1. The future of Public Newscasting
How to survive hypercompetition
yp p
20071212-EBU Thematic Visit News DEF-CDJ
2. The past: dramatic impact of competition
1989
Launch 1st commercial TV-channel
1991
Prime-time news at ex acquo
> 1991
Commercial news takes the lead
59% 59%
56% 57%
1995
2nd and 3th TV-competitor
32%
29% 30% 30% 30% 29%
23%
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
Evolution marketshare BRTN
3. Recovery plan: re-connect with the audience
Release
Restless
R tl
Discovery
Pleasure
Personal Social
Family
Added Value
Addicts
BRT Controle
C t l
Source: Motivational research Censydiam 1996
7. se
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
p/
97
ja
n/
9
m 8
ei
/9
se 8
p/
98
ja
n/
9
m 9
ei
/9
se 9
p/
99
ja
n/
0
m 0
ei
/0
se 0
> 1997: recovery
p/
00
ja
n/
0
m 1
ei
/0
se 1
p/
01
ja
n/
0
m 2
ei
/0
se 2
7u Journaal
p/
02
ja
n/
0
m 3
ei
/0
se 3
p/
03
ja
n/
0
m 4
ei
/0
> 2002
se 4
Nieuws 19u VTM
p/
04
ja
n/
0
m 5
Prime-time news: evolution marketshare
ei
/0
regained leadership
se 5
p/
05
Present : well-established leadership
ja
n/
0
m 6
ei
/0
se 6
p/
06
ja
n/
0
m 7
ei
/0
7
se
p/
07
43
36,6
8. Future : the changing media-landscape
Release
Surprising
Enjoyment Retreat in the Land of Nod
Escape the daily p
p y practice
Live one’s life to the full Friendly
Discovering new ideas
Playful CD/iPOD/MP3
cheerful With passion
Get carried away by his emotions
Pamper yourself
MAGAZINES
VIDEO/DVD
Expanding borders Sociability
energetic Bursting with energy
Spontaneous
Exclusive
Practical
Superior Have f with others
H fun ith th
Status
Richness
INTERNET MEDIA Belonging
Leading a unique life Solidarity Homely
Be somebody
A sense of power Take care Sympathize
Perfection GAMINGCapable TELEVISION
Reach perfection
Familiar
RADIO Empathize with the surroundings
Excel form time to time Structured Be part of a group
Keep in touch with friends
To be able to do things others can’t Peaceful
Live an efficient life
Specialized Maintain the relations with the family
Functional NEWSPAPERS
MOBILE
Gain clarity and certainty Brave
Appreciate routine
Control
9. Future trends: the 4C’s
Convergence in the market and in the mind
– Traditional borders are blurred
– New entrants and rise of distribution power
– TV & radio become increasingly ‘social media’
– Satisfying individual information needs is challenged by new media
Concentration cross-country and cross-media
– “If you aren’t strong, you have to be smart”
Choice multiplication and fragmentation of audiences
– Content is king but it is not the entire realm.
– Provide well-differentiated landmarks built upon fundamental motivations
well differentiated
Control shift from broadcaster to public
– From push (supply) to pull (demand) marketing
– From Share of Market to Share of Mind,
10. Positioning strategy
Our purpose is unambiguous
– Contribute to a diverse and pluralistic democratic society of
well-informed citizens is at the core of our public purpose
But the motivation of people isn’t single-minded
– News and information is not a homogeneous market
– The diversity of needs and wants of people with regard to news
compares to the wide diversity of motivations towards media
p y
– There is no single promise that can embrace them all
We need to go wide in casting the general public,
yet narrow in profiling and positioning the offer
11. The duality in news
Stand-out from the crowd media Be part of the community
Personal tool to blow the mind news Social agent in relationships
Implications for newsprofiling
The Specialist positioning The Reference
The meta-vision/expert view content A guide/template to rely on
To the point, up-tempo rhythm Calm, in-contol
Bright, edgy, esteemed anchors Storytelling, familiar
Contemporary, i
C t innovative
ti style
t l Accessible, convenient
A ibl i t
12. Research: segmentation of needs
Stand-out via rebellion
Driven by the need to express oneself
Outward oriented
Focus on the external world at large
What is there to discover
What is there to experience ?
thatt is novel and extraordinary ?
PERSONAL TOOL SOCIAL AGENT
TO BLOW THE MIND IN RELATIONSHIPS
Stand-out through competence Inward oriented
Driven by the search for recognition Focus on the smaller, surrounding world
What is going on in … What is going on in my region?
…
Politics
Economy Culture Sports
13. Research: our brand-portfolio is almost perfect
KETNET
“ kids news”
STUDIO BRUSSEL DONNA
“the rebellious news” “the macroscopic news”
CANVAS EEN
“ high brow news” “the news standard”
RADIO 1
“the current affairs”
VRTNIEUWS
RADIO 2
? SPORZA
“the sport news “the microscopic news”
KLARA
“ the cultural news
news”
14. Research : vrtnieuws
The spontaneous awareness is low (16%)
– Much lower than the other brands in our portfolio
– Despite the link with VRT that is known by all
For those who know the brand, the meaning is limited
brand
– Perceived as the online news-department of VRT
– Not associated with news and information programs on TV
– Valued for its reliability: objective, factual, well-documented
– Not compatible with the “subjectivity” of opinion-programs.
– Opinion should issue from the media brands according to the
media-brands,
particular and differentiated profile of each one.
– Definitely a seal of guarantee …but not a brand
15. Re-building the news brand
We need a real news brand in our portfolio,
that integrates both performance and emotion in the relation
Primary positioned as a 100% dedicated news brand
With a relevant and differentiated offer
– Complete & update news
– Available anytime (24/7), anywhere (at home and out-of-home)
– Made by passionate news people with great expertise and ethics
In a direct relation with the public
16. What’s in a name ?
VRT is an institution that is valued by the public for its great
know-how in the development of media-products but it is not
media-products,
a lovemark in the heart of the people
A VRT-linked name restricts the potential of a specialized
p p
news brand due to transfer of “technical” associations that
inhibit emotionalism in a direct relationship with the public
The fi t t k Re-brand t i
Th first task: R b d vrtnieuws.net .The new name should
t Th h ld
- be evocative for news and the experts that make it
- be media-neutral to allow cross-media development
17. What about news & info on the various brands ?
The psychology of the relation between individual media-brands
and people should at all times be respected
– Both in the programming and profiling of news productions
In this context we need a brand that reminds the public that
behind all news-related programs lies another force
– That never will compromise on ethics ( “a super-ego”)
– That is a guarantee of reliability and a source of confidence
The second task: grow vrtnieuws to become a source brand
– That endorses all the news productions of the various brands*
– That facilitates migration within our brand portfolio (1+1=3)
* The endorsement should be unobtrusive in order to not interfere with the individual identity of the brands
18. Two distinct brands, two distinct roles
Newname = the specialist brand
– The missing piece in our brand portfolio
– Strongly differentiated and in direct relation with the audience
Vrtnieuws = the source brand
– A transversal mark of expertise & ethics backing all news products
– Aimed at the public and the stakeholders
19. The total effort
KETNET
“ kids news”
STUDIO BRUSSEL DONNA
“the rebellious news” “the macroscopic news”
CANVAS EEN
“ high brow news” “the news standard”
RADIO 1
“the current affairs”
NEWNAME RADIO 2
“ the dedicated newsbrand”
newsbrand SPORZA “the microscopic news”
the news
“the sport news
KLARA
“ the cultural news”
With one common point of intersection: the source brand
21. Strategy is a dynamic process
What is successful at a given moment, can become
contra-productive as times are changing
Anticipate evolutions and dare-to-change when everything
( )g
(still) goes well is the challenge
g
