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Nine bullish on West Australia as it drives for greater engagement

A year after announcing plans to take on the Western Australian market, Nine has launched its new CBD news studio and will lure audiences and advertisers with content created specifically for the local market.

nine-perthTaking a leaf from Seven’s playbook – Nine has built the studio in the heart of Perth, creating  a new level of engagement with locals who can see the studio in action at the top of the city’s busy St George’s Terrace.

The site is also dominated a by a huge screen outside the facility which will carry Nine’s broadcast into an outdoor environment.

Just as Seven uses its Martin Place Studio as a hub for both its broadcasts and its brand, Nine believes the new facility will place the network at the centre of public attention in a city that Seven West Media calls home.

Wardrop:

Wardrop: The new studio is “a signal to the industry, the community and viewers that Nine is part of this town”

Nine Perth managing director, Ray Wardrop, told Mumbrella the move from dilapidated studios was a signal of Nine’s commitment to the region after it bought the station from WIN three years ago.

“It’s a massive signal not only to the industry but also the community and to viewers that Nine is part of this town,” Wardrop said.

“We are now more connected to the community physically than any other TV station.”

A perpetual challenger in the market where Seven has been dominant, Wardop said that the development of what will now be called ‘Nine Plaza’ was aimed at putting the network in the minds of consumers and Perth advertisers on a daily basis.

As well as taking a position in the CBD, Nine will also continue its strategy of developing local content that is more relevant to viewers than the some of the national content put out by Nine.

Kate McMahon, Nine Entertainment sales director for Perth, said the localisation began with a news insert in Today but was now being ramped up on many levels in a bid to better connect with local audiences and offer advertisers new channels for engagement.

“From a sales perspective we don’t believe we are the challenger brand in any sense of the word, what we have tried to do is change what number one means and what we are providing to our clients,” McMahon said.

“So rather than talk ratings we can change discounts, we can move levers to provide a certain number of eyeballs, but what else can we do so that we are providing better service, integration opportunities, content creation – all of those sorts of things.”

The new studio, which has the sales team integrated right next to the broadcast facility, was opened by State premier Colin Barnett, who joked that Nine reported the news locally but did not make the news.

Also attending the opening was foreign minister Julie Bishop.

Simon Canning travelled to Perth as a guest of Nine Entertainment Co.,

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