THE SCIENCE OF SHARING: TV PROMOS AND THE MILLENNIAL SHIFT HOW TO GET MILLENNIALS VIEWING YOUR PROMOS, DRIVING WORD OF MOUTH & WATCHING TV AGAIN NETWORK TV PROMOS TV VIEWERS LEAVING COULD DO MORE TO LINEAR FOR ONLINE DRIVE TUNE-IN THE MAIN REASONS PEOPLE WATCH ONLINE:
I prefer to watch 56% on own schedule
I can skip 30% commercials 38% fall in live TV I want to 35% binge watch It’s less viewership expensive 29%
Someone else is since 2008 watching a different 18% program at the same time I am at work/ commuting when I travel the show starts a lot 13% 18%
There’s a great variety of programming The emotion and passion conveyed in Source: Linear TV is losing viewers to OTT To attract viewers to watch ad-supported Source: “TV‘s New Math: Networks comScore Media available on network TV. Some say the network TV shows are not making their Crunch Their Own Ratings and digital channels, which hurts TV live, via DVR and/or VOD TV, Metrix Multi-Platform content has never been better! way to the promos created to drive tune- To Track Multi-Platform ratings and ad sales revenue. marketers need to do two key things: December 2014, in; they are falling flat. Unruly’s Science Viewing”, Variety Magazine, comScore Online Survey, But, the numbers don’t reflect this rosy of Sharing: TV Promos and the Millennial Feb 11, 2015 1 Drive tune-in by making and launching n = 1,159, August 2014 outlook; live TV viewership is down Shift study analyzed 14,221 TV promos Definitions: promos that will generate WOM and 30% since the 2008 season. TV promos (we’re including clips, original tune-in Clips: standalone scenes peer-to-peer recommendations just aren’t driving viewers to watch ad promos and trailers in our definition of TV from an episode that has 2 Make the programming convenient for dollar supported TV, especially among promos) from the Big 5 networks (ABC, already aired. an on-the-go, on-demand world. Millennials. CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW) to uncover Original promos: newly filmed original content, often what makes Millennials take notice of featuring one or more actors. network TV promos and how to target Trailers: a compilation of them online to generate intent-to-view. teaser clips, usually with voice-over and text
4 MILLENNIAL PROMO PARADOX
10% % less likely than 80 average viewers to share your of Millennials will TV promos watch a program if a promo has been shared with them
Here’s the problem. The promos that Video views are easily purchased, but Source: Unruly ShareRank™ networks make don’t resonate with shares need to be earned by making a n = 1,000 Millennials. Our study found that 80% strong emotional connection and giving of Millennials will check out a show if the viewers reasons to attach the content someone has shared the promo with to their personal brand. There’s room for them! They are peer-influenced and improvement in creating network promos eager to discover content. But, they find that appeal to US digital natives. network promos 10% less engaging and shareable than a Nat Rep audience.
5 6 MILLENNIALS INHABIT A MULTI-SCREEN WORLD WATCHING MORE CONTENT ON LAPTOPS THAN SMARTPHONES
Devices on which online video was watched in last month US Millennials 42% Connected TV 17% 67% 39% Games console Laptop 64% 45% Desktop Smartphone Tablet
37% 10% 36% 33% Desktop Games console % 46% Tablet Connected TV 59Laptop Smartphone
US Nat Rep
US viewers watch content across a Source: Unruly ShareRank™ number of devices. Millennials watch n = 1,000 more content on laptops and desktop than the nationally representative audience, and definitely love their mobile devices! Millennials are also still watching the big (connected) TV in the living room.
8 WHO’S WINNING WHO’S WINNING ON ON PROMO REACH? PROMO ENGAGEMENT?
Top three viewed promos from each network shown below Top three shared promos from each network shown below Daniel Radcliffe Raps Blackalicious’ “Alphabet Aerobics” Kacy Catanzaro at the 2014 Dallas Finals The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - 32,477,726 views American Ninja Warrior - 948,337 shares Jimmy Fallon feat. will.i.am - Ew! (Official Music Video) Daniel Radcliffe Raps Blackalicious’ “Alphabet Aerobics” The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - 19,927,284 views 6% 7% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - 870,431 shares On Friday’s Dateline, a woman is bound with duct tape On Friday’s Dateline, a woman is bound with duct tape Dateline - 18,160,375 views Dateline - 702,628 shares 15% 17% Congrats to our runner-up couple on #DWTS! 4% 3% Congrats to our runner-up couple on #DWTS! Dancing with the Stars - 31,198,178 views Dancing with the Stars - 1,323,251 shares I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy 2014 I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy 2014 Jimmy Kimmel Live - 25,994,879 views Jimmy Kimmel Live - 762,648 shares Celebrities Read Mean Tweets #8 This performance is everything Jimmy Kimmel Live - 21,610,444 views Dancing with the Stars - 422,703 shares
This cat tries to catch fish under the frozen pond This cat tries to catch fish under the frozen pond America’s Funniest Home Videos - 50,070,094 views America’s Funniest Home Videos - 491,996 shares Ha! We think it’s tight enough All this baby needs in life is a dog eating popcorn America’s Funniest Home Videos - 25,184,338 views America’s Funniest Home Videos - 491,996 shares A completely new and amazing montage of trampolines Get your baby to bed with this ancient parenting kung fu technique! America’s Funniest Home Videos - 16,281,770 views America’s Funniest Home Videos - 376,777 shares
Alex & Sierra - Sultry Cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” Jennifer Lopez always remembers where she’s from! The X-Factor (USA) - 8,903,791 views American Idol - 99,690 shares Ashly Williams’ Emotional “I Will Always Love You” Official Extended Trailer | GOTHAM The X-Factor (USA) - 6,508,876 views Gotham - 77,577 shares AKNU - Brothers from LA Perform “Valerie” Finish that thought Harry Connick, Jr. The X-Factor (USA) - 5,463,716 views American Idol - 72,541 shares 39% The Flash - Extended Trailer 34% Welcome to Paradise Clip 1 The Flash - 12,302,892 views 27% 48% The Vampire Diaries - 77,133 shares Inside TVD: Fade Into You Fade Into You Trailer The Vampire Diaries - 2,358,776 views The Vampire Diaries - 74,819 shares I Alone Clip The Flash - Extended Trailer The Vampire Diaries - 2,311,186 views The Flash - 74,792 shares
TV networks tend to most heavily to tune into what’s coming soon. Again the networks have few and Dateline) deploying a wider variety Source: Unruly Analytics, July 1, promote clips from 1-2 shows. programs represented among the top of emotional clips and an original promo. 2014 to December 31, 2014 The network clip strategy is great NBC was the lone network to have an 3 most shared promos. NBC shows for sampling and showcasing original promo included among its top the most diversity with 3 different moments that have already aired – 3 viewed promos (from Dateline). programs (The Tonight Show Starring but is less likely to inspire viewers Jimmy Fallon, America Ninja Warrior,
10 TV PROMO SHARES MORE ORIGINAL PROMOS ARE CLOSELY CORRELATE TO SEVERELY UNDERUTILIZED NIELSEN RATINGS THAN CLIPS ARE THE MOST PROMO VIEWS PREVALENT PROMO FORMAT
Ratings Shares 3.9% 9.7% Ratings Shares Views 33% 39% 48% 86.4% Original promo 3.9% 21% 34% 27% Share of Voice Clip 27% 17% 15% Views by Promo Type 3.4%
16% 7% 6% Trailer 2.9%
3% 3% 4% 1% 2% 3% 4% Average share rate
Social shares are e-word of mouth and So, it makes sense that there is a Source: The Share of Voice by Promo Type Clips may be so prevalent as they are Source: Decipher Study Brand Unruly Analytics – Top 100 research shows that video sharing stronger correlation between ratings Tracking Survey, (n=681); chart above shows that the clip format low cost (requiring minimal additional US TV promos – July 1, generates all sort of action, including and shares. Unruly Analytics earns the most online shares. But, this production) and many are pulled and 2014 to December 31, 2014 July 1, 2014 to offline WOM, product research and is primarily because there are more of launched by viewers. However, as clips Definitions: December 31, 2014; Clips: standalone scenes purchase intent. In the TV ecosystem, Nielsen ratings them. Clips actually represent 84 of the contain material which has already aired, this equates to series research and intent top 100 TV promos launched online they are potentially less effective in from an episode that has already aired. to watch. Shares are the deepest form of in the second half of 2014. Original driving tune-in for upcoming episodes. Original promos: newly engagement and also drive action. promos, with an average share rate filmed original content, often of 3.9%, have the most viral potential featuring one or more actors. Trailers: a compilation of and are under-supported by network teaser clips, usually with marketers. voice-over and text
12 DIG DEEP INTO TOP RATED EMOTIONAL PROGRAMS’ TOP PROMOS INTENSITY IS KEY TESTED AGAINST A US MILLENNIAL & NAT REP AUDIENCE
Network Top rated show and video
NBC Sunday Night Football HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The Big Bang Theory An adventurous all-new episode of the #BigBangTheory is about to start.
Dancing With The Stars Congrats to our runner-up couple on a tremendous run on #DWTS!
American Idol Jennifer Lopez always remembers where she’s from!
Arrow THE FLASH VS. ARROW
Orange Is The New Black Orange Is The New Black ‘Holidays At Litchfield’ Netflix
Network Top rated NBC non-sports promo
Blacklist The Blacklist - Red Kills: Reddington’s Kill Count (Digital Exclusive)
Network Exemplar late night talk show clip
Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube Challenge - I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy 2014
Unruly used Unruly ShareRank™ to Dataset includes the Big 5 Intensity of emotional response is the networks’ and Netflix’s top analyze the top shared promos for each rated series in the 2nd half key driver of a video’s shareability, network’s top-rated program against a of 2014. In the case of NBC, and marketers should aim to hit 1 to 3 Nat Rep and Millennial audience to learn its top rated programming emotions with intensity (think about was Sunday Night Football, how these audiences’ responses differ. so we expanded the sample making people laugh, cry or gasp). Unruly ShareRank™ is Unruly’s proprietary to include its top rated algorithm, which measures over 100 show. social variables to predict the intrinsic shareability of video content.
14 Happiness Warmth HAPPINESS, HILARITY Exhilaration Pride & NOSTALGIA GET Amazement Nostalgia Inspiration Sadness MILLENNIALS SHARING Hilarity Other
Top emotional responses
NBC: Sunday Night Football 27% of panel experiencing intense emotions CBS: The Big Bang Theory 15% ABC: Dancing with the Stars 30% Fox: American Idol 14% TheCW: Arrow 9% Netflix: Orange is the New Black 15% NBC: The Blacklist 6% ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live 42% US Market Norm 21%
The Emotional Response spectrum chart generate intense emotional responses Source: Unruly ShareRank™ showcases the most intense emotions to connect with viewers. And those who n = 1,000 Millennials experienced when viewing the want to stand out from the crowd should promos in our study. Only 3 videos in our seek to evoke unusual responses - in the study evoked more prevalent emotional above chart these are nostalgia, hilarity, responses than typical US video ads. exhilaration and amazement. Marketers need to create promos that
16 Shared passion Kudos: Coolhunter MILLENNIALS SHARE TO Social IRL Self expression START A CONVERSATION Social good Opinion seeking Zeitgeist Social utility AND BE HELPFUL Conversation starting Other
Top social motivations
NBC: Sunday Night Football 37% of panel experiencing a reason to share CBS: The Big Bang Theory 39% ABC: Dancing with the Stars 53% Fox: American Idol 22% TheCW: Arrow 37% Netflix: Orange is the New Black 41% NBC: The Blacklist 31% ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live 55% US Market Norm 54%
With emotional responses, the level motivation levels near or below the US Source: Unruly ShareRank™ of intensity is key, but with social Market Norm, which is a key reason that n = 1,000 motivations it’s quantity! Social these videos didn’t achieve their earned motivations are a personal response media potential. Millennials wanted to and reflect the reasons an individual share the promos in this study most often might want to share the video with to start a conversation and offer utility. his friends and family. All of the TV promos in Unruly’s study elicited social
18 NETWORK TV PROMOS MISS BIG ON SHOW RECALL MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE TUNE-IN
Millennial recall for NBC: Sunday NightUS Football market norm for % correct brand recall 68 % Millennial recall for CBS: The Big Bang Theory
% Millennial recall 75 for Fox: American Idol 50 %
The promos launched by US networks are The good news is, this is an easy mistake Source: below the US Market Norm when it comes to rectify. Networks can either include Unruly ShareRank™ n = 1,000 67 to viewers recalling the name of the show prominent branding elements in their and/or network (compared against US promos or add these elements to the brand recall norms). This is despite the video players when they launch their fact that the TV promos surveyed are promos online. from each network’s top rated show with the greatest mass-market presence. Even promos for top rated shows (Sunday Night Millennial recall for Football, The Big Bang Theory and Dancing with the Stars) achieved relatively low NBC: The Blacklist show recall. % 47 20 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING TV PROMOS TO DRIVE MILLENNIAL TUNE-IN 1. MAKE THEM LAUGH… OR FEEL INTENSE
HAPPINESS, NOSTALGIA & AMAZEMENT Most prevalent responses
Emotional trace for Jimmy Kimmel Live Hilarity Happiness ‘I told my kids I ate all their Halloween candy 2014’, Millennial audience Disgust Shock Little girl 25% audience emotional response “Jimmy Kimmel said I throwing toys. should eat this too.”
20% audience emotional response “You must have “You never listen a belly ache.” about candy!” “We’ll get some 15% audience emotional response more next time.”
10% audience emotional response
5% audience emotional response
0:00 0:32 1:04 2:08 2:40 3:12
Millennials are social creatures who love to The most intrinsically shareable piece of Source: Unruly ShareRank™ share content and place additional stock content for Millennials in the Unruly study n= 1,000 on content that has been shared with was the Jimmy Kimmel Live clip “YouTube them. 80% of Millennials will watch a show Challenge - I Told My Kids I Ate All Their if a TV promo is shared with them, so help Halloween Candy 2014”, with a Millennial them help you, and make content they will ShareRank score of 7.6 and 42% of share with their peers! In our study, strong Millennials tested experiencing intense emotions of hilarity, happiness, amazement, emotional responses. and nostalgia were key triggers for Millennial video engagement.
22 2. INCLUDE SOCIAL UTILITY, 3. GIVE YOUR SHOW TITLE CONVERSATION STARTING, SHARED AND NETWORK MORE PASSION & ZEITGEIST SOCIAL AIRTIME IN YOUR PROMOS MOTIVATIONS IN THE CREATIVE BRIEF
Don’t make sharing drivers an Source: Show recall was terrible! We saw that of branding and video shareability. If Source: Unruly ShareRank™ Unruly ShareRank™ afterthought. Instead, brief your promo n = 1,000 80% of Millennials will watch a show if no one remembers the name of your n = 1,000 producers on the social motivations the TV promo is shared with them - but show after watching your promo, you’re most likely to inspire Millennials such as the recall data demonstrates that they’re throwing away your budget. social utility, conversation starting, shared unlikely to remember its name. Network passion, and zeigteist. Ask your team to marketers should not be afraid to give focus on triggering a diverse range of the title greater presence in the spot. social motivations that will appeal to the Multiple research studies show that majority of your target audience. there is no correlation between the level
24 4. MAKE YOUR CONTENT AVAILABLE ON MILLENNIALS’ TERMS
Where do you prefer to watch TV promos?
Mobile 11% Tablet 9% TV 45% PC 23% I don’t watch TV promos 12%
No one tells a Millennial what to devices, and don’t force the ad view. Unruly’s study showed that Millennials Source: Unruly ShareRank™ do. Make your content available on Finally, make it convenient to view your enjoy watching promos in the native TV n = 1,000 their terms, or they’ll go elsewhere. programs; consider making your VOD environment. This means they’ll watch TV Launch your content in social players offering available after the West Coast content on actual TVs if you make it easy customized to enable Millennials’ social feed to keep Millennials tuning in to ad- for them. Promote your shows via screen- and sharing habits. Make viewing your supported/ratings-measured content. agnostic content, that is, create stories TV promo a choice via skippable pre- that travel across devices alongside your roll or user-initiated video on multiple Millennial audience.
26 5. DISTRIBUTE YOUR TV PROMOS AT THE SPEED OF SOCIAL
15% of shares 2013 22% of shares occur in the first three days
2014 42% of shares occur in the first three days 10% of shares 2015 44% of shares occur in the first three days
5% of shares
Day 01 Day 20
It isn’t enough to make strong content, You have a very short window to Source: Unruly Analytics; 2015 that’s only half the battle. You have to maximize the views and shares of your data sampled April 2014 get your content seen QUICKLY before content to kick start a viral cascade, to April 2015; 2014 data viewers, trend-setters, and trend-seekers and drive tune-in to time sensitive TV sampled April 2013 to April 2014; 2013 move on. Your video’s viral peak is on the launches. data sampled April day after launch, and nearly half of total 2012 to April 2013 promo shares occur in the first 3 days.
28 6. ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE 7. TARGET FANS TO MAINTAIN ON THE OPEN WEB TUNE-IN AND NEW VIEWERS TO GROW RATINGS 72% VIEWS 16% ON THE OPEN WEB VIEWS 12% ON YOUTUBE VIEWS WEBSITE AND ON FACEBOOK EMBEDDED PLAYER
Launch your content online strategically Source: Use programmatic targeting to pinpoint so it’s available for discovery to an US – comScore Video your audience online and target both fans interested audience. The “better” content Metrix, January 2015, ads and potential viewers using different data and content video views will generate more sharing, advocacy and segments. earned media. Only 15.7% of video views occur on YouTube or in the YouTube You can also use TV syncing to launch embedded player. 12.1% take place on your online promos at the same time Facebook. The remaining 72.2% take as your on-air promos and use moment place on the Open Web: the billion+ marketing to ambush competitive air websites outside of the closed video schedules. and social platforms. Distribute your content in the relevant environments and websites where your target audience is already consuming video content.
30 8. CREATE MORE 9. MAKE YOUR PLAYER TECH ORIGINAL PROMOS WORK HARDER TO DRIVE LIVE TV/DVR TUNE-IN
Social feed + tune-in
Calendar app
Customize your sharing buttons
Original promos are the most viral TV Making the most of TV Promos online We know Millennial sharing drives tune- promo format and networks should make goes beyond reaching your audience in, so customize your sharing buttons to more of them! They provide additional across screens and targeting digital the platforms Millennials regularly use to information and backstories to fan- natives on digital devices. You can also make it as easy as possible to share. Use favorite programs. Note that the Orange leverage the interactivity and app-launcher social annotations at key moments with is the New Black and Arrow original capabilities of the player itself. Networks’ a sharing call to action to further inspire promos confused viewers in our study. heavy reliance on clips as a promo vehicle peer to peer sharing. Or, use the social As you make your original promos, be relies on the new viewers who sample and feed app to show Millennial viewers the sure to take care to explain the scenario enjoy the clip to actually remember to conversation already taking place around and include exposition to explain the tune-in. You’re asking them to change the show. characters’ predicaments. their viewing habits and smart player tech can help! Unruly offers a calendar app that launches from the player and schedules the show on the user’s personal calendar.
32 ABOUT THE DATA ABOUT UNRULY
Unruly ShareRank allows advertisers to Unruly is the ad tech company that gets videos watched, tracked maximize the social impact of their video and shared across the Open Web. Positioned at the intersect of content by evaluating, improving and video, social, native & mobile, Unruly uses emotional audience predicting the viral potential of video ads. data and user-friendly video formats to massively increase viewer engagement, brand performance & publisher revenues.
Cloud-based analytics platform Unruly With 3 out of every 4 video views now taking place outside of Analytics tracks views and social reactions YouTube, 90% of Ad Age 100 brands have already used Unruly to from 5,000 brands in real time and offers connect with audiences at speed and scale across the Open Web. 15 billion customizable data points. Differentiated by a unique data set of 2 trillion video views and powered by a full tech stack, Unruly adds value by algorithmically evaluating content shareability and programmatically targeting custom audiences. Viewability is 100% guaranteed to an audience of 1.35 billion monthly unique users across mobile, tablet and desktop devices.
UnrulyX is the first supply side platform (SSP) for mobile video to offer scaled delivery of native ad formats and guarantee the viewability of premium video impressions bought via RTB.
Unruly employs 200 people across 15 offices, with regional HQs in London, New York and Singapore.
Its super power is emotional ad tech. Its secret weapon is passionate people on a mission to #DeliverWow. Unruly was acquired by News Corp in September 2015.
Want to learn more? Reach out to [email protected] for TV promo case studies and a deeper dive into the data and study findings
Additional science of sharing downloads: unruly.co/insight/#whitepapers