Buzz

							  Super Bowl

A case study in BUZZ.
     2005 Vital Statistics
• 41.1     Rating – Percent of TV
  households that were watching.
• 33.2     Rating for viewers 18-49
  (10% lower than last year)
• 86.1million Average number of
  viewers watching the game (down 4
  million from 2004)
     2005 Vital Statistics
• 23.1 million Viewers for “The
  Simpsons” after game. Largest for
  series since 1993; 11.2 rating in
  viewers 18 to 49 was show’s best
  since 1992.
     2005 Vital Statistics
• 62 share   Percent of HUTS
• #1 audience in Fox history
         2004 Audience
7pm      42.8/62
7:30pm   44.0/62
8pm      45.2/62
8:30pm   45.1/61
9pm      44.9/60
9:30pm   44.6/62
10pm     50.5/57
          After the Game
• Post game show
  – 2004: 35.0/50
  – 2005: 23.1 million; 11.2 rating in
    viewers 18-49
• Post-post game show
  – 2004: Debut of “Survivor: All Stars
    (10:45pm-12m); 20.2/33
  – 2005: “American Dad” 15.1 million
    (11:16pm)
Network Season Standings
    after Super Bowl
1.   CBS
2.   ABC (tie)
3.   Fox (tie)
4.   NBC
            Commercials
• Cost
  – $2.4 million for 30 seconds
• Sources
  – http://www.superbowl-
    ads.com/2005/index.html
 USA Today Poll - Rankings
• 8.65    Anheuser-Busch
  – Pilot jumps out of plane for six-pack of Bud
    Light after skydiver refuses.
• 8.06    Ameriquest Mortgage
  – Store customer's cell phone chat
    misunderstood to be robbery.
• 7.94    Anheuser-Busch
  – American troops get standing ovation
    thank you at airport.
 USA Today Poll - Rankings
• 7.86   CareerBuilder.com
  – Guy in boardroom won't kiss-up to
    monkey boss — but one monkey
    does.
• 7.81   CareerBuilder.com
  – Guy sits on whoopee cushion as
    prankster monkey colleagues laugh.
       Buzz
Word of Mouth Marketing
          Definitions
• Word of mouth (comments) about a
  brand
• The aggregate of all person-to-
  person communication about a
  particular product, service, or
  company at any point in time.
     Buzz travels
in invisible networks
  Importance of networks
• Companies are not selling to
  individual customers but rather to
  networks of customers
   Reasons for increased
  importance of networks
• Customers can hardly hear you – too
  much information (Instead: They
  listen to their friends)
• Customers are skeptical
• Customers are connected
  (Especially, Internet)
         Network Hub
• Individuals who communicate with
  more people about a certain product
  than the average person does.
• Opinion leaders
• Influencers, lead users, power
  users.
        Generating Buzz
• Buzz calls for a different attitude, a
  different approach to promotion
  than is typical.
• Buzz is about newness.
• Creating buzz is an active process:
  You have to work at it.
         Creating Buzz
• Seed mega-hubs and regular hubs
  (grassroots)
• Use a sneak preview – capture the
  imagination of a selected group
• Create surprises – People talk about
  the unexpected
• Be outrageous
         Creating Buzz
• Create opportunities to “go behind
  the scenes”
• Include a human drama – use
  celebrities – testimonials.
• Stage an event
• Create a simple pass-it-on
  promotion (web site; e-mail)
         Creating Buzz
• Maintain visibility – physical
  presence
• Provide ways for users
  (listeners/viewers) to talk to one
  another (events, Internet bulletin
  boards, etc.)
• Explore all possible networks
How Broadcasters/Cable
Channels Can Brand and
     Create Buzz
  On-Air Promotion Goals
• Most important vehicle for
  promoting programs and images:
  own air. More so on TV due to higher
  usage - esp. of networks.
• On air on radio and cable must be
  supplemented by other media.
  On-Air Promotion Goals
• Change of attitude about on-air
  promotion: Previously second to
  paid advertising for use of air.
• Promotion departments contract
  with sales for fixed positions.
  Goals for Cable Systems
       and Networks
• Need for cross-channel promotion -
  esp. to promote premium services
• Need to retain subscribers and
  reduce disconnects
• Need to promote flagship cable
  services in print: HBO/Cinemax,
  CNN, TNT, TBS program events
      External Promotion
• All marketing plans must include a
  strategy for using other media.
  – Newspapers - decreasing in use - older
    audiences
  – TV advertising on Radio - increasing
    due to ability to target
    External Promotion
– Radio advertising on TV - often
  prohibitively expensive, so done on
  trade basis or part trade.
– Cable TV on Broadcast TV
– Magazines - for major events
– Outdoor
– Website advertising
– TV guide and TV supplements
       Setting Goals

• Promotion is most
  discretionary budget a
  broadcaster has to manage.