Situation Analysis

Dominance in local news — it’s the goal of every TV station, but few make it and stay on top. AR&D serves a number of longtime dominant stations that have managed to sustain brand value — and dominance.

Consider our client station in a hotly competitive southeastern market. The NBC affiliate moved into first place in all its major newscasts more than a decade ago with a viewer advocacy brand of journalism, remained dominant following an affiliation switch involving other stations, but slipped in the ratings five years ago. The Fox affiliate was gaining at their expense and a 24 hour cable news operation was siphoning away viewers.

 

Strategy

AR&D innovated a unique diagnostic telephone survey of the market which pinpointed the problem. The station had allowed its brand of journalism to slip into a softer approach. Viewers perceived that the station was not tackling the important issues but was mired in what many viewers saw as features or filler. Also, the anchors who had been driving viewers to the station lost their luster. Viewers could only credit them with time in the market, but that wasn’t reason enough to watch.

We launched the AR&D Innovations Lab to help the station create newscast elements and marketing that was more edgy in its approach. We tested the news and marketing concepts using AR&D Real Time Response dials to capture second-by-second viewer reaction.

Using the information from the project, the station re-tooled its news and marketing. Specifically:

• They tackled larger issues and demanded answers from elected officials, even giving viewers the phone numbers of the officials so viewers could contact them directly, if they wanted.
• The anchors moved from news readers to Brand Ambassadors with an attitude that made an emotional connection with viewers.
• The station replaced the softer features with news that was important, relevant, and often urgent.
• Marketing captured the anchors’ reinvigorated approach and attitude along with the harder-hitting content. 

Results

Looking at the late news numbers, the station, identified as WAAA, still wins.

That’s despite ups and downs, weak lead-ins, and whatever the competition throws at them in a hotly competitive market. It takes relentless focus on what makes the news product better and different plus consistency.