The evolution of TV and what it means for media campaigns
Philip Ricketts, head of door to door strategy, sales and marketing at Royal Mail, says social TV offers a great opportunity for savvy marketers to use the insight generated by its users to deliver even more targeted communications…
Last month, David Abraham, the CEO at Channel 4, announced the launch of the broadcaster’s latest offering, 4Seven – a channel that will allow viewers to recap on Channel 4 shows that have caused the most online buzz over the past seven days.
It will serve as an interesting barometer of the success of social TV. However, 4Seven’s launch also offers a great opportunity for savvy marketers to use the insight generated by its users to deliver even more targeted communications.
If it takes off beyond just another catch-up service, mainstream television advertising has the potential to be even more targeted and allow brand and sales messages to be reinforced using other media, by utilising insight beyond traditional broad regional targeting, segmentation and viewer personas.
This is because media planners and marketers also have the opportunity to use data not only from television habits, but also online behaviour: keywords, search targeting, and social media data. Access to this information allows for the potential targeting of TV campaigns by household rather than genre, and therefore means consumers begin to look very different to media planners.
With this development the importance of integrated marketing campaigns, particularly using door drops and advertising mail as well as TV advertising, becomes increasingly important. Door drops, which research has revealed to be the most remembered and trusted marketing medium, can be even more effectively targeted at consumers and cleverly married with the ads being broadcast, or any banner ads and social media activity, to deliver improved cut through and ROI from any campaign.
It is noteworthy that consumers are still responding to traditional media like door drops. All over the country people have mailshots pinned to their notice boards or stored away that they plan to respond to. Soon, these will be targeted not just by information on databases but real-time insights into individual households.
In terms of creative, social TV has brought us a platform for door drops and advertising mail to create strong stand out, tell a story and create buzz. No longer does it need to be perfunctory or be heavily incentive-led to generate cut-through, instead it should be a conversation starter: something people want to talk about and interact with. For the first time, a brand can have a real and important presence within the home as opposed to a fleeting thirty seconds, which can be soon forgotten.
In addition, developments in technology are set to drive even more consumers online, particularly with printed items becoming increasingly interactive.
Digital watermarking allows brands to integrate their print and online material, and effectively engage with consumers in real time online without the need for barcodes or QR codes. Digital watermarks can be easily embedded into the existing pictures on leaflets and mailings and have no impact on the layout and design of creative mailers, unlike the impact and visible effects QR codes can cause. Furthermore, digital watermarks don’t need special inks or printing processes when embedding onto paper and the links are 100% secure.
When it comes to driving interest, developments in technology, such as digital watermarking, are making unaddressed mail even more interactive and appealing to consumers and marketers alike. In addition to new technologies, the different routes available to drive consumers online and make the most out of door drops, continues to develop.
Creative ideas, clever calls to action, well targeted, quality data, and the value of combining the traditional marketing medium of door drops and innovating digital media together will produce a strong return on investment and consumer satisfaction.
There’s no question that the integration of social media with television means that for the first time brands will know exactly who they are talking to through the broadcast route. Gone are the days when genre, region and timing are the only targeting options available. A huge amount of useful data is now available about the people watching television: tracking information such as location, sentiment, gender and volume of people talking about your product. This allows the delivery of even more targeted integrated marketing campaigns, that play on the strengths of on and offline media routes. The hit-and-hope nature of the broadcast medium is over.
Bringing the brand into a home can be difficult, but door drops and advertising mail can be the creative spark on the doormat that ignites a two-way exchange with brands and consumers off the back of these new developments in the broadcast arena.
These changes present a huge opportunity to marketers. I am incredibly excited to have a ringside seat and be a key influencer in future developments.