thriving 10,000-strong online community where members help shape TVNZ’S thinking across a range of content, distribution and brand decisions.

Mitchell says: “Having this closer relationship with our viewers through the likes of The Green Room has enabled our business to be far more nimble in making insight fuelled enhancements while a show is mid-season. It’s a win-win for all.”

The insights are funneled into the usual suspects like marketing and distribution, and in addition they’ve been central to the collaborative work of the Content Solutions team. “We’re working to understand a lot more about how our viewers respond to different types of programming,” explains Lyndsey Francis, TVNZ’S general manager of content solutions. “Why they’re there, who they are and therefore how can brands take advantage of that relationship that the viewer has with the show to then create a story for the brand, either within or around that show.”

Armed with that understanding, Francis’ team can make an insights-backed case to a client then report on it during and after a campaign. “Nearly all of our big priorities, sponsorships and