Epoll Study Finds that Streaming Hardware is Critical to Success

A recent study by Epoll found that streaming hardware is vitally important to consumers as part of their enjoyment of content. The study concludes that, “with cord-cutting becoming a reality for more consumers today, devices that connect to these services will need to appeal to the masses.”

An example of this phenomena is Roku which, according to eMarketer, has more users than any other streaming device (excluding smart TVs) at 86.2M in the U.S. Compare this to the E-Score Brand survey, where Roku has the highest Appeal score at 49%, with close to a third of consumers (31%) agreeing that Roku is better than competitors.
Other takeaways include:

• Streaming devices are mainly used to watch shows and movies but some have additional features such as games and music. For those reasons, Roku is considered most Entertaining (41%) followed by Amazon Fire TV (39%)
• Other features such as voice activation, 4K resolution, game controller support, (Xbox/Playstation) and brand ecosystem are things users also find valuable. Apple TV leads for Innovative (27%) and Amazon Fire TV Stick (23%) and Apple TV (22%) are considered more Cutting Edge than Google Chromecast (16%) and Roku (15%).
• As streaming devices are fighting to be the hardware of choice for cord-cutters, Apple TV’s early rollout gives it a slight advantage as being High Quality, Innovative and Cutting Edge while the others in the space have higher Appeal than Apple TV. Consumer comments suggest Apple’s premium pricing ($150-$200) may be difficult to justify for most consumers compared to Roku ($30-$100) and Chromecast ($35-$70).

This article first appeared in Cynopsis.

The Latest Trends from Nielsen’s Total Audience Report

Nielsen just released their findings from their latest quarterly Nielsen Total Audience Report (3Q18) which shows continued audience shifting and digital transformation in content preferences and streaming services. The report, according to Nielsen, contains, insights on how people are choosing the content that they’re streaming, as well as a section that examines which attributes of streaming services are the most important to consumers as well updates on traditional and digital media platform usage.

The highlights include:

Streaming Devices and Services Continue to Grow September 2017 to 2018

• Enabled smart TV penetration grew to 41% in 2018 from 32% in 2017 as users continue to replace their older television sets. Enabled smart TV ownership had the largest year-over-year growth for all races and ethnicities
• Internet enabled TV-connected devices — enabled smart TVs, internet connected devices (i.e. Apple TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV), and enabled game consoles—are in 68% of U.S. households, up from 63%.
• Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) content is in 67% of television households, compared to 61% one year ago. Year over year growth is occurring among households of all races and ethnicities. Eight out of ten Asian American, seven out of ten Hispanic, and six out of ten Black households subscribe to an SVOD service.
• But there is only so much time in a day. U.S. Adults spend 10 hours and 30 minutes per day connected to media, the same amount as one year ago.

While Adoption of Newer Devices Has Increased, So Has Their Usage—Regardless of Age.

• Time spent on TV-connected devices and app/web on smartphones increased across all demographic groups. Time per day on smartphones increased by 23 minutes for adults 18-34, more than any other group or platform. And even older demographic group’s share of daily time spent with TV-connected devices and app/web on a smartphone increased from Q3 2017 to Q3 2018.
• Adults 18-34 spend over one-third of their daily media usage on smartphones while Adults 50-64 spend more time per day on media in general than any other age group.

Inundated with Choice, Streaming Video and Audio Users Are Making Their Preferences Known.

• According to the MediaTech Trender Survey, two-thirds of audio (67%) and video streaming (66%) users are influenced by recommendations from family and friends when making streaming selections. Meanwhile, 67% of video streaming users and 56% of audio streaming users refer back to existing programming they used to watch or listen to on broadcast media as that content is now more accessible.
• Users want access to a broad variety of content (57%) while using technology and an interface that is easy to navigate (56%). Niche content is also desirable, as 43% want access to local programming, 38% are looking for specific networks, and 35% want the ability to stream live sports.

This article first appeared in www.Cynopsis.com

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Carnegie Deli Pop-Up Serves Up Immersive Experience

It takes a certain deftness and eye to launch a nostalgic, historic pop-up experience. The group charged with creating the Carnegie Deli pop-up as part of the launch for season two of the Emmy award winning Amazon Prime original series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, had their work cut out for them. 

I was able to gain entrance to the November 30 pre-opening of the pop-up, located at 201 Lafayette Street in Manhattan and experienced “The Susie Sandwich” of turkey and coleslaw on rye with a Cel-ray soda while my husband sampled “The Maisel” sandwich of pastrami, salami, coleslaw and secret sauce. This all served by wait staff dressed as if it was 1958. The experience was not exactly like the original Carnegie Deli but it did create a fun 1950s vibe that sets the show. 

The menu is full of nostalgia from the 1958 prices - 99 cents for the sandwiches, 75 cents for the mini knish, 50 cents for either the black and white cookie or the cheesecake and 50 cents for pickles and the beverages. The venue has a 1950s jukebox, photo booth, photographs, telephone, signage and even a cash register. 

Experiential experiences have been more popular among brands as a way to more fully immerse audiences within the essence of a program, service or product. As Retail faces challenges from technology and online shopping, consumer expectations and desires are shifting to more immersive experiences, especially among younger consumers. Notably, millennials are seeking experiences, not material goods and this has had a spillover effect to other groups and generations.  This trend is not slowing down as more established brands try to capture the experience by creating a more unique environment. 

In fact, companies such as Conde Nast, are buying live event companies to facilitate the creation of immersive events. Recently, Glamour magazine, going completely digital, added that they see a great new revenue flow coming from events. Major decades-old brands are pivoting to capture the momentum as much as newer brands.  

According to publicist Emma Wolfe, the Maisel team worked with an activation agency called Tool which “wanted to integrate Mrs. Maisel with the Carnegie Deli which has been a New York City institution” and create synergy. According to the Tool website, the agency worked closely with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel production team and the owners of the iconic Carnegie Deli, which shut its doors in 2016 after serving New Yorkers for 79 years. The response has been amazing according to Wolfe where the reservations to dine at the pop-up filled up within 12 hours.

The Carnegie Deli pop-up opens officially to the public on December 1 and runs one week. Unfortunately, dining is by reservation only but there is also a take-out line for those who didn’t book early. Continue the nostalgic experience by tuning in for the second season,  scheduled to be released on Friday December 5.

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com

Looking Back and Moving Forward. Interview with Howard Shimmel of Janus Strategy and Insights

Another research veteran is striking out on his own after an illustrious media career. Howard Shimmel, previously of MTV, Nielsen, AOL and most recently Turner, has formed his own consultancy, Janus Strategy and Insights.  Why that name? “Janus is a Roman God who looks to the future,” Shimmel explained, “but he does so that in a way that he can also keep a close eye on the past.” 

Merging the lessons of the past with strategies for the future is a good way to leverage Shimmel’s expertise to, as he stated, “to help the market move in a better direction and help emerging data research companies become bigger and more scalable.”

Charlene Weisler: What are the biggest challenges that media companies face today?

Howard Shimmel: Media companies are challenged with having to grow ratings, growing subscribers, fend off new competition such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple and grappling with consumer choice where the cable box is not necessarily the first choice for viewers. Now they can turn on their Roku device, they can go to their smart TV app menu on their TV. So the first challenge is how do media companies migrate to a new reality which could not be more different from the reality we spent most of our careers living in. On the emerging research company data side, it is figuring a way that they can come to market and position their product in a way that fits within the existing work streams of a media company, how is what they can provide additive to what the company is doing now as well as the net benefits. 

Charlene Weisler: Data management is pivotal. What have you learned regarding the best practices in managing all of the available data?

Howard Shimmel: A mistake that I think we make in the industry is that we tend to take the tools that we have always been using – Nielsen, MRI, Scarborough, Simmons, comScore – and put them in a very different bucket than the first, second and third party, digital, OTT and virtual MVPD datasets that we are now receiving. Companies need to think about a holistic data strategy where they are using each of those assets for its right use case and also finding ways to leverage across those assets. When you think about it, a network has great first party consumption data from their network apps. But all they are seeing is a very limited view of consumption. What they need the ability to do is find a way through data modeling or data appends to model linear consumption on top of the first party data, that which makes all of the applications they are looking to do with their over the top apps more powerful. So there is the issue of the siloing of datasets that need to be integrated and then there is the real day-to-day issue of how to leverage all of this data to better execute strategies.

Charlene Weisler: How far away do you think we are from a cross-platform measurement solution?

Howard Shimmel: If we think about our career arcs, there have been times when we’ve had great partnership relationships with measurement companies such as Nielsen and comScore, we’ve challenged them when they’ve needed to be challenged. One thing I think the media industry hasn’t done is really define what it means to have a cross platform solution. If you think about the heart of Nielsen’s Total Audience it really is the measurement of a program and get a complete view of a program across all of the platforms where it is available from linear TV, video on demand, digital, digital if it is through a provider like Hulu, digital on a network app. And the product scope is right to do that. But where Total Audience falls short is that we need a data ecosystem tool that allows us to see traditional linear spots together with digital addressable spots, to be able to plan those together, to be able to optimize those together, to be able to steward them together and then on the backend be able to measure their impact. There needs to be a forcing mechanism to get the industry to get together and decide what the system needs to do and then inform the measurement companies. 

Charlene Weisler: What should that forcing mechanism be?

Howard Shimmel: I think it should be the advertisers. They are the ones who are leaving ROI untapped because of the measurement challenges.  Bob Liodice at the ANA has been clear about this. If they lead, media and measurement companies have to fall in line and take their lead. 

Charlene Weisler: Looking forward, where do you see the media industry three to five years from now?

Howard Shimmel: I think we will get our measurement act together. Five years out I think we will do a much better job of stitching together linear, digital, over the top, virtual MVPD data together in a way where a media company has a way to take an advertiser, understand what their desired outcomes are and develop a plan that is not only geared to reach and frequency but is also geared to some sort of sales impact. You’ll see a lot more success among major media companies in terms of finding material direct to consumer businesses and ways to compliment the linear television ad model. Finally I think you will start to see all of the different content delivery systems – linear and digital and social- work together. We need to collaborate. As two industry leaders- Jack Myers and Dave Poltrack have stressed- we should be focused on finding ways to target below the line marketing dollars, not just fighting for share of existing media spend.

Television Week Takeaways: What Is the Future of TV?

With platform expansion, shifting viewer patterns and an overabundance of available content in various forms and lengths, one could be forgiven for thinking that linear TV is at grave risk or at least due for a major shift in its business model.  The future of TV in its many forms was the focus of discussion during the always frenetic Television Week series of conferences.  I attended several of them.  Read on for the primary takeaways.

Great New Consumer Opportunities
For the average consumer, there has never been a better time to be a fan of video.  There is an embarrassment of riches that can be accessed through a myriad of portals and services.  The challenge though, according to Richard Au, Head of Content Acquisition, Amazon Channels, is "how do you find what you like and discover new content?"

Enter the FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google) companies, which are quickly developing an enviable range of video content that is increasingly matched with easy-to-access ad tech for advertisers.  Data plays a huge role not only in the ad tech but also in content curation. Amazon, for example, has developed algorithms that take a look at the content choices of other people who watch similar content.  "We also note what you subscribe to and create a personalized experience and editorial for any new content coming up," Au explained.

Great New Media Challenges … and How to Overcome Them
The advancements of FAANG have created stress on the legacy business model.  David Levy, Executive Vice President Non-Linear Revenue, Fox and Aaron Radin, Senior Vice President Partnerships and Portfolio Products, NBCUniversal, weighed in on the broadcast television model.  "The future of TV buying is to enable audience-based buying at scale through efficient automated platforms," Levy said.  "We need to introduce new measurement solutions beyond cost and reach that properly value attention."

To that end, competitors such as Fox and NBCU have to begin to work together to forge these protocol solutions and build pipelines.  "The keys to success are automation, APIs, data, scalable ad products, markets and measurement," Radin explained.  This needs to be accomplished in an accredited, industry-based manner.  Cross platform solutions are pivotal.  "Google and Netflix have great automated buying options to buy at scale across platforms," he added.  "We need to find ways to present all of our inventory, across all platforms, converging our inventory and enabling transactions."

The legacy model of advertising will be tough to change.  "How do we take 16 minutes of ads in a program and place it in an environment that has fewer ads?" Levy asked.  "We need to get a lot better at measurements including attention, where they are in the funnel, the quality of attention and any change in perception.  If we are just measuring cost and reach we have no chance."

Great Unknowns
As cooperative as the legacy media players might become, there are still the unknowns that can negatively impact the business.  Jeffrey Weber, Chief Executive Officer, ZoneTV noted that we are in this in-between time where new aggregation models for content and channel choice haven't yet settled into an industry standard.  Its hard for consumers to find content that they may like.  Weber believes that operators need to harness the power of the electronic programming guide and help viewers locate the right content at the right time.

Lance Neuhauser, Chief Executive Officer, 4C, said it is important to make the most of every data set.  He stated that, "Social is the largest set of anthropological information now available," he said.  "It is the largest focus group."  He sees that consumers are using ad breaks to engage in social media or texting.  "We need to start from the future and work our way back, and recognize that consumers no longer need to watch ads," he advised. "They can fast-forward, subscribe, pick up their phones, etc."  Linear TV is playing catch up -- and it will be slow.  "You have linear trying to change with 50 years of infrastructure," he added.

Great Advice
The best advice, which was repeated throughout the day, was that businesses need to focus on the viewer and not on the platform.  Re-focusing on the end user can enable a more flexible and successful business model that reinforces a strong future for television.

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com

The State of the Art in On Demand

Last week’s B&C Multichannel New On Demand Summit gave a great overview of the state of the art in the on demand world. From content creators and distributors to measurement companies to marketers, the growth and appeal of on demand for both business and consumers is growing and transforming the business of television.  Here are the takeaways:

Make the Viewing Ecosystem Simple and Unified …

With the myriad of programming options available to viewers, there is the risk of making content choices, delivery options and payment processes too complicated and time consuming. Different programs originating from different apps and requiring different subscriptions processes and options might stall adoption and growth for certain content providers. But some companies, such as Amazon, are focusing on streamlining their processes and collecting them into one simple ecosystem.

Michael Paull, VP Digital Video for Amazon, described his company’s strategy of “getting more sources of programming and keep building on programming” offerings and enabling third party content owners to access. Amazon has created an environment of “streaming, billing and audience to create a unified experience, instead of going from app to app.” He continued, “We have aggregated all of these functions in the viewer experience.” According to Paull, “We can help other programmers unify transactional and program ecosystems and the strategy is paying off.”

… But Give the Viewer Options When and How to View

Understanding viewing trends and preferences is key to effectively responding in a competitive and strategic manner. Sofia Chang, EVP Worldwide Digital Distribution at HBO, follows their subscribers’ viewing patterns. “We saw the trend of time shifted viewing a while ago and launched the first premium service, introducing HBO on demand through our MVPD partners in 2001. In 2008 we launched HBO GO. Last year we saw the trend of broadband only homes so we launched our standalone digital app HBO Now. But even with time shifting, some programming is viewed live like our Game of Thrones. Live programming is not dead,” she asserted, “but it depends on the program.”

Programming Craftsmanship Rules

The old chestnut that Content is King continues to be true. But the old rules regarding programming are shifting. It is no longer vital to target to a broad based audience. And older programs, even those out of the market for more than a decade, can attract a younger Millennial audience.

 Paull noted that going niche, rather than broad based, is a viable programming strategy for his video service. He stated, “We are creating a lot of original programming. We want to create shows people love. And we don't need to have every show that appeals to every consumer.”

Older inventory can have a new life as younger audiences suddenly discover the gems of yesteryear. Chang noted that “Sex in City ended in 1996 and now we are picking up new audiences who were too young to watch at that time. That is what the on demand platforms have done. You can discover shows from over 10 years ago and can view them now.”

The Data Shows That Consumers Are in Control

It bears repeating that data has become the golden key to understanding the viewer experience.

Brian Hughes, SVP Audience Intelligence and Strategy, MAGNA, shared some of his agency’s findings about viewing habits. The trends, according to Hughes, are that viewing is becoming “less linear, more snacking which reveal an underlying behavior shift. Even live event sports are seeing on demand impacting them as well. For example, the Olympics offered more coverage but there was less live viewing than London.” He listed three major points: 1. In the digital age, video is everywhere and consumers like it that way. 2. Millennials are not only ones changing habits and 3. Viewers want TV experiences to be more like mobile - App based and on demand.

Conclusion

What this all means to creators, distributors, marketers and advertisers is that the brave new world of on demand is fast becoming a standard way for viewers to enjoy and consume content. Old theories about viewing habits are evolving as even live event programming cannot guarantee exact minute consumption on a reliable screen. My advice is to follow the data and respond accordingly. As Paull concluded, “We have an enormous amount of data so we can bring the right show to the right people at the right time. We are customer centric as a company.”

This article first appeared in www.MediaBizBloggers.com