HBO - What's Next

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HBO WHAT’S NEXT 1 3  4  5 Meet Echo Executive Summary Research Our Target MEET ECHO Achieving our client’s goal is our number one objective. Like the echo of a sound wave, we listen to our clients’ needs and generate fresh insights and ideas. Replication is not our goal. We aim to filter through the clutter and discover a new perspective. Our mission is to amplify your brand and to convey your message in a way that will resonate with your intended target audience. As active listeners, communicators and storytellers, we will return your message with magnitude. We listen. We grasp. We amplify. 9 12  17  19 Wired Life Social Media Positioning Creative Brief Account Executive Stragey Media Creative Copywriter Creative Art Director 20  39  40 CreativeExecutions Budget Media Plan 41 Measurement  TABLE OF ONTENTS

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Final campaign compilation submitted to 360i as part of senior capstone project

Transcript of HBO - What's Next

  • HBO WHATS NEXT

  • 13

    4

    5

    Meet Echo

    Executive Summary

    Research

    Our Target

    MEET ECHOAchieving our clients goal is our number one objective. Like the echo of a sound wave, we listen to our clients needs and generate fresh insights and ideas. Replication is not our goal. We aim to filter through the clutter and discover a new perspective. Our mission is to amplify your brand and to convey your message in a way that will resonate with your intended target audience. As active listeners, communicators and storytellers, we will return your message with magnitude. We listen. We grasp. We amplify.

    9

    12

    17

    19

    Wired Life

    Social Media

    Positioning

    Creative Brief

    Account Executive Stragey Media CreativeCopywriter

    CreativeArt Director

    20

    39

    40

    Creative Executions

    Budget

    Media Plan

    41 Measurement

    TABLE

    OF

    CONTENTS

  • TV isnt what it used to be. The way people watch and what they choose to watch says a lot about them. When was the last time you heard someone bragging about watching Golden Girls versus Game of Thrones? Probably never. Today, people take TV very seriously. And its because your choice of show ultimately dictates how others perceive you.

    There is constant pressure for millennials to keep up with trends in order to be accepted and deemed cool by their peers. Seemingly basic decisions such as clothing or music preferences are viewed as personal reflections. The notion of everyday decisions amounting to who you are as a person holds true for TV.

    And HBO is the authentic hipster that everyone wants to be friends with.

    But if millennials are in a constant contest with one another to be cool, why arent they running to buy HBO? The truth is: they think HBO is a little too cool to ever be a real friend.

    Our target, HBO Flirts are the perfect segment of millennials on which we plan to focus our attention. They already love the shows but only have one or two favorites which isnt a strong enough motivator to purchase. HBO Flirts also fear the price point that comes along with a premium product.

    HBO Flirts could be easily swayed if given reason to believe that HBO is an attainable friendship that will provide endless entertainment and cool points to impress trendy peers.

    How? We will position HBO to be more of an attainable friendship the still cool yet more approachable hipster that understands where millennials are in their lives. HBO is, after all, already perceived as the trendsetter of television networks incorporating complex, real characters into their shows that perfectly match the unique personalities and lives of millennials. HBO also has been known to set the precedent in terms of quality. In nearly every genre, HBOs content comes out on top and delivers the smart, stimulating content millennials seek.

    We developed a campaign that proves to HBO Flirts the necessity to purchase HBO. Why HBO? Because HBO is the only network that understands millennials and will help them to keep up with the cool kids.

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    HBO is Whats next.

  • RESEARCHOur task was to build brand equity for HBO within the millennial market. To do so, we knew we needed to inject the HBO brand into todays cultural conversation, drive advocacy and participation in social platforms and develop a badass campaign that would break through the clutter.

    We had to carve out something unique, personable and memorable if we wanted to differentiate from our main competitors: Netflix, cable and premium television networks and illegal downloading sites. We may not be able to scream louder than the rest of them, but hey we are HBO. We dont need to. We not only created an integrated campaign but one that resonates with our target audience of HBO Flirts.

    6 in-depth interviews

    3 ethnographic studies

    27 research, scholarly & newspaper articles examined6 survey responses

    2 FOCUS GROUPS

    social listening

  • 180 Survey responses

    These are people who usually watch at least one HBO show semi-regularly or regularly. They often feel passionately about their favorite show and enjoy taking part in the fan obsession. They are in love with the complex story lines and the high quality that their favorite HBO show offers. They feel a strong connection with their favorite HBO show mainly because the content mirrors the struggles in their own life.

    HBO Flirts are ambassadors when it comes to promoting their favorite show, however they are not fully committed to the brand. They find no need to purchase HBO. It is often cited as too expensive, and they have a wealth of other ways to watch. They watch with friends, borrow HBO Go passwords or illegally stream content. They find no value in purchasing HBO because they are only invested in one show the value does not supersede the cost.

    These HBO flirts are adventurous and are often the first in their friend group to try new things. They like to stand out in a crowd, often finding passion points to help distinguish themselves from others. We found through proprietary research that many HBO Flirts have extensive knowledge on one particular topic. These passion points ranged anywhere from cars to entertainment to sports depending on the person.

    HBO Flirts are spontaneous, adventurous, and social. They love going out with their friends and experiencing new and exciting things in their free time. They are usually the center of attention, never being shy about sharing their opinions with others.

    OUR TARGET 18 - 24 college students

    HBO FLIRTS

    I feel like its the best.

    They have the trendiest shows.

    They have less episodes per shows, so they are produced better.

    PEOPLE SAY MY ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGIOUS 181

    PEOPLE SAY I AM EXPRESSIVE WHEN SHARING MY OPINIONS WITH OTHERS

    140

    PEOPLE ARE OFTEN SURPRISED BY THE THINGS I KNOW 145

    I WORK HARD TO CONVINCE OTHER ABOUT THINGS I BELIEVE IN

    176

    HBO FLIRTS INDEX

    I OFTEN DO THINGS SPUR OF THE MOMENT 168

    I LIKE TO STAND OUT IN A CROWD 221

    I LIKE TO PURSUE A LIFE OF CHALLENGE NOVELTY AND CHANGE

    149

    I WORK HARD TO CONVINCE OTHER ABOUT THINGS I BELIEVE IN

    176

    I LIKE TO DO THINGS THAT ARE UNCONVENTIONAL 180

    I LIKE TO TRY NEW THINGS NO ONE ELSE HAS

    238

    I AM OFTEN CHOSEN TO BE THE SPOKESPERSON IN MY GROUP 196

    Passion Points An area of knowledge that they are particularly knowledgeable in. People with passion points often have more knowledge on that particular topic than the general population.

    # Answer Response %

    Movies 80 51

    Casual hangouts with friends 137 88

    Going out (bars, clubs. etc.) 105 67

    Going out to eat dinner 88 56

    Other 11 7

    HBO FLIRTS INDEX

    What are your favorite social activities?

  • College Students and Their Money

    Most of the HBO Flirts are on a shoe string budget. Cash flow is tight and they must make decisions on what they deem is valuable enough to spend their money on. In fact, after speaking to these millennials and asking them why they dont have HBO the number one reason was that it was just too expensive.

    But was is too expensive? Through our survey we found that 49% of HBO Flirts believed that HBO cost over $20 dollars a month. Furthermore, when we asked them which subscription networks they currently subscribe to and wish they subscribed to 23% of respondents said they were interested in HBO but did not think they could afford it. HBO gathered the most interest surpassing their interest in Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, and Pandora. When we dug deeper, we found that many perceived the cost to be much more because of the top-quality shows that the company produces. Most were extremely surprised that HBO often costs less than $20 a month.

    #1 reason to not buy HBO was that it was too expensive.

    Currently only 28% of people in this age group would ask their parents to pay for HBO.

    Only 17% like HBO enough to be willing to pay for it themselves.Live TV

    THE WATCHING EXPERIENCE

    17%

    30%

    20%

    8%

    11%

    5%4%

    We found that HBO Flirts have various ways they like to watch their preferred shows. Some enjoy watching their favorite episodes with other fanatics, because of their shared enthusiasm for the show. Others enjoy watching the episodes on their own, so they can focus on the storyline. No matter the manner of viewing, HBO Flirts all love sharing their TV experience.

    86% of our target is likely to talk to friends about shows they watch.

    WIRED LIFE

    Premium Chan

    nels (HBO,

    Starz, Showti

    me, etc) R

    ecorded TV Netflix HBO Go

    Other online s

    treaming

    sites (Hulu, Dir

    ectTV online, e

    tc) Legally online

    2%

    Other

  • 75% of people in this age group are likely to watch TV with friends

    Other

    88% are likely to watch TV alone.

    I kind of like True Detective with a friend, youre always waiting for it so you watch it with a big group of people.

    For True Detective, you have to watch alone because it requires a lot of attention or concentration, cant concentrate

    with other people around.

  • Effectiveness of Digital v. Traditional Advertising According to US Millennial Smartphone Users, Jan 2014 % of total

    Theyre mosteffective whenused together 17%

    Digital ads aremore effective 36%

    Theyre equally effective 28%

    Traditional adsare more effective 19%

    Source: Adroit Digital, Millennials: The New Age of Brand LoyaltyMarch 18, 2014

    Millennials are digital natives. They live and breathe social media to incomparable degrees. The HBO flirts are no different.

    For millennials, traditional advertising does not get noticed in the cluttered marketplace. 19% of millennials maintain that traditional ads are effective but almost twice as many (36%) contended that digital ads are more effective. They favor advertising on new media. While statistics show that brand value is largely influenced by television, 60% of millennials find that social media can craft and impact brand perception.

    Specifically, Facebook and Twitter are two of the greatest springboards for conversation among millennials. In fact, 5 in 6 millennials connect with brands via Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Most content sharing takes place on Facebook. Of all internet users, 70% post on their Facebook walls as opposed to sharing information in-person (36%). Interestingly, compared to the other age groups sampled, millennials are most likely to make a purchase based on a friends social media post.

    SOCIAL MEDIA

  • 17%

    30%

    91%

    39%

    27%27%

    46%

    Age 18-34

    FACEBOOK

    INSTRAGRAM

    TWITTER

    TUMBLR

    PINTEREST

    LINKEDIN

    SNAPCHAT

    U.S. Penetration Among Selected leading Social NetworkscomScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform, U.S., Age 18+, November 2013

    *Selected social networks based on those with at least 1 billion combined desktop, smartphone and tablet minutes in November 2013

  • HBO is attractive, smart and brings something different to the table. It is the authentic hipster. It has an individual style and always keeps up with the next cool thing. As HBO currently stands, its a little too cutting edge and exclusive, which deters millennials from considering purchase.

    HBO Flirts perceive HBO as someone who is just a little out of their friend zone. This is in contrast to Netflix the no pressure friend. To further explain millennials relationship with Netflix, they feel comfortable lounging around with Netflix all day and dont feel pressured to impress. They have a wide variety of mediocre content with only a few interesting shows. Netflix remains popular among millennials because its perceived to be the best choice for a low price point. In other words, Netflix is the safe choice.

    But no matter how comfortable these HBO Flirts are with the no pressure friend, they still flirt with the idea of being friends with the authentic hipster. They love talking about their favorite shows but wont take the relationship any further than that.

    Unlike Netflix, HBO delivers smart and engaging content that fits the unique personalities of HBO Flirts. Furthermore, HBO stimulates the mind and incorporates honest dialogue reflective of the lives of millennials. HBO Flirts need to be exposed to the diverse offerings HBO delivers in order to build a strong friendship you cant become best friends with someone you know very little about. We will prove that HBO can be a best friend, if you give them a chance.

    We need HBO flirts to commit to this friendship. And to do so, we will demonstrate how HBO is the only network that contains the smart, relatable content they seek. We plan to leverage our findings to build a long-standing friendship.

    HBOS POSITIONINGTHE AUTHENTIC HIPSTER

    Well I don't know much about HBO... I figure it's included in a tv plan of about 40 or 50 a month... By itself?

    - GOT Flirt

  • CREATIVE BRIEF

    OBJECTIVE: BUILD ENOUGH BRAND EQUITY SO MILLENNIALS ARE INCLINED TO PURCHASE HBO WITH THEIR CABLE PACKAGES

    TARGET: 18-24 HBO FLIRTS WHAT THEY CURRENTLY THINK: HBO HAS GREAT SHOWS BUT THEY ARE EXPENSIVE, AND I HAVE OTHER OPTIONSWHAT WE WANT THEM TO THINK: HBO UNDERSTANDS WHO I AM

    SINGLE MOST COMPELLING PROMISE: HBO IS THE ONLY NETWORK WITH CONTENT THAT EMBRACES AND INCORPORATES THE COMPLEX PERSONALITIES OF HBO FLIRTS. THEY KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING

    REASONS TO BELIEVE: SHOWS ARE A REFLECTION OF WHO WE ARE. PEERS CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A PERSON BY WHAT THEY WATCH AND SIMILAR FRIENDS WATCH SIMILAR SHOWS. HBO SHOWS TALK ABOUT CURRENT TOPICS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT TO MILLENNIALS LIKE BEING YOUNG AND GROWING UP IN A BIG CITY, OR BEING GAY AND PROUD. THEY HAVE SHOWS THAT SPEAK TO THE CONCERNS OF MILLENNIALS. AND THE BEST PART IT COSTS LESS THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK.

    TONE: BOLD, CURRENT, RELATABLE

    MANDATORIES: ELEMENT OF PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT, EXPERIENTIAL, SOCIAL

    CREATIVE

    WHATSNEXT

  • EVENTWhats Next as a tagline has many meanings. It encompasses how HBO is forward thinking, trend setting and incorporates the lives of millennials. It streamlines HBOs new brand identity in a confident and unifying way. The first of our creative tactics is a gallery event that showcases innovations of the future.

    The event would contain all of the latest innovations in a variety of categories: art, music, fashion, food, and technology. HBO branded materials would be subtly placed throughout the venue so event participants would know that HBO is behind the event.

    The event would solidify to our target HBOs positioning as being cutting edge and forward thinking.

  • LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, WE WOULD RUN RICH MEDIA ADS DRIVING TRAFFIC TO HBO GO AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO ENTER TO BE INVITED TO ATTEND THE GALLERY EVENT.

    THOUGHT LEADERS

    Beauty GuruMichelle Phan @MichellePhan

    Forever storyteller and dreamer.

    Believer of love and light. - Mish

    New York/Los Angeles MichellePhan.com

    Fashion/LifestyleEmily Schuman @byEmily

    I write the blog (and best-selling book) Cupcakes and Cashmere, a lifestyle guide to

    elevating everyday.

    Los Angeles, CA cupcakesandcashmere.com

  • HBO is at

    Thought leaders including top so-cial media personalities as well as HBO actors would also post/tweet to lead people to answer Whats Next? and to enter the contest.

    TechnologyHarry McCracken @harrymccracken

    TIME technology scribe. Technologizer founder.

    Boy journalist. Bon vivant.

    Silicon Valley technologizer.com

  • Once on HBO GO, upon clicking the Whats Next tab, people will be able to choose between several options. They can take a personality quiz determining the next show they could get hooked on, or they could browse the Whats Next Sneak Preview Gallery. After watching sneak previews, they will be prompted to submit their own videos to be invited to the gallery event. They will also be encouraged to share their videos on social media.

  • Anyone who participates in making a video will be invited to the event and their will be online streaming of the events for anyone who cant make it. The top 25 videos with the most votes will receive an all expense paid trip to the event in one of the five disclosed locations.

    HOUSTON

    CHICAGONEW YORK

    LOS ANGELES

    PHILADELPHIA

  • Digital videos and rich media ads will run throughout the year after the event closes continuing the campaign and incorporating HBOs content.

    The videos will show how HBO has evolved since its origin and adapted to the complex personalities of millennials. They will demonstrate the forward-thinking nature of millennials and the brand.

    The digital video will end with an interactive banner that will provide a quick overview of different trends to help millennials stay up-to-date with cultural conversation.

    EVOLVE WITH US

    DIGITAL VIDEO

    VIDEOS

  • BANNERADS

  • FACEBOOKFor us, Facebook is not just about getting the (most) likes. In fact, statistics reveal that Facebook likes have no serious impact on purchase intent. Only 13% say they are more likely to commit to buy after having liked a brand on Facebook. But we recognize the platforms enor-mous potential. Facebook users have conveyed their expectations for what happens after liking a brand: Interaction with other customers and share my experiences. These users crave an outlet for personal expression and collaborative exchange. So, were giving them that space. The virtual invitation to our Whats Next live event/gallery will be extended through Facebook, prompting our target to create videos of themselves explaining what they believe to be the next big cultural phenomenon. Whats more, 67% of Facebook users expect to receive exclusive offers.

    HBOGOThe marketing of the live event will also live on HBOs website, an integral part of its digital ecosystem. Avid fans flock to the website for updates and discussions. HBO flirts flock to the website to be included in (the latest) conversation. The website will not only help pivot the target toward HBO shows but also entice them into active participation.

    TWITTERThough Twitter can give Facebook a run for its money in popularity, it is limited in word count flexibility. But a lot can be said in 140 char-acters. Even more is conveyed by celebrity tweets. We intend to leverage the power of influence wielded by thought leaders, actors/char-acters of HBOs most popular shows in encouraging fan video entries. In the weeks leading up to the live event/gallery, the paid tweets will help launch the campaign to be front-and-center in consumers minds.

    WHY SOCIAL?

  • HBO will continue to post on its social media platforms after the event closes using tweets from followers that best tie into Whats Next.

    The ads will run on popular sites HBO Flirts frequent such as YouTube, ESPN, IMDB and Facebook.

  • BUDGETTo tackle the problem of perceived cost, we will run promotional deals in the form of direct mail and email blasts. The promotions will encourage HBO Flirts to split the cost of HBO subscriptions. We will show them that sharing could mean that they only need to pay $5 or $10 a month for HBO once weve built brand equity with our campaign. The promotions will run in late August at the beginning of the academic year after the event closes encouraging millennials to subscribe together with friends and roommates. The promotion will also include deal of 10% off your first six months if you refer a friend to subscribe.

    DIRECT MAIL

    # Budget

    Direct Mail/Promotions $2,200,000

    Rich Media $2,250,000

    Digital Video $1,067,000

    Website Renovation $5,000

    BuzzFeed $120,000

    E-mail Blasts $547,000

    Events 1,000,000

    Facebook $690,000

    Twitter $552,000

    Total $8,431,000

  • MEDIA PLANWe plan to use a series of methods to gauge the success on the campaign. The results of these evaluations will determine the suc-cess of our campaign and help shape and/or change parts of the campaign moving forward.

    Awareness and perceptionWe will begin with an awareness survey, which we will be conducted before and after the campaign. The pre- campaign survey will be sent to a random sample of college students within the target market gauging their knowledge of HBOs content and cost. The post-campaign survey will measure the effectiveness of campaign determining if the perception of cost and HBO offerings is accurate.

    InteractionWe will also measure the interactivity on the Whats Next HBO web page by tracking website traffic. We will examine how long people go the page and how long they stay on it. We will also track the click-through rates from the rich media. As well as track the likes and shares from the HBO social media outlets, the thought leaders twitter accounts, and the user generated content.

    EffectivenessFinally, we will see if purchase consideration has gone up by interviewing students at the beginning of the school year and de-termine how many are thinking of purchasing HBO with their cable package. As well as examine actual purchases by comparing purchases by millennials in previous years.

    MEASUREMENTJune July August September October November December January Feburary March April May Traditional Direct mail Promotional Tie-Ins

    OHHWhats Next Gallery

    Digital E-mail Blasts

    Rich Media_EventRiche Media_Brand

    Digital Video_Event

    Digital Video_Brand

    HBO Page

    BuzzfeedSocialFacebook

    Twitter