UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 1

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS WITH MEMBERS UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES

Media Department

NOVEMBER / 2014 UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 2

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS WITH MEMBERS

Prepared by Madiana Asseraf for Annika Nyberg-Frankenhaeuser. UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 3 CONTENTS

04 13 INTRODUCTION WHERE ARE THE TRENDS LEADING US? 05 METHODOLOGY 15 WHAT SHOULD BE IMPROVED OR 06 DEVELOPED FURTHER? THE QUESTIONS 16 07 HOW COULD EBU HELP? THE ANSWERS 18 08 SUMMARY AGE GROUPS DEFINING

“YOUNG AUDIENCES”

09 WHAT ARE MEMBERS DOING TO

MONITOR THIS AGE GROUP?

11 GENERAL LINES OF MEMBERS’ STRATEGIES

UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 4 INTRODUCTION

BEING MORE RELEVANT TO YOUNGER AUDIENCES IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE VISION2020 REPORT.

Therefore, it is a priority for the EBU to support our Members to reach young audiences more efficiently.

As a result, we have created an internal group of multi- disciplinary and innovative colleagues tasked with exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge to understand the behaviour of young audiences and to anticipate trends. But how can we help Members efficiently? What do they need from us? What is already being done? What is working and what should be improved or developed further? Answering these questions was the aim of the discussions held with Members.

Colleagues working with existing expert groups in the Media Department provided us with contacts of colleagues in Members organisations that would allow us to have a general overview of the current situation and needs in the field. In all cases, the stakeholders were happy to share their views about an issue that is a clear strategic priority for all public service broadcasters.

This document contains a summary of the most important findings from the discussions. We are confident of the value of the findings because the reactions and answers were in most cases similar and provide us with concrete guidelines about how to move forward with the initiative. YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 5 METHODOLOGY

WE INTERVIEWED 37 MEMBERS FROM MORE THAN 20 ORGANISATIONS.

In most cases, programme managers, channel managers, producers, editors, strategists and managers of digital and innovation (TV, radio and online professionals): Rai, Yle, RTVE, BBC, RTVSLO, MTVA, RTE, VRT, Czech Radio, ARD, NRK, SVT, NPO, France Télévisions, Radio France, DR, RTBF, ORF, ERR, HRT, PT.

The questions were designed together with the EBU Media Intelligence Service around concrete blocs of information. At the beginning of each conversation, it was explained to interviewees what the EBU initiative is about and how the open conversation and answers would be handled.

All interviews were conducted by the same person and followed a prepared script to ensure consistency across the answers. They lasted from 20 to 30 minutes and were made by phone or in person. UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 6 THE QUESTIONS

THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS THINKING IN THE LONGER TERM WERE OPEN CONVERSATIONS • What do you think you will need to help you/your CONDUCTED AROUND THREE organization understand and reach young audiences?

DIFFERENT SECTIONS: • What are the key things you think you need to develop or improve? UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES • What do you think the EBU could do to support you to • What do you call young audiences in your achieve these objectives? organization? How do you monitor this age group? Are you currently working (or have you worked recently) on any studies aimed at understanding young audiences behavior? In what (other) ways do you monitor this age group? Where or who do you get the information from?

• What kind of information is most relevant for you when trying to understand young audience behavior?

• How do you use (and share) that information within your organization? (How does it relate to your programme strategy?) Would you be willing to share the information you have with other EBU Members?

• Are you planning to do any/more research in the future to better understand and to better reach young audiences? In what ways could the EBU could help you in this task?

CURRENT LINES IN STRATEGIES TO REACH YOUNG AUDIENCES AND CONTENT PRODUCTION

• Does your organization have a specific brand (identity) or channel which targets Young Audiences? If yes, what and how does it work in terms of programme strategy? If not, why not? • If so: what is the programme strategy of your brand/ channel and how is it different from your other brands/ channels? If not: do you plan to launch any dedicated brands or channels? If not, why not? • Are you currently producing any programmes that specifically target youth and/or children? If so, do you produce these programmes internally or are they co-productions with other organizations? If not, why not? If so, how do you work together? Would it be possible for your organization to do more in terms of co-productions in the field of children & youth programming? YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 7 THE ANSWERS

IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR ANALYSIS MORE COHERENT AND USEFUL FOR THE PROJECT, WE TRANSCRIBED* ALL OF THE ANSWERS RECEIVED IN EACH INTERVIEW AROUND THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

• Age groups to target “young audiences”;

• What are Members doing to monitor this age group?

• What is currently being done to reach young audiences? What are the general lines of the strategy?

• What will be done in 5 years’ time to reach young audiences ? Where are the trends leading us?

• What are the current challenges? What is missing or should be improved or developed further? • How can the EBU support Members in the field? programming?

The individual answers and comments around the issues mentioned above were put together and will now be summarized according to the frequency of mentions by the interviewees (= the more often answers were repeated, the earlier they will appear on our list of collective answers).

* Transcriptions of each of the interviews are available upon request UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 8 AGE GROUPS DEFINING “YOUNG AUDIENCES”

HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUNG AUDIENCES? N.B. When asking the interviewees what age group they It should be taken into account that these were the answers would use to define ‘young audiences’, these were the given by interviewees to define the age group they target when answers: developing the strategy or content for their own programmes targeting young audiences.

It may or may not coincide with the exact age group to define ‘young audiences’ at their organizations’ level.

These group ages represent the target of the colleagues interviewed to reach young audiences, their desired group ages. Nevertheless, in most cases it was mentioned that the actual average age reached is higher than the desired target, the actual average age being 40-45 years old in many of the cases.

During the discussions, there was always a clear separation between ‘young audiences’ and ‘children’. When asked about ‘young audiences’, the first answer given referred to young adults or the so-called digital natives. Therefore, during the interviews, answers were describing mainly our Members’ lines and thoughts when targeting youth, rather than children.

The kind of answers received to describe children’s programming is so different to the one describing youth programming that it would have been difficult to produce only one summary and conclusions for the two different age groups.

In addition, many of the interviewees mentioned specific activities and content for sub-groups among their target ages for young audiences.

The general difference in interests and consumption habits is often made around the idea of young adults who are still studying and live with their parents, and those who have already started a family. YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 9 WHAT ARE MEMBERS DOING TO MONITOR THIS AGE GROUP?

use of the main methods employed to know and IS INVESTING IN UNDERSTANDING YOUNG understand young audiences better. AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR IMPORTANT TO OUR N.B. The main methods used by Members to know and MEMBERS? It should be taken into account that these were the answers understand young audiences better are: given by interviewees to define the age group they target when developing the strategy or content for their own programmes The overall answer is yes. A - Studies & Research targeting young audiences.

Some of the interviewees believe they have enough • Specific studies about young audiences (general It may or may not coincide with the exact age group to define information about young audiences, but they would still ‘young audiences’ at their organizations’ level. answer: rarely or never, although some countries do e.g. like to have more: the more, the better (e.g. Yle, SVT, DR, Nordvision members do segmented research by gender France Télévisions, Radio France, ARD, RTE). and age groups through their research network);

Some of the interviewees mentioned that they think • Studies about the general population and filtered they do not have enough and they would like to segmented data about young audiences (most of the have more (e.g. Rai, NPO, RTVE, Czech Radio, MTVA, answers); RTVSLO, ORF).

• Some of our Members do these studies internally, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT YOUNG within their marketing and audience research AUDIENCES IS RELEVANT FOR OUR MEMBERS? departments (e.g. Yle, DR, NRK, France Télévisions, Radio France, ARD, ORF, VRT, RTE); and some of them commission or buy studies from external agencies and • How young people consume media (focus on tv, radio, institutions, -such as Nielsen, Ofcom, their National online, apps, mobile)? Research Institutes- (e.g. Rai, SVT, RTVE, Czech Radio, MTVA, RVSLO), although in most cases they do the • Why those who don’t watch us/read us/listen to us are analysis themselves. not doing it? B - Focus groups: live pre-tests and post-tests • How they reach us or come to us (i.e. web site and social media)? • Rather than implementing studies, new products are designed and presented to groups of young • What kind of content, programmes and formats are people (e.g. in schools or libraries across the country, being successful for (consumed by the most) young in company’s production studios) and analyse their reactions, ask them for feedback or send surveys. This people? is often done both before launching a product and/or after having launched it. (e.g. France Télévisions, Radio • What key elements drive young people to a media France, NPO, RTE, BBC, Czech Radio), although in most brand? cases the research is commissioned but the analysis is done within their own organisations or departments; • Consumption trends in specific platforms that are successful for young audiences (i.e. Youtube, Spotify, • Producers and editors go to people’s homes and watch how things work, how they behave, how they mobile in general); consume media and what for (e.g. BBC);

• What kind of stories and topics are interesting for • In-depth interviews with groups of young people young audiences? across the country.

• Where young people are?

“WE DO NOT ADDRESS YOUNG AUDIENCES HOW DO MEMBERS MONITOR YOUNG AUDIENCES? WITHOUT TALKING TO THEM FIRST”

We asked Members to identify and comment on their Renaud Allislaire, France Télévisions UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 10

WOULD MEMBERS LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT C - Web and social media analytics YOUNG AUDIENCES AT A EUROPEAN LEVEL?

• Web and social media traffic analytics (e.g. how they Although most broadcasters focus on research come to us, demographic data about who comes to us about their domestic audiences (some of them do and to what kind of content and what platform they look into European trends, but more in terms of consume the most); media production trends for young audiences than • Online opinion polls and surveys to fill in on Members’ in terms of young audience behaviour), 100% of the websites: not only about interests and trends, but members interviewed showed interest in receiving and also to collect feedback about existing products or exchanging information with other broadcasters in programmes; Europe. • Analysis of social media conversations with and by young people (e.g. sentiment analysis, what they are “IT IS IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE EVOLUTION talking about, how they talk and where). OF CONTENT IN EUROPE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE POPULARITY IS INCREASING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE”

HOW IS THE COLLECTED INFORMATION USED FOR Andrea Fabiano, Rai THEIR PROGRAMME AND CHANNEL OR STATION STRATEGIES?

In most cases, the information collected is highly connected to their programme or product strategies.

More and more production and concepts are being created based on audience insights: in some cases, results of these studies are sent to programme strategists or they are used to produce recommendations for new formats, programmes and content to help reach young audiences more effectively.

Sometimes, researchers and programme strategists and developers work even closer: they organize common meetings and workshops to design future strategies together or they design ‘portrait groups’ and think of what kinds of new content and formats these groups may be impressed with. In some other cases, producers or developers themselves take part in the process of learning more about their audiences (e.g. when they do pre-tests and post-tests about products and programmes).

Using audience insights more and more to make decisions about their programmes and channels is a goal for most of the interviewees.

“SOMETIMES WE ORGANIZE WORKSHOPS WITH PROGRAMME DEVELOPERS: RESEARCHERS ARE INVITED TO PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS AND PROVIDE PROGRAMME DEVELOPERS WITH A FRAMEWORK TO START DEVELOPING NEW IDEAS.” Lene Heiselberg, DR YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 11 GENERAL LINES OF MEMBERS’ STRATEGIES

WEB IS FIRST: WITHOUT BEING ONLINE, WE CAN’T content strategies, mainly in the form of series, movies, REACH THEM documentaries or live shows and events.

• In some cases (e.g. BBC, Yle, NPO, SVT, DR, Czech For radio, music is of course at the heart of every Radio, Latvian Television), web is the centre of the project, although most programmes integrate big doses strategy to reach younger audiences: new products are of humour and information as well. directly conceived and produced for online (web, apps, mobile, tables, social networks), and the old ones have been redesigned for the web; News also plays a key role, for example, in the form of investigative research and documentaries. But the • In other cases (e.g. ARD, Rai, France Télévisions Radio stories need to be relevant for young people (e.g. social France, RTVE, RTE, ORF, ERR), non-linear is additional issues, news about the music and technology industry to linear, but still indispensable to reach younger or independent cultural programmes) and told from the audiences: a 24/7 process to make the content also right angle; focusing on what matters to them. available and sharable online; • A few interviewees (e.g. MTVA, RTVSLO) mentioned “REACHING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH NEWS MEANS the importance of online channels to reach young SIMPLIFYING THE STORIES, MAKING USE OF SPECIFIC audiences, although admitted to be still focusing on PRODUCTION ITEMS, INVOLVING MUSIC PACKAGES AND linear distribution and that online will come at a later stage. INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES” Conor McNally, RTE

“WE HAVE MORE FANS THAN LISTENERS AND WE HAVE THE FASTEST GROWING WEB TRAFFIC” “WOW!”

Blanka Mikulaskova, Czech Radio Working to reach young people means working with another state of mind. If we want to reach them, we need to impress them (and sometimes, even to provoke ON AIR AND ONLINE, ON ME them). The key is to play and experiment with new things in an open-minded way. The key to reaching young audiences is to design programmes for them, about them and with them. The aim needs to be to make them say ‘Wow!’, not only Interactivity and social media are the key to connecting about the stories, but also about the production effects, with younger audiences and to engaging with them. for example on big events and high-quality live shows.

It is important not only to be present on all social platforms but also to create ongoing dialogues with IT IS NOT THE WHAT, BUT THE HOW them before, during and after the linear broadcast, in order to make them feel involved in the programmes In order to reach young people, we need to explore new that target them. ways to talk about the world. We are only relevant for young audiences if we tell the stories from the right angle, simplifying the content, “WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA IT IS IMPOSSIBLE making sure that the production is adapted to their TO REACH YOUNG AUDIENCES” tastes (specific rhythm, lights, music package, etc); talking the way they talk; integrating a design that will Jennifer Blochberger, ORF impress them or make them feel comfortable. They need to feel identified with what they see or listen to. MAKE ME THINK, MAKE ME LAUGH, MAKE ME DANCE

Some of the main goals to reach young audiences “WE WANT YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE IMPRESSED AND are to generate emotions and to share feelings first, SHOCKED BY OUR CONTENT” and to inform and educate, second. Entertainment, comedy, drama and news play a crucial role in their Metter Birk, DR UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 12

available online, adapting the different length of clips MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL… AN IDENTITY THEY for the different platforms is indispensable. CAN RELY ON

Several Members (e.g. ARD, France Télévisions, ORF, NEW AND GOOD DR, NPO) are opting for integrating young and talented

professionals into their teams in order to reach young Experimenting with new ideas is a need to reach young audiences more effectively. people in all platforms and genres. But even more especially in the case of radio, it means discovering new They know and understand young audiences - because music and artists for them, being their ambassadors for they are young audiences themselves -, so they are a music identity. This includes organising competitions being given the freedom to discuss and decide about to discover new talent among young people (e.g. “De what is interesting for young people and what might nieuwe lichting”, Studio Brussels or “Start to Dj”, MNM). be successful for them. These young professionals are

perceived as helping to develop stronger links with Besides discovering new music, it is important to offer young audiences (who feel more and more identified them good-quality concerts in live streaming. with the media brand) as well as to implement progressively new mindsets and structures within traditional production worlflows. “WE, AS PUBLIC SERVICE, CAN’T OFFER TICKETS TO GO TO A CONCERT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, “ALL TOPICS NEED TO BE RELEVANT, BUT MORE AS FOR EXAMPLE VIRGIN DOES... SPECIALLY THE APPROACH NEEDS TO BE THINKING ON BUT WE CAN OFFER THE CONCERT HOW YOUNG PEOPLE THINK AND HOW THEY ARE.” Sarah Weiss, ARD IN LIVE STREAMING” Matthieu Beauval, Radio France

REALITY

Broadcasting reality is also one of the key elements used by EBU Members to reach young people. This means showing young people’s environment, telling real stories about their personal experiences, holding discussions about issues that have an impact on young people’s lives (e.g. unemployment, education, social matters, etc.) or broadcasting situations and asking them how they would react if they found themselves in a similar situation.

This process involves identifying what young people want to watch, listen and read, first; what matters to them. One step further is to share the values that are relevant to young people, and sometimes even to be involved in social initiatives together with them.

“WE SHOULD GET OUR STAFF INTERESTED IN FINDING SOMETHING NEW. THINK. TRY. FAIL. TRY AGAIN” Johan Aaltonen, Yle

WHATEVER THEY WANT, WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY WANT IT “WE SHOULD FIND EASY WAYS OF TALKING ABOUT SERIOUS MATTERS” We address the rise of on demand listening in younger Marta Serava, Latvian TV age groups. Therefore, making content searchable and YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 13 WHERE ARE THE TRENDS LEADING US?

WHAT WILL BE THE music and technology industry or independent cultural programmes) and told from the right angle; focusing on NEXT STEPS TO REACH what matters to them. YOUNG AUDIENCES MORE MORE STREAMING AND ON DEMAND EFFICIENTLY? (From most to least common answers) We will produce more products that can be made available on demand and will prioritise streaming “WE ARE NOT REACHING YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT IT services (e.g. for music). COULD BE FIXED: WE SHOULD INTERACT MORE WITH “YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TIME INDEPENDANT. THEY DON’T THEM, BE MORE AVAILABLE TO THEM, INVOLVE THEM CARE ABOUT SCHEDULE. THEY WANT IT NOW” MORE IN MAKING OUR PROGRAMMES” Gerrit Kerremans, VRT Ivana Sucic, HRT

MORE EFFORTS IN CREATING YOUNG BRANDS MORE INTERACTIVITY, AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AND DIALOGUES We will work on creating separate brands for young people, with excellent online appearance and identity. The identities of these brands will be defined for We will develop more and different ways of using social specific purposes (e.g. music discovery, opinion leaders, media, probably with platforms that we still don’t bridges between institutions and citizens, etc) and know. There will be an increasing of a need to enhance thinking of allowing young people to feel identified with dialogues and conversations with young audiences, them and to perceive us as their ambassadors. and to create powerful bridges with the linear channels; for example, asking the audience to tell us how they want the show to go on during live programmes. It will “TO REACH YOUNG AUDIENCES MORE EFFECTIVELY, also become increasingly frequent to allow the users to OUR AIM IS TO CREATE BRANDS THAT LOOK YOUNGER, create their own content, edit it and upload it, in order ESPECIALLY ONLINE”. to create their own spaces for young audiences. Ignacio González, RTVE NEW WORKFLOWS AND STRUCTURES FOR A MULTIMEDIA APPROACH MORE EXPERIMENTS AND INNOVATION

We will adopt new mindsets to produce our content for We will experiment with new formats and platforms and a cross-platform approach. There will be new creative develop trial projects with existing start-ups. ways to produce this content and although there will be more online than linear channels, distribution will be made on all platforms. There will also be much more on MORE INVESTMENT IN KNOWING YOUNG AUDIENCES second screen, such as apps, games, video for radio and BETTER social platforms. We will work as multimedia brands. We will focus our activities and key priorities to increase market research and understand young audiences ONLINE AND MOBILE WILL BE AT THE CENTRE OF consumption habits better. The key will be to be in close THE STRATEGY contact with young people, to get to know them in real

life and to be constantly surrounded by them. Online thinking will be the new normal and online thinking will be the priority. We will increase our mobile, apps and online presence and will work on developing partnerships with digital platforms such as Youtube, Spotify, Facebook, etc. investigative research and documentaries. But the stories need to be relevant “WE SHOULD ASSUME LESS AND TEST MORE” for young people (e.g. social issues, news about the Matej Praprotnik, RTVSLO UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 14

“IT IS RARE TO HEAR SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT MORE QUOTES... YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA: WE SHOULD TALK AND SHOW MORE OFTEN THAT THEY CAN CHANGE THINGS” “We should fill in gaps for young people: the gaps Ivana Sucic, HRT between institutions and their real lives.” Renaud Allillaire, France Télévisions WE SHOULD GO BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL ROLE OF PUBLIC BROADCASTERS TO BECOME ACTIVE “We have to transform our mindsets, because media is CITIZENS nowadays consumed in a completely different way; it is a different world.” We will provide help within communities in order Sami Kallinen, Yle to be perceived as active citizens. We will do better campaigns, research and investigative journalism with a good cause behind and to maximise our return on “Online will be the new normal.” society. Gerrit Kerremans, VRT

“Young audiences don’t use the radio because they believe is too old, part of the traditional generation.” “WE SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN SOCIAL INITIATIVES TO Brett Spencer, BBC STRENGTHEN OUR BRANDS” Matthieu Beauval, Radio France “We should get our staff interested in finding something new. Think. Try. Fail. Try again.” Johan Aaltonen, Yle WE WILL INTEGRATE MORE AND MORE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN OUR TEAMS “We should assume less and test more.” Matej Praprotnik, RTVSLO We will surround ourselves with young colleagues that understand young audiences better than ourselves and that allow us to keep in touch with the youth. We will trust new generations of journalists more and more so that young people feel easily identified with them.

“WE SHOULD DO BETTER CAMPAIGNS, WITH A GOOD CAUSE BEHIND” Livia Bertha, MTVA

MORE AND BIGGER PHYSICAL EVENTS TO BRING YOUNG PEOPLE TOGETHER

We will produce more and bigger events to bring young people together and increase our exposure as brands with a return on society. For example, music shows and festivals, artistic collaborations, role-plays related to successful video-games, etc.

“SOMETIMES WE HAVE THE CELEBRITIES, WE HAVE THE BIG MUSIC NAMES THAT INTEREST THEM, BUT THEY DON’T WATCH US, SO THEY DON’T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THEM. WE SHOULD COME TO THEM MORE OFTEN” Wouter Verlaan, NPO YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 15 WHAT SHOULD BE IMPROVED OR DEVELOPED FURTHER?

INTERVIEWEES IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING AS THE MAIN PENDING SUBJECTS:

WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH INTERNAL ISSUES NOT ENOUGH WE DON’T WE DON’T (RESSOURCES, PRODUCTS ENGAGE AND DARE MINDSETS, DESIGNED FOR INTERACT WITH LACK OF TRUST, ON DEMAND YOUNG PEOPLE COMPLEXITY OF PROCESSES STRUCTURES)

TRADITIONAL WE DO AND LEGAL MEDIA ARE TOO LACK OF INVEST TOO RESTRICTIONS OLD FOR YOUNG CREATIVITY LITTLE ONLINE PROPLE UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 16 HOW COULD THE EBU HELP?

Members and non-Members and tools to maximise COLLECTIVE ANSWERS TO interactivity with the audience. Around this idea of creating communities, interviewees THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE described what we would classify as two types of GROUPED INTO THREE MAIN concepts. Type 1 would be the communities and events for networking, case studies, trends and inspiration: do CATEGORIES: in-depth research and put the right people together, create small, focus groups that work on specific • Create communities and organise events to share problems within the community, create simple and knowledge and expertise in the field (including effective online knowledge platforms, pool ideas and young professionals exchange) pitch the best case studies, showcase best practice and inspiring ideas. • Do more to help Members know young audiences better (including setting common performance Type 2 would be the communities, events and indicators) workshops to enhance crowdsourcing and coworking: go further than pitching sessions: organise meetings • Other activities (lobbying, training, create dialogues with producers, editorial commissioners, heads of at a European level, co-productions on specific programmes, etc., in order to help us find opportunities cases) to cooperate in collaborative projects since the beginning; organise workshops and brainstorming sessions to come up with new and good ideas; create polls to find solutions to common and frequent problems together. CREATE COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISE EVENTS TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD One of the examples of communities frequently mentioned was the implementation of an exchange One of the most common answers from all interviewees of young professionals. The concept, to be developed about what the EBU could do to support them in further at a later stage, would grow around the idea reaching young audiences more effectively was the of connecting young professionals coming from all creation of communities of experts in the field of young public broadcasters in Europe and allowing them to audiences. work in other public broadcasters for a certain period. This would help young professionals grow and acquire The aim of these communities would be to help us share experience from a different perspective, and would experiences, best practices and inspiration; to facilitate provide the hosting broadcaster with fresh and inspiring discussions and to increment our opportunities to new ideas. connect and work together.

The challenge is, however, to put ‘the best of the best’ together: curate the best speakers, select the right guests to share their experiences about similar stories, pitch the best cases, find the best ideas to share, tackle the problems from the right angle. There were also several frequently mentioned topics to build these communities around: Concerns and problems to reach young audiences, what we know about young audiences and trends in consumption habits, what we are currently doing to reach young audiences and what is being successful, what is in our pipelines to reach young audiences more efficiently, inspiration about new ideas/content/ formats, best practices and case studies from both YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 17

DO MORE TO HELP MEMBERS KNOW YOUNG OTHER ACTIVITIES MENTIONED REPEATEDLY AUDIENCES BETTER Training More studies, new studies The EBU could offer training (EUROVISION ACADEMY Encourage research about young audiences behaviour style) about specific issues to help us to be more and media consumption habits at a European level efficient in reaching young audiences; e.g. new ways (even at a wider level: e.g. Asia) and organise forums of storytelling, what language to use to reach young for Members to exchange their research and analysis; audiences, production effects that are appealing to encourage collaborative projects for research about young audiences, etc. young audiences behaviour and media consumption habits; encourage research, not only about young Lobbying audiences and media consumption habits, but also about content, formats and platforms that are The EBU could help us lobby at three levels that have being successful for young audiences (why they are an impact on how we reach young audiences: a) legal successful, how they work). create small, focus groups restrictions about online content (some countries are that work on specific problems within the community, not free enough to share their content online); b) high create simple and effective online knowledge levels of complexity in our internal decisional processes platforms, pool ideas and pitch the best case studies, do not allow us to be free enough to innovate and showcase best practice and inspiring ideas. to adapt to young audiences expectations quickly; c) helping us to spread the message (within our Analysis and creativity to work more closely organisation) that reaching young audiences should be a priority and that the mindsets, structures and Encourage and organise creative workshops putting resources should be planned accordingly. together audience analysts and programme or channel strategists; producers and developers should be more closely involved in the process of understanding Co-productions audience behaviour and vice versa (they are now too far away in some cases); encourage and organise live test (only on specific cases that need to be seen case by events at a European scale. case) Groups of teams in other members with similar ambitions and media production mentality and put Get out them together (making sure they are the right people to connect); enhance international cooperations, such Go out more and be in close contact with young people, as Generation What and the Song Contest: not only get to know them for real (e.g. organise programmes, for the linear distribution but also for second screen exchanges and experiences in high-schools and experiences; enhance collaborative co-productions (e.g. universities); maximise the use of platforms for we decide topics of common interests together and audience participation: connect with young audiences participate in discussions since the beginning). on the social platforms where they are and create conversations with them to get to know them better; learn more about what they talk about, how they talk, where they talk about it...

Use what we know about young audiences better

To create brands that look younger. UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 18 SUMMARY

REACHING YOUNG THINKING VISION2020 AUDIENCES AS KEY PRIORITY When asked about where the trends will take them within 5 years, Members agreed that there will be more We talk about young audiences to define the dialogues and interactivity; more content for online millennials or digital natives; the also so-called ‘Youtube and mobile; more products designed for streaming and generation’. They have changed the way media is on demand. In order to create young and multimedia consumed and perceived. Understanding young brands, there will be more investment in knowing young audiences and anticipating trends is now an EBU audiences, more experiments and innovation, and more priority to help our Members remain relevant to the social campaigns to go beyond the traditional role of audiences of the future. public service broadcasters to become active citizens together with young people. Reaching young people is not the only thing that counts: bringing them together MANY EFFORTS ARE ALREADY and connecting them is also a priority. UNDER WAY

Our Members are already implementing and HOW TO SUPPORT OUR experimenting new ways of reaching young people. MEMBERS? Online thinking, social media, fascination, humour, music discovery, broadcasting reality, products on Our Members have identified some of the challenges demand and finding the right approaches to tell stories that are currently holding them back to be more are some of the key elements for Members to create effective in reaching young people. They think the EBU brands that look younger and more appealing to could help by developing services such as creating millennials. communities of experts in the field, doing more to help them know young audiences better, organising training about youth programming or lobbying to reduce legal restrictions with digital content or the complexity of the process to launch new services and be quickly responsive to market changes. Although the big answers relate to concepts and services that we are already delivering, the key to succeed in reaching their expectations should not be on the “what” we deliver but on the “how” we deliver it. YOUNG AUDIENCES BEHAVIOUR INITIATIVE 19 NOTES UNDERSTANDING YOUNG AUDIENCES 20

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