Bravo Campaign - Capstone 2015 - S.I. Newhouse

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the

Real AdGrads OF ‘CUSE COUNTY

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Agency Intro The Real Ad Grads of ‘Cuse County (Cue music) Jen “When life hands you lemons, put nine in the bowl.”

Dom “Never come between a woman and her plastic surgery.”

Jon “I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m pretty!”

Onjoli “I’m living the American dream one mistake at a time.”

Aidan “When life throws rocks,I melt them down into diamonds.”

Bravo heads to the frozen tundra of Syracuse University for this latest franchise in the Real Housewives series. Although it’s veering slightly away from the cast of botoxed infused housewives usually shown, there is no shortage of drama and intrigue with these guys. This agency is made up of five incredibly fancy and high class bitches who moonlight as super intelligent advertising geniuses. You will blown away with their ideas and their penchant for crazy drama. These kids give a whole new meaning to Orange County.

FRINGE

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Table of Contents Executive Summary 7 The Product 8 The Industry 10 The Media 12 The Consumer 14 The Culture 18 Insights 20 Big Idea 22 Creative Brief 24 Executions 26

Virtual Viewing Parties 26

Bravo Betting 27

Bravo Bracket Challenges 28

Bravo App + Whipclip 29

360 Degree Views 30 #BOWB 31

Real Time Home Design 32

Bravo House Party 34 Media Schedule 36

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Executive Summary Bravo was once known for highbrow drama and the arts. However, highbrow and the arts packed their bags and left years ago, leaving drama to raise the network on it’s own.

Drama is the foundation of the network; it’s why the audience tunes in. With shows like The Real Housewives and Top Chef, Bravo has created and perfected its own specific genre; Crazy Drama.

Crazy Drama is yelling “prostitution...whore!” while trying in vain to flip a table.

Crazy Drama is cancelling your destination wedding, but still going to the destination. Because you need a vacation.

Crazy Drama is exactly what millennials want. They have been raised by video games, they communicate through Snapchat, and they’re are in constant need of stimulation. If it’s not crazy, it’s boring. And if it’s boring, they hate it.

Millennials are like the Real Housewives. They want what they want, when they want it. And if they don’t get it, someone’s going to get bitched out…hard.

We’ve created a more immersive, entertaining and engaging platform for Bravo that will help capture this prima donna audience. With tactics ranging from 360-degree viewing, to real time betting, to throwing luxurious house parties, we’ve developed a strategy to keep millennials engaged and entertained for longer than they could have ever imagined.

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Research Question: What impact has the progression of the “Docu-Drama” had on Bravo?

The Product

The Rise of Bravo and the “Docu-Drama”

Bravo has been one of the pioneers in innovative program from the very beginning.

• The Bravo network was launched in 1980 and touted as “the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts.” The thinking was “plays are great; people love plays — let’s put those on a TV network and people will love that.”(Jacoby, 2015.)

• Fast-forward 35 years and the once high-minded Bravo has a new audience and is no longer pointing cameras at the performing arts of the stage, but has created a new category – the “Docu-Drama”

• No other network is better at inventing, then refining a category (and celebrities) than Bravo.

• The new audience watches Bravo and their to feel like an insider and enter a gated community, but now Bravo is at an interesting pivot point.

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Strengths Weaknesses Innovative TV programming First to offer TV personalities/hosts that are experts A lot of shows Very successful show franchises High-style voyeurism Part of NBCUniversal/Comcast Created ‘Bravolebrities’ / Bravo ‘World’ Reality TV is cheaper to produce Product integration The Bravo ‘Wink’ Devoted franchise followers - Bravo-Holics

Inaccessible content without cable subscription Lack brand image Lost Project Runway Similar programming Lack of variety Unhelpful App

Opportunities Threats Testing scripted programming over reality Unbundling- rise in subscription platforms More engaged viewers- two screen sinimum Social TV Communal viewing

New original content creators Cordcutting Perceptions of reality TV Long list of similar programming Binge watching viewer culture

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Research Question: What impact has the docu-drama had on television as a whole?

The Industry

The Reality TV Phenomenon A huge surge in reality television in the industry as viewers interest in shows like ‘The Real World’ & ‘Survivor’ grew.

• .The first “reality show,” Queen For a Day, premiered in the 1950’s. However, MTV’s The Real World is considered the first modern reality show as we know it (Jaffe, 2005).

• Reality TV stems from our desire to fantasize about the prospect of easily acquired fame (Harrell, 2014), and appeals to our sense of voyeurism as we see how people react in an unnatural environment (Jaffe, 2005).

• Created a new genre of TV called Humilitainment, or the tendency for viewers to be attracted to spectacular mortification (Jaffe, 2005).

• Allows for more equal TV representation of minority groups like African Americans, Latino, and LGBTQ communities (Parritano, 2009).

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Research Question: How have tech developments affected consumer viewing habits?

The Media

Lean In, Lean Back

Millennials watch TV differently than any other generation.

• Sites like Netflix and Hulu, as well as DVR and unbundling abilities give the audience control over what, when and where they watch their favorite shows.

• Viewers are actively choosing which programs they are watching. This means the majority of a show’s audience are leaning in - or watching intently - as opposed to having the program on as background noise.

• Millennials are constantly connected - 65% of them are using these connected devices while they watch TV (Verizon Millennials and Entertainment, 2014).

• Through social media, viewers are given almost unlimited access to their favorite shows and characters. This increased access has the potential to create positive brand engagement with shows and networks.

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Media continued

Facebook:

Snapchat:

percent of the generation, a trait that means their lives are an open book for all to see. (Nielsen, 2014).

32.9% penetration, Snapchat was the third most popular social app among 18-34-year-olds (behind Facebook and Instagram, but ahead of Twitter, Pinterest, and Vine).

• Facebook is the platform of choice for 72

• 88% of Millennial have a Facebook account

• A recent Comscore report found that with

and over half (51%) are active users on Facebook.

(Bennett, 2014).

• “If you look at just the 18-24-year-old base, the

Twitter:

• According to eMarketer, those ages 18-24

• Millennials say they use Twitter because it brings

accounted for 43% of Snapchat fans. (2015)

fun and laughter into their lives. Nearly half (47%) agree that Twitter means “laughing” or “a cure for boredom,” and when they come across a funny Tweet, most (82%) share it. (Moy, 2014).

Pinterest:

• Most millennials (71%) also think that tweeting about an event as they’re experiencing it makes it more fun. (Moy, 2014).

• “Millennials have a unique perspective, and

app has 50% penetration. (Beer, 2014).

• “For Pinterest, millennials mostly follow brands to share their interests and lifestyle with others, cited by 76 percent” (Bennett, 2015).

• Millennials have bumped up their use of Pinterest more than any other social network, according to data from the Harvard Institute of Politics (Guimares, 2014).

they’re not shy about sharing it. Most (56%) say that Twitter is about sharing, and they use Twitter to document their lives in real time” (Moy, 2014).

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Research Question: What programming are millennials connecting with & how?

The Consumer

Friends First, Shows Second

After 15 personal interviews conducted with both millennials who watch Bravo, and who don’t watch Bravo, we discovered some of the intricacies of millennial viewing habits.

• There are millennials who enjoy watching reality programming. However they enjoy watching it in group settings where they can make jokes and talk together about what’s happening while it’s happening. Though they may not physically be with their friend group while the show is on, they may be watching and call a friend during the show’s breaks or talk about it with them the next day.

• They also enjoy guilty pleasure television (explained as television they may be embarrassed to watch), they don’t feel ‘guilty’ about it. Millennials considered TV a ‘destresser.’ Many of them mentioned a ‘great escape’ type of feeling when they watch their favorite shows.

• IMillennials don’t spend much time watching television and many are no longer taking the time to find new shows or channel surf because they enjoy what they already watch. However, they are willing to try new shows if a friend or someone else they trust recommends it.

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The Consumer

Millennials On Bravo • Millennials turn to their friends first. Whether it’s for advice or

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hing Reality c t a W s l TV nnia

recomendations, their friends are their guides.

• With fewer millennials watching television and channel surfing, they rely on their peers to recommend the next best thing.

• Millennial females make up 23% of Bravo’s current viewership (Simmons OneView). If Bravo provides these influencers with the tools to share Bravo with their friends, they can grow their viewership to millennials already watching similar programming.

Millennials watching Bravo Friends of millennials watching Bravo

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Pop Culture Connoisseur • I am often chosen to be the spokesperson of the group- 130 • I’m good at convincing others to try new things - 140 • I love to keep up with celebrity news and gossip- 206 • My friends look to me to organize our activities - 51% (All index numbers and percentages from Simmons OneView)

Caitlin, 25, UX designer Caitlin works at a digital start up company in San Francisco. She loves to simplify things which is what led her to a career UX design. She and her co-workers bonded over celebrity entertainment. She voluntarily hosts viewing parties for friends. She enjoys sharing her likes and interests with others, online and offline.

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The Social Supporter • I like to try new things - 137 • The internet is a primary source of entertainment for me - 166 • I rely on the internet to communicate with friends and family - 55% (All index numbers and percentages from Simmons OneView)

Ashley, 23, Graphic Designer Ashley has moved from her hometown to pursue a career in graphic design in San Francisco. She’s adventurous and loves to travel and try new things. She uses social media to keep up with family and friends back home. Because she’s ventured away from her hometown, she spends a lot of time hanging out with coworkers. She’s not as familiar with her current surroundings so she often relies on others to suggest things to do and places to visit. She’s a self proclaimed TV addict and enjoys keeping up with celebrity gossip. When she’s looking for new shows to watch, she strongly relies on recommendations from friends and trusted online sources.

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Research Question: How have changes in consumer control over content affected viewers

expectations for programming?

The Culture

Hypersensitivity and Hyperstimulation

Millennials constant need for mental stimulation comes in all forms.

• Millennials are hypersensitive to boredom.

• They’ve come of age in an era marked by heightened levels of technological stimulation i.e. video games, mobile phones that function as boredom killers.

• Brains are hardwired to seek highly engaging, dopamine inducing experiences. TV viewing habits reflect those physiological needs. They obsess over shows with stimulating storylines and feed that obsession by binge watching and engaging with content on multiple platforms.

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Research Methods Secondary • Consulted industry articles and research studies from the Journal of Consumer Marketing, Adweek, Nielsen and other sources to complement our primary research findings

Primary • Conducted personal interviews with 15 millennial viewers to better understand their television viewing, media and social habits.

• Solicited feedback from 105 survey respondents via an online qualitative questionnaire. The questionnaire polled respondents’ attitudes about Bravo, specific television shows, and the reality television genre as a whole

Syndicated • Utilized Simmons OneView to gather attitudinal, behavioral data specific to our target audience.

• Consulted Sysomos Heartbeat to gauge what was being said about Bravo.

• Consulted Comscore and eMarketer

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Bravo Insight

Bravo Provides “Reality” Without the Consequences • Bravo provides “reality” without the consequences that exist in the real world.

• Because the shows are so wildly entertaining and offer high levels of intensity, they lead to a highly stimulating experience for the viewer.

• If a show is so outrageous it’s almost unbelievable, then it’s on Bravo.

Crazy = Highly stimulating, wild, out of the ordinary, hard to believe, intense

#RealCrazy

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Consumer Insight

Communal Watching And Shared Reactions Heightens Engagement • Millennials feed off the reactions of others during reality TV. • Communal watching and shared reactions heightens engagement.

• Millennials watch TV to be entertained and watch reality TV to experience a reality that isn’t theirs.

#SharingIsCaring

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Big Idea:

Escape Your Drama With Ours

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Creative Brief Why are we advertising ?

What would we like them to think?

To position Bravo as the home of super-shareable, crazy drama.

“I enjoy watching reality TV with my group of friends and Bravo makes it easier for me to escape my drama with my circle of friends.”

To whom are we talking?

Millennial females, 18-25; reality TV enthusiasts; pop culture connoisseurs and social supporters whose lives are fueled by friends, family and fun events. These super sharers are constantly telling their friends what they think and listening to what their friends say on social media. They trust their friends advice to help guide them in their everyday decision making.

Single most persuasive idea we can convey Bravo is the only network that offers crazy drama that intensifies the social experience.

Why should they believe it?

Bravo is more innovative than any other network. They invented a category and refined it better than anyone else.

What do they currently think?

“I already have my favorite reality shows that I watch with my friends. I’m more concerned with the shows, not the network they’re on.”

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Are there any creative guidelines?

Keep it crazy.

Crazy Scale In conjunction with our executions, we’ve developed a “crazy” rating system to help rank our executions. Internally, we judged each execution with everyone’s favorite Housewives of Atlanta character – Nene. On a scale of 1-5, 1 is “oh, after tea and crumpets, she’s going shopping for clothes AGAIN, whatever” to 5 is “oh, no she DID NOT just throw that woman out of a JET encrusted with diamonds!!!”

For Example:

Crazy =

Fucking Insane =

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Bravo Virtual Viewing Parties • To cater to long distance, group viewing, Bravo can create ‘viewing rooms’ within their site. In partnership with Rabb.it, users would be able to video chat or text chat with each other while they watch recent Bravo programming together.

• Viewers can invite their friends via Facebook, Twitter or email to create a viewing room around the most recent episode of their favorite shows.

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crazy rating =

Rationale:

• Millennials are more likely to try new programming when it’s suggested by a friend. This is a place for friends to suggest a Bravo show to watch and watch it with them. (personal interviews)

Bravo Betting • Viewers would be able to make predictions based on different activities in the show i.e. outcomes of cliffhangers that occur prior to commercial breaks, likelihood of negative interactions between cast members, etc.

• Viewers can build up points and redeem them for swag from the Bravo Boutique • Betting can be integrated within virtual viewing parties in Rabb.it

crazy rating =

Rationale:

• Millennials are avid multi-taskers and cycle through several activities while watching television.

• Providing a platform to engage those behaviors, while also providing tangible rewards, will enhance the viewing experience for younger millennials

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Bravo Bracket Challenges • Top Chef viewers would build interactive brackets and make predictions about current competitors. They could also invite friends via Facebook to compete against other Bravo ‘bracketeers’ from across the country

• Winning bracketeers would win weekly Blue Apron food boxes inspired by that week’s episode to make with family and friends. Viewers would also be able to purchase Top Chef inspired boxes for the length of the season

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crazy rating =

Rationale:

• Millennials crave constant engagement.

• They obsess over shows with stimulating storylines and feed that obsession by binge watching and engaging with content on multiple platforms.

• Bravo bracket challenges offer an extremely engaging platform for millennial viewers

Bravo App + Whipclip • Enhance Bravo’s existing app by creating more engaging and shareable content. Viewers will be able to create and share short highlights from TV shows almost instantaneously.

• Share it through social media, text, or email. Viewers can make memes and gifs to share online and with friends. Premade memes and gifs that viewers can share will also be available through the app.

crazy rating =

Rationale:

• People love to share their reactions while watching live TV, but what is missing from that conversation is the video.

• According to a Deloitte study, 48% of millennials use social media while watching television and 86% of Americans multitask while watching television. (Scanlon, 2014).

• “The pitch for content owners is the instantaneous sharing fuels tune-in, just like live-tweets and hashtags” (Bergman, 2011).

• Allows audience to have the spotlight. Bravo has passionate and loyal fans and by encouraging participation, Bravo can take advantage of the social influence from their passionate fanbase.

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360 Degree Views • The French company Giroptic has created innovative video cameras capable of recording 360-degree views.

• This footage can be hosted on the Bravo App to be viewed on phones and tablets, allowing the viewer to control what they want to see by moving their screens up, down, or side to side.

• This could be incorporated into every reality show on Bravo, from Real Housewives to Million Dollar Listing to Top Chef.

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crazy rating =

Rationale:

• Millennials want engaging and immersive experiences.

Current reality TV programming lets them watch other people’s lives through the keyhole.

• By adding this 360-degree footage to their website, Bravo would be allowing the audience to fully experience the lives of their favorite Bravolebs.

#BOWB - The Viewer Created Mini Series

crazy rating =

• Viewers can tweet, snap, or instagram their drama throughout the week with the hashtag #BOWB (Bitch Out With Bravo).

• The best posts will be presented on a web series with the same name hosted by actor and singer Tituss Burgess. Burgess will read and react to the best posts and also host a segment called Top 10 Bravo Bitch Outs featuring the best dramatic moments of the week’s shows.

Rationale:

• Bravo shows have crazy drama, but so do Bravo’s viewers. Placing Bravo in the friend group as the listening ear and providing a sort of venting session for the Bravo community.

• Trends like social media shaming (passenger shaming, dog shaming, kid shaming, etc) give millennials opportunities to criticize the small dramas in our lives.

• Letting viewers be a part of the programming, momentarily gives them the spotlight.

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Real Time Home Design

crazy rating =

• Bridge the real world with the social by creating a home designed in real-time and entirely on Pinterest. Nine Bravolebs will assist in coordinating pins on Pinterest and design for Flipping Out, leading up to the season finale.

• The Bravolebs would put together one room with help from their followers on Pinterest by prompting them to choose different elements each day.

• Throughout the season, each week would focus on a different room in the house.

• Viewers would also be able to see 360-degree views of the house they helped design during and after the final episode. They would also be able to virtually see how each prospective item would look.

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Rationale:

• If social media platforms in general are catalysts for people to present their best selves, then Pinterest in particular is the best platform to visualize a fantasy life.

• Gives people a chance to work together as a community to create a product that blends the physical and the digital world in a crazy, fun, and interactive way.

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Every furnishing in this house is going to be voted into existence by the viewers – once again giving them the spotlight.

& for the Grand Finale

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Bravo House Party

crazy rating =

• Host parties in cities where Real Housewives series are produced: Atlanta (Jan-April), Beverly Hills (Jan-April), NY (Mar-July), OC (April-Sept)

• Viewers apply in groups to attend the parties. In the application process, potential party attendees have to create a Real Housewives style introduction showcasing their personalities and friend group dynamics.

• Parties are hosted by one or more housewives in their respective city with visits from other Bravolebs. Food will be catered by past Top Chef contestants.

• Twitter selfie mirrors will be placed in different rooms so that attendees can share photos of themselves and their friends on social media.

• Party attendees will each gain access to the Bravo SnapChat account. They will post in lieu of Bravo so non-attendees can have inside access.

• The parties will also livecast an episode of #BOWB. 34

Different rooms within the house will serve different purposes:

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• Designers from Flipping Out set up and design the

Buy a Bravoleb’s closet- closets will be stocked with Bravoleb inspired clothes. Guests are encouraged to try on and buy items. Each closet is equipped with a Bravoleb Stylebook. The Stylebook allows customers to virtually scan the closet, put outfits together, and share them to social media.

house with items also available for purchase.

Rationale:

• Provides an incredible opportunity for viewers to live the Bravo lifestyle and integrates numerous programming into one immersive guerrilla marketing campaign.

• Creates buzzworthy moments for Bravo • Give the viewer another opportunity to feel like they’re in on the Bravo drama

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social media

bravo party (nyc/oc)

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Media Schedule

Measurements & Metrics

Viewing parties

Bravo Bitch Out

- # of streams shared

- # of views on YouTube -# of tweets and retweets, snaps created/shared

Bravo Bracket Challenges - # of bracket challenges initiated, completed -# of points redeemed, rewards issued

Real Time Home Design - # of pins - shift in ratings measured throughout the season

Bravo Betting - # of wagers made - # of points earned, redeemed

House Party - Viewer applications submitted - content sharing across social media platforms

Bravo App - Time spent on the app - Content shares via the app

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Bibliography Beer, J. (2014). How 12 Brands Used Snapchat. Co.Create. Retrieved 22 June 2015, from http://www.fastcocreate.com/3033793/how-12-brands-used-snapchat Bennett, S. (2014). Study: How Many Millennials, Gen Xers And Baby Boomers Use Facebook, Twitter And Instagram? AdWeek. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/millennials-gen-x-baby-boomers-social-media/499110 Bennett, S. (2015). 10 Reasons Why Millennials Follow Brands on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. AdWeek. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/millennials-brands-social-media/614609 Bittner, Jenny V., and Jeffrey Shipper. “Motivational Effects and Age Differences of Gamification in Product Advertising.” Journal of Consumer Marketing 31.5 (2014): 391-400. Web. eMarketer. (2015). Want to Reach Millennials? Say Hello to Snapchat. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from http://www.emarketer.com/ Article/Want-Reach-Millennials-Say-Hello-Snapchat/1011871 Guimares, T. (2014). Pinterest’s Demographics Mean It Could Become The Next Monster Social Advertising Platform. Business Insider. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-as-a-brand-platform-2014-11 Jacoby, D. (2015). Lowbrow Highlights: Analyzing Bravo’s Next Wave of Reality Shows.

Grantland. Retrieved 22 June 2015, from http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/lowbrow-highlights-analyzing-bravos-next-wave-of-reality-shows/ Moy, A. (2014). Four insights about millennials on Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from https://blog.twitter.com/2014/ four-insights-about-millennials-on-twitter Nielsen,. (2014). Millennials: Technology = Social Connection. Retrieved 18 June 2015, from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html 38

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