Television: Marketing battlefield

Gone are the days when TV networks only had to compete with a few rivals to get the attention of potential viewers. Creating compelling content is only the beginning; in a world of fragmented audiences and thousands of platforms and products competing for the same eyeballs, everyone is trying to stand out. Miguel Gonzalez reports.

It’s no secret that television has become a segmented market where audiences are no longer limited by the offerings of the five networks that for years were Australia’s preferred source of entertainment and information. It is a world of multi-channels, pay TV, IPTV, games and an explosion of local and international content available at home or on the go. All of these options are competing for the same viewers so, more than ever, broadcasters must remain visible and attractive.

“Marketing is really under the pump to make whatever it is we are selling unique, make it stand out amongst so many offerings from so many other people. And in the future, there’s only going to be more platforms and more channels,” ABC TV’s outgoing head of marketing Sue Lester told Encore.

SBS group marketing manager Katherine Raskob agrees, because with the arrival of the digital multichannels and a more aggressive competition for audiences, “we all have to get really smarter at thinking
about where the audiences are, and targeting them more effectively – not just advertising everywhere.”
For broadcasters, their most valuable promotional medium is their own channels, an advantage that other sectors of the screen industry don’t have.
“We own the platform and we can communicate with our viewers on a minute-by-minute basis, whereas the film industry doesn’t have a luxury,” said Ten’s head of programming Beverley McGarvey.
Yet on-air promotion is not enough; any good marketer knows that they have to go where their audience is, and that means broadcasters must look beyond their own screens. They’re now exploring online and social networks as an essential part of their strategies to target mainly a younger demographic.
“That’s the biggest change in the last few years, the move to online promotion,” said Lester.