U.S. Broadcast News - Iterable User Engagement Teardown

User Engagement Teardown:
U.S. Broadcast News
www.iterable.com

2
A Quick Word on Iterable
Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved
• Iterable is the growth marketing platform that
powers world-class customer engagement with
unparalleled data flexibility.
• Create, execute and optimize campaigns across
email, push, SMS, in-app and more.
• Everything you see here (and more) can be done
with Iterable. You can see other teardowns at:
iterable.com/teardown

3
What is a “User Engagement Teardown?”
• We analyze cross-channel user
engagement over a defined period
post-signup.
• We offer constructive evaluation and
feedback.
• We cover all types of B2C businesses:
e-commerce, marketplaces, media,
politics, etc.

4
Background on the Brands
• Fox News, CBS News, and NBC News are three leading U.S.
broadcast news affiliates.
• Fox News is a conservative-leaning outlet with a reach spanning 86
countries and over 300 million monthly visitors online.
• CBS News has bureaus in over 15 locations worldwide and receives
over 55 million daily visits online.
• NBC News, founded in 1940, has over 35 bureaus worldwide and
an online reach of over 80 million daily visits.

5
What We Did
• We signed up and received messages over
the final three weeks of June 2019.
• We escalated our activity over time:
• Completed user profiles
• Signed up for newsletters
• Downloaded mobile apps
• Adjusted user preferences
• Abandoned premium subscription forms

On to the User Engagement Timeline…

MessagesUserActivity
We’ll show you what we (the user) did here…
…and the messages we received here.
Activities and message types are
color coded as shown in this key.
User Engagement Timeline
Days from
start:
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Message TypeActivity Type
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
WebPush

Next let’s look at Fox News’ user
engagement…

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Signed up for push/SMS
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
The Fox News User Engagement Timeline
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Fox News used double opt-in verification to
authenticate our account before sending a
confirmation message for each newsletter subscription.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The first newsletter we received—Fox News
Opinion—highlighted the site’s opinion page
with an image and headline for each article.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
While updating specific pre-header text, Fox News Opinion
had almost identical subject lines and sender names.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Over the next few days, we received the other
two newsletters from our subscriptions: Fox
News First and Fox News Geek Sheet.
Fox News First covered the day’s headlines
with images and a shortened version of the
story in the body of the newsletter. The
images, however, were not hyperlinked to the
story on foxnews.com.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Fox News First closed the newsletter with a call
to subscribe to the Fox News First newsletter in
the event you had not yet done so.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The Fox News Geek Sheet, covering science
and technology, used a variety of column
designs and mismatching image and headline
sizes. The newsletter also repeats content
within the same message.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
All three newsletters began with a message:
“Having trouble viewing? See it in your
browser.” This often—but not always—
populated the preheader text in the inbox.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
All three newsletters kept the same style and
format when viewed on mobile. Fox News
First, featured in the first 3 images above,
optimized its design for mobile.
However, The Geek Sheet and Fox News Opinion, the
4th
, 5th
, and 6th
images, were not optimized for mobile
viewing.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Initially, we chose Breaking News,
Programming, and Watch Live as our
preferences before paring the notifications
down to only Breaking News.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Fox News mobile push notifications did not include
images or push action buttons, but did include a
bolded headline indicating the story’s category.
We did receive some messages that were not within
our preferences, such as Exclusive or Fox News Poll.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x5 x4
x4
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4
x4
x4
x4
x4 x4 x4
x5
x4
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
After abandoning our cart, we received a promotion
from Fox Nation, a premium subscription streaming
service with separate programming from Fox News,
to sign up for 7 days free.

Fox News User Engagement Timeline
Inbox Snapshot
Observations:
• Newsletter-specific sender
names
• Inconsistent pre-header
text usage
• Redundant subject line and
sender name ”Fox News
(Best of) Opinion”

Now let’s look at CBS News…

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
The CBS News User Engagement Timeline
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x11x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x12 x12 x12 x9 x9 x12 x10 x11 x6
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x11x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x12 x12 x12 x9 x9 x12 x10 x11 x6
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
CBS News sent two emails over the course of
our research—a double opt-in confirmation
email and a welcome message.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x11x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x12 x12 x12 x9 x9 x12 x10 x11 x6
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The lack of emails came as a result of difficulties
in successfully subscribing to newsletters. After
multiple attempts, either our account
information wasn’t accepted or the newsletter
toggle would not stay in the subscribe position.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x11x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x12 x12 x10 x9 x9 x12 x10 x11 x6
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Over the course of our research, we received
119 mobile push notifications from CBS News.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x11x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x12 x12 x10 x9 x9 x12 x10 x11 x6
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The CBS News app did not include a
preference center. As a result, we received all
types of notifications—many of which
promoted CBS programming.
Scheduled
Similar to Fox News, CBS News mobile
push notifications did not have any push
action buttons or images.

Inbox Snapshot
Observations
• Consistent sender names
and addresses
• Double opt-in and
welcome campaign
The Washington Post User Engagement Timeline

Next, we’ll look at NBC News’ user
engagement…

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
The NBC News User Engagement Timeline
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
NBC News did not employ a welcome
campaign or send confirmation messages for
newsletter subscriptions. Their program
began with the BETTER newsletter on the
same day we signed up.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The BETTER newsletter—focused on health, wealth,
and lifestyle—utilized special non-NBC branding and
did not customize pre-header text.
Subject lines, however, did match message content.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The Morning Rundown newsletter focused on
daily headlines and included the date in the
pre-header text.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Due to the length of the articles, the Morning Rundown is
clipped by Gmail, cutting off multiple sections, including
an email address to contact the editor directly.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Both newsletters were designed with mobile viewing in mind,
maintaining the same look and feel when viewed on mobile—
Gmail on mobile even still clipped Morning Rundown.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
NBC News mobile push notifications consistently
included images along with the story, but did not
include a bolded headline to indicate category.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
The NBC News app did not have an extended preference
center based on topic. In order to receive push notifications,
the user must select Breaking News. However, the timeframe
to receive messages is customizable.

Signed up for
account
Completed profile
Downloaded app
Abandoned cart
Adjusted in-app
Preferences
Opt-out from
push/SMS
x4
Days from
start: 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 17 18 19 2015 16
Opt-in to web push
x6 x8 x7 x8 x5 x7
x4 x5
x6 x9 x8 x10
Scheduled
Transactional
Triggered
Desktop Mobile
SMS/Push
Each notification included the Show and Share push
action buttons.

NBC News User Engagement Timeline
Inbox Snapshot
Observations
• Sender names by
newsletter
• Date in pre-header text for
easier identification
• Content-relevant subject
lines
• Infrequent, inconsistent
emoji usage

Let’s drill into our takeaways…

41
Outreach Summary
• Fox News focused more heavily on email. Each newsletter had its own design and style—all of
which were maintained on mobile, but weren’t necessarily optimized. Push notifications were
simple with no imagery or push action buttons.
• CBS News sent an incomplete experience due to subscription and account difficulties.
However, CBS was the only affiliate with a welcome campaign. A heavy mobile push
notification campaign came without preference personalization capabilities to modify
content.
• NBC News utilized a strategy highly optimized for mobile consumption. Newsletter length
became an issue as the Morning Rundown was clipped. Mobile push notifications always
included imagery and push action buttons.

42
Cross-Channel Summary
• Over the course of our 3-week study, the broadcast network affiliates—with
the exception of Fox News—tended to rely heavily on mobile push as the
preferred channel.
Company Email Mobile Push
Fox News 62 40
CBS News 2 119
NBC News 35 88

44
Recommendation Summaries
• Fox News’ Strengths:
• Clear subject lines and sender names
• Timely cart abandonment campaign
• Bold headlines for push notifications that fit selected preferences
• Enhancement Opportunities:
• Design optimization for mobile viewing
• Introduce welcome campaign to facilitate the customer journey
• Enhance mobile push to include push action buttons and images for increased
engagement

45
• CBS News’ Strengths:
• Welcome campaign clearly defines brand offerings
• Mobile push notifications promote alternative CBS content
• Simplify subscription process to avoid difficulties
• Introduce preference center to app for personalized content experience
• Add push action buttons or imagery to promote continued engagement

46
• NBC News’ Strengths:
• Optimized newsletter design for mobile
• Engaging mobile push notifications with imagery and push action buttons
• Send-time customization in mobile app preference center
• Limit newsletter content to avoid clipping
• Introduce welcome campaign to simplify customer preference selection
• Expand mobile preference center to personalize by topic

47
Iterable enables brands to build highly
personalized welcome & onboarding
campaigns that activate consumer interest
Targeted segmentation of new memberships
converted 40% of users to make 1st
purchase
Ongoing testing increased click rates on mobile
by 47% during early days of app launch
New user data is collected to curate
personalized fitness sessions
How Iterable Powers Customer Engagement

U.S. Broadcast News - Iterable User Engagement Teardown

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