How Brands Are Breaking Through Programming Clutter

How do you make an ad unmissable? Target the correct audience with compelling content on the appropriate platform, of course. But beyond that textbook guideline, what makes a marketing effort particularly effective? The Ad Age Content Strategy Studio asked leading cable TV executives to share some of their best recent ideas for helping a marketer's brand message stand out. THE MULTINETWORK MEGA-EVENT Media companies are increasingly using all their power to promote and capitalize on their best content—and few cable companies have done this as thoroughly as A+E Networks. Whether sampling a History Channel series on a sibling channel or telecasting a blockbuster series such as "Bonnie and Clyde" across networks, A+E has used its distinct networks to reach different targets, aggregate audiences and multiply the impact for participating advertisers. A+E just announced its latest mega-event: The company is remaking "Roots," the historic miniseries that set audience records in 1977. The new eight-hour "Roots," planned for a 2016 premiere, will run simultaneously on all A+E networks, including History, H2, A+E, Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network. "We will bring this great American story to life for a whole new generation—and this will be done with an eye on how our viewers now embrace must-have content," says Peter Olsen, A+E's exec VP-ad sales. "Each network and each digital platform in our portfolio will launch additional content that illustrates how the amazing struggle portrayed on the screen has influenced American culture and the society we live in today." A+E works with such companies as Vox Media, Vice and Maker Studios to produce original and custom content. "Roots," Mr. Olsen says, "will be epic, contemporary, entertaining and informative." For marketers, he says, "This franchise planning approach allows advertisers to get involved in the way that best fits their brand and the audience they are targeting." HIGH-PROFILE CUSTOM CONTENT Donna Speciale, president of Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales, says her mission is simple: "The fundamental goal for us is to help clients drive their business results—whether that is using our targeting data, native advertising or branded content." One recent high-impact initiative she cites is a special partnership with State Farm. The insurance company was a lead advertiser for TNT's February telecast of the NBA's All-Star Weekend. Turner used the All-Star programming as a lead-in to launch "Neighborhood Sessions by State Farm." The hourlong custom series, created and produced by Turner, features musicians returning to their neighborhoods. In the February premiere episode, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez performed a concert in the Bronx neighborhood where she was known long ago as Jenny from the Block. "We married our sports and entertainment programming for this great campaign," Ms. Speciale says, adding that the show reached 35 million people on TV and other Turner and State Farm platforms—including 7 million via social media. "Everything we do has a social component now," she says. "In this case, it gave us a push, it gave them a push. The goal is that any campaign we do is not a one-time-only effort. We build the social conversation so that it will keep growing." Turner and State Farm will soon announce the star of the next "Neighborhood Sessions" episode. FINDING THE MEGA-FAN USA Network will launch the second season of "Playing House" this summer using an unusual combination of linear TV and video on demand designed to appeal to passionate fans of the comedy series. New episodes of "Playing House" will premiere Tuesday nights on USA. But immediately after a new episode runs, the following episode will be available—only on demand—a week before it appears on USA. The strategy appeals to a growing group of TV viewers who like to binge on their favorite shows. USA says the unusual "windowing" strategy will be promoted heavily by the network and will offer a select group of advertisers premium placement in the on-demand/USA Now viewings. USA and parent NBC Universal say the creators and stars of the show, Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, will collaborate with advertisers to develop custom content aimed for the on-demand platform. "We are trying to create content in new ways that both include advertisers and seek the audience in a unique way," says Dan Lovinger, exec VP-ad sales for NBC Universal. "We are looking to build opportunities for advertisers to break through the clutter, to get through to the millennial who doesn't watch ads in the same way as older viewers do." SEAMLESS INTEGRATION When General Motors' Chevrolet brand set up plans for a massive online #BestDayEver campaign—turning April Fools' Day into a day of surprises and rewards for people all across the country—The Weather Channel became one of the brand's media partners. The network's "AMHQ" morning show was telecast live on interactive screens at an Illinois gas station. Random drivers pulling up to the pump found anchor Sam Champion talking to them from the screens, offering them an April Fools' Day surprise: Chevy was paying for their tank of gas. On behalf of Chevy, Mr. Champion gave out gasoline to a host of customers during the show. The giveaways were telecast live on "AMHQ" on April 1, featured on weather.com, YouTube and other social platforms, and also recapped in a two-minute segment on the show's April 2 broadcast. "We love great integrations like this," says Jeremy Steinberg, head of sales for The Weather Co. Ongoing Weather Channel on-screen integrations include outerwear from provider L.L. Bean and Toyota's Mobile Weather Fleet—Toyota cars and trucks equipped with portable weather station systems that are deployed to cover and provide data on severe weather events around the country. "We think we are uniquely positioned because we touch consumers in so many ways—on TV, our website or mobile apps—about something that is one of the most important things in their lives, the weather," Mr. Steinberg says. "They rely on us every day to plan their lives, and when our advertisers are part of the story with us, it's that much more powerful." GOING ALL IN Although the brand is nearly 200 years old, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce has never advertised on TV. "With the budget for the Lea & Perrins brand, we made the decision to concentrate our resources on one investment that could be activated across multiple media platforms as well as maximized within the retail environment," says Hannah Lewis, associate director of marketing for Heinz North America, which markets the brand. Working with Food Network, Lea & Perrins signed on as the lead sponsor of a five-week special edition of the popular "Chopped" cooking-competition series. The five episodes of "Chopped Grill Masters" will run in July and August, with Lea & Perrins advertising in and integrated deeply into the episodes. On "Chopped," hosted by Ted Allen, chefs must cook using ingredients given to them in a "mystery basket"; for the first time in the series, a branded product—Lea & Perrins—will be featured in the chefs' baskets. Food Network will make commercials and custom vignettes for Lea & Perrins using footage from the TV shoot, says Jon Steinlauf, president, national ad sales for Food Network parent Scripps Networks. Heinz will promote the effort in stores, in restaurants and on its digital platforms, and the content will be featured on FoodNetwork.com with recipes and cooking tips. "We have never done anything like this before, but the product is such a good fit for 'Chopped'—such a natural part of grilling," Mr. Steinlauf says.

How Brands Are Breaking Through Programming Clutter

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