The future of Public NewscastingThe future of Public Newscasting

How to survive hypercompetitionyp p

20071212-EBU Thematic Visit News DEF-CDJ

The past: dramatic impact of competition

1989Launch 1st commercial TV-channel

1991

59% 59%

Prime-time news at ex acquo

> 1991Commercial news takes the lead

59% 59% 56% 57% 19952nd 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

Recovery plan: re-connect with the audience

Release

R tlRestless

PleasureDiscovery

Personal SocialFamilyFamily

Added Value

C t l

Addicts

BRT ControleBRT

Source: Motivational research Censydiam 1996

First stage: branding strategy (1997)

Release

Personal Social

C t lControle

Second stage : news project 2002

Release

TARGETING PROGRAMING

P S

Controle

LOOK & FEEL BRANDING & ADVERTISINGLOOK & FEEL BRANDING & ADVERTISING

Result: the negative trend is stopped and inversed

> 2002 Re-established leadership in news

9 359 2

1997Head-on sheduling

of the prime-time news

36%38%40%

59,3%

59,2% 55,9

%57,3%

625,0%

27,8%

30,7%

30,6%

31,3%

34%36% %

31,5% 28,8

%29,8%

30,1%

29,5%

28,9%

22,6%

5 96 97 98 99 .00 .01 .02 .03 .0485 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95

Evolution marketshare VRT

Present : well-established leadership

50 7u Journaal Nieuws 19u VTM

Prime-time news: evolution marketshare

4345

50

36,635

40

25

30

> 1997: recovery> 2002

regained leadership

20

sep/97jan/9

8mei/

98se

p/98jan/9

9mei/

99se

p/99jan

/00mei/

00sep

/00jan

/01mei/

01sep

/01jan

/02mei/

02se

p/02jan/0

3mei/

03se

p/03jan/0

4mei/

04se

p/04jan

/05mei/

05sep

/05jan

/06mei/

06sep

/06jan

/07mei/

07se

p/07

Future : the changing media-landscape

Release

Retreat in the Land of NodEscape the daily practice

EnjoymentSurprising

VIDEO/DVD

CD/iPOD/MP3

MAGAZINES

Discovering new ideas

Get carried away by his emotionsWith passioncheerful

Playful

Pamper yourself

Friendlyp y p

Live one’s life to the full

VIDEO/DVD

H f ith th

Bursting with energySociability

Spontaneous

PracticalExclusive

Expanding bordersenergetic

INTERNET

RADIOGAMING

Status Belonging MEDIA

TELEVISION

Have fun with others

SolidaritySympathize

Empathize with the surroundings

Take care

Familiar

Homely

Reach perfectionPerfectionCapable

Be somebodyLeading a unique life

Richness

A sense of power

Superior

MOBILE

NEWSPAPERS

To be able to do things others can’t

Be part of a group

Keep in touch with friends

Maintain the relations with the familyLive an efficient life

Familiar

Peaceful

Functional Specialized

StructuredExcel form time to time

MOBILE

Control

Appreciate routineGain clarity and certainty Brave

Future trends: the 4C’s

Convergence in the market and in the mind– Traditional borders are blurredTraditional 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– 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– Provide well-differentiated landmarks built upon fundamental motivations

Control shift from broadcaster to public– From push (supply) to pull (demand) marketing– From Share of Market to Share of Mind,

Positioning strategy

Our purpose is unambiguousContribute to a diverse and pluralistic democratic society of– 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

The duality in news

Stand-out from the crowd Be part of the communitymedia

Personal tool to blow the mind Social agent in relationshipsnews

Implications for newsprofiling

The Specialist positioning The ReferenceThe Specialist positioning The ReferenceThe meta-vision/expert view content A guide/template to rely onTo the point, up-tempo rhythm Calm, in-contolBright, edgy, esteemed anchors Storytelling, familiarC t i ti t l A ibl i tContemporary, innovative style Accessible, convenient

Research: segmentation of needs

Outward orientedFocus on the external world at large

Stand-out via rebellionDriven by the need to express oneself

What is there to discoverWhat is there to experience ?

What is there to discoverthatt is novel and extraordinary ?

PERSONAL TOOL TO BLOW THE MIND

SOCIAL AGENT IN RELATIONSHIPS

Inward orientedStand-out through competence Inward orientedFocus on the smaller, surrounding world

What is going on in my region?

Stand-out through competenceDriven by the search for recognition

What is going on in …

Politics…

PoliticsSportsEconomy Culture

Research: our brand-portfolio is almost perfect

DONNASTUDIO BRUSSEL

KETNET“ kids news”

DONNA

“the macroscopic news”STUDIO BRUSSEL

“the rebellious news”

CANVAS“ high brow news”

EEN“the news standard”

RADIO 1

RADIO 2VRTNIEUWS

SPORZA

RADIO 1“the current affairs”

? RADIO 2“the microscopic news”

KLARA“ the cultural news”

SPORZA“the sport news?

the cultural news

Research : vrtnieuws

The spontaneous awareness is low (16%)Much lower than the other brands in our portfolio– 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 limitedFor those who know the brand, the meaning is limited – 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– Opinion should issue from the media-brands, according to the particular and differentiated profile of each one.

– Definitely a seal of guarantee …but not a brand

Re-building the news brand

We need a real news brand in our portfolio, that integrates both performance and emotion in the relationthat 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– Made by passionate news people with great expertise and ethics

In a direct relation with the public

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 notknow-how in the development of media-products, but it is not a lovemark in the heart of the people

A VRT-linked name restricts the potential of a specialized p pnews brand due to transfer of “technical” associations that inhibit emotionalism in a direct relationship with the public

Th fi t t k R b d t i t Th h ldThe first task: Re-brand vrtnieuws.net .The new name should

- be evocative for news and the experts that make it

- be media-neutral to allow cross-media development

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– That is a guarantee of reliability and a source of confidence

The second task: grow vrtnieuws to become a source brandThe 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

Two distinct brands, two distinct roles

Newname = the specialist brandThe missing piece in our brand portfolio– The missing piece in our brand portfolio

– Strongly differentiated and in direct relation with the audience

Vrtnieuws = the source brandVrtnieuws the source brand– A transversal mark of expertise & ethics backing all news products– Aimed at the public and the stakeholders

The total effort

DONNASTUDIO BRUSSEL

KETNET“ kids news”

DONNA

“the macroscopic news”STUDIO BRUSSEL

“the rebellious news”

CANVAS“ high brow news”

EEN“the news standard”

RADIO 1

RADIO 2“the microscopic news”

NEWNAME “ the dedicated newsbrand” SPORZA

RADIO 1“the current affairs”

the microscopic news the dedicated newsbrand

KLARA“ the cultural news”

SPORZA“the sport news

With one common point of intersection: the source brand

What’s next ?

Strategy is a dynamic process

What is successful at a given moment, can become contra-productive as times are changingcontra-productive as times are changing

Anticipate evolutions and dare-to-change when everything (still) goes well is the challenge( ) g g