Let me ask about that last comment...I for one agree the spot was very well done, well crafted and is a spot to be proud of. Kudos to the producer. We all love to produce slick and clever spots like this one (when's the last time we put a topical on our demo reel?). However, in the middle of a primetime break...how often might our 'highly produced' spots telegraph the idea that maybe there's no 'real news' worth staying up for that night? How often might viewers see our great spot and decide to switch our biggest competitor at news time...the off button? I have been thinking about this a lot. I wonder if spots that feature a non-urgent subject matter like an ongoing investigation, health issue, etc... might actually be hurting late news numbers...especially in a world of constant information/content on many screens and devices. 'Down-shifting' our production values seems counter to everything we've ever believed or thought in the promo producer world, but it does make me wonder. For now, I'm resolving to keep a balance. Bring out the 'big guns' production-wise only for stories that actually deserve it. Otherwise, keep the spot as timely and relevant as possible...simple and to the point...even give your anchors some additional face-time in them. Kind of a more glorified topical if you will. This might also drive your news folks nuts who thing everything they do is 'special'...but if everything is special, nothing is special. This spot is a great spot..no argument there...and this probably is their big showcase piece for the sweeps. But it does make me think more about the big picture..and the challenges we all face remaining relevant in a new world. How's that for being deep? :)
To me, I don't need something urgent and up-to-the-minute. That's actually what I think is hurting news...making everything seem urgent RIGHT NOW! When in reality, not much is that urgent. So most stations make everything out to be more than it is. It's the boy who cried wolf. To get my attention, you need to have something interesting. Something that piques my curiosity. Something with a good story. Because frankly, if all you have is something "YOU NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW!" I'll hop on Google and get it right now... rather than sit around waiting for you to show it to me on the news in a hour or two.
I guess I really mean something that's timely and relevant...vs something that's more featurish or that gives the impression they could find that story on the web later. Something that makes the viewer ask themselves 'should I really stay up for that?' In the end, there's no one-size-fits all...and each station has to figure out what balance works for them. That's the challenge. Good discussion all!
TXPromoDude - I totally see where you are coming from. It's hard to do any investigations of length, content that makes you think, or topics that lack that "need to know" urgency at 11pm. We all know those viewers are fighting the pillow.
With that said, this is a 6pm promo. Sure, promos probably ran in prime, but the target audience isn't the one looking for quick headlines before bed.
Also, it's sweeps! In a lot of markets every day is sweeps! If you aren't bringing out the big guns at every opportunity, why even bother being in the game?
100% agree with Jon. Too often I hear the "new & and now" push...especially for the 11pm. What's going to keep me from heading to bed? Something interesting. "New and Now" isn't always most promotable.
As a viewer I know that the 11pm is mostly a re-hash of the earlier shows...stretching to find new angles of those old stories. Give me something interesting and I'll give you my time.
We've actually stop promoting our 11pm during sweeps and have focused on our 5pm & 6pm shows, you know, when people are actually watching.
Because of this, ratings have gone up (including our 11pm! Who would of thunk?) and so has station revenue. Let's face it, there is nothing interesting enough that's going to keep people up to watch at 11pm. If there is, they're going to DVR it.
8 comments:
Fantastic! I want to watch to find out what's going on. I'm actually going to look for this story online. Super effective tease!
Off the mark? Tough crowd. They shot all their own footage, the motion tracking was seamless, and they made a story about PARKING... INTERESTING.
I wouldn't say I'm a lazy producer but when's the last time you brought a dolly to your downtown to shoot for a one-off sweeps story?
XOXO,
-Not the producer
Let me ask about that last comment...I for one agree the spot was very well done, well crafted and is a spot to be proud of. Kudos to the producer. We all love to produce slick and clever spots like this one (when's the last time we put a topical on our demo reel?). However, in the middle of a primetime break...how often might our 'highly produced' spots telegraph the idea that maybe there's no 'real news' worth staying up for that night? How often might viewers see our great spot and decide to switch our biggest competitor at news time...the off button? I have been thinking about this a lot. I wonder if spots that feature a non-urgent subject matter like an ongoing investigation, health issue, etc... might actually be hurting late news numbers...especially in a world of constant information/content on many screens and devices. 'Down-shifting' our production values seems counter to everything we've ever believed or thought in the promo producer world, but it does make me wonder. For now, I'm resolving to keep a balance. Bring out the 'big guns' production-wise only for stories that actually deserve it. Otherwise, keep the spot as timely and relevant as possible...simple and to the point...even give your anchors some additional face-time in them. Kind of a more glorified topical if you will. This might also drive your news folks nuts who thing everything they do is 'special'...but if everything is special, nothing is special. This spot is a great spot..no argument there...and this probably is their big showcase piece for the sweeps. But it does make me think more about the big picture..and the challenges we all face remaining relevant in a new world. How's that for being deep? :)
To me, I don't need something urgent and up-to-the-minute. That's actually what I think is hurting news...making everything seem urgent RIGHT NOW! When in reality, not much is that urgent. So most stations make everything out to be more than it is. It's the boy who cried wolf. To get my attention, you need to have something interesting. Something that piques my curiosity. Something with a good story. Because frankly, if all you have is something "YOU NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW!" I'll hop on Google and get it right now... rather than sit around waiting for you to show it to me on the news in a hour or two.
I guess I really mean something that's timely and relevant...vs something that's more featurish or that gives the impression they could find that story on the web later. Something that makes the viewer ask themselves 'should I really stay up for that?' In the end, there's no one-size-fits all...and each station has to figure out what balance works for them. That's the challenge. Good discussion all!
TXPromoDude - I totally see where you are coming from. It's hard to do any investigations of length, content that makes you think, or topics that lack that "need to know" urgency at 11pm. We all know those viewers are fighting the pillow.
With that said, this is a 6pm promo. Sure, promos probably ran in prime, but the target audience isn't the one looking for quick headlines before bed.
Also, it's sweeps! In a lot of markets every day is sweeps! If you aren't bringing out the big guns at every opportunity, why even bother being in the game?
100% agree with Jon. Too often I hear the "new & and now" push...especially for the 11pm. What's going to keep me from heading to bed? Something interesting. "New and Now" isn't always most promotable.
As a viewer I know that the 11pm is mostly a re-hash of the earlier shows...stretching to find new angles of those old stories. Give me something interesting and I'll give you my time.
We've actually stop promoting our 11pm during sweeps and have focused on our 5pm & 6pm shows, you know, when people are actually watching.
Because of this, ratings have gone up (including our 11pm! Who would of thunk?) and so has station revenue. Let's face it, there is nothing interesting enough that's going to keep people up to watch at 11pm. If there is, they're going to DVR it.
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