While consumers usually see only the finished product of a TV show or digital short, most of the key decisions are made well before a pilot is even commissioned.
At Element, we relish working with our media clients on a variety of development-stage projects that help inform the direction of their channel. From genre audits that assess the white space in a genre and the viability of a channel entering a category in the first place, to concept testing studies that allow a channel or production company to home-in on the aspects of a show that resonate the most, to sizzle and clip testing studies that weed out the viable shows from the weak ones, to talent testing studies that help content providers choose the right hosts and characters for their shows, Element has the tools and experience to ensure our clients make the right decisions before the shows are even produced.
OTT Product Market Sizing & Optimization
Industry: Media and Television
Area of Focus: TV Program Development, Planning, and Strategy
Target: Consumers
Method: Quant online survey and focus groups
Background: A cable and satellite television channel was in the process of developing an OTT streaming product. Our client needed to understand the overall market size and viability of the product, evaluate various content areas of interest, and assess the product features of most and least interest.
Business Questions: What is the market size for the product? Who are the most likely users/subscribers? Are consumers willing to pay a monthly fee for the product, and, if so, how much? What are the content areas of most interest? What should each content area focus on to be of most value to consumers?
Approach: Online survey conducted among a general sample with subsets of heavy category users and streamers of video content, and focus groups among similar respondents.
Outcome: Study findings were used to more confidently assess the viability of the client’s product, provide a better sense of what a reasonable monthly fee should be, and identify the content areas of most interest to consumers and the content areas that have little value.
TV Host Assessment
Industry: Media and Television
Area of Focus: TV Program Development, Planning, and Strategy
Target: Consumers
Method: Quant online survey
Background: A cable and satellite television channel decided to produce a hosted studio show that would air every night during their week of themed programming. Our client needed to assess four potential hosts in order to choose the one who was most appealing to viewers and fit best with the program.
Business Questions: Which host is the most appealing to viewers overall? Which host is the best interviewer? Which host delivers the strongest monologue? Which host fits best with the client’s brand?
Approach: Online survey conducted among viewers of the client’s channel, and non-rejecters of talk shows. Separate samples evaluated clips of the four potential hosts.
Outcome: Study findings were used to select the best host for the show. The show continues to air as part of the network’s themed week of programming.
TV Concept Evaluations
Industry: Media and Television
Area of Focus: TV Program Development, Planning, and Strategy
Target: Consumers
Method: Quant online survey and focus groups
Background: A cable and satellite television channel had a number of holes to fill in its schedule and had received hundreds of treatments and sizzles for new shows from production companies. Our client was interested in having consumers evaluate the treatments and sizzles in order to move forward on production of the most viable submissions.
Business Questions: Which shows resonate the most on a conceptual level? Which shows fit best with the client’s current brand positioning? Which show fare best among high-income viewers who are most appealing to advertisers? Which shows are positioned to fill a current white-space need of consumers? What are the most appealing aspects of the shows, so that the effectiveness of the pilots to be produced can be maximized?
Approach: Online survey conducted among viewers of our client’s channel, and focus groups among similar respondents.
Outcome: Study findings were used to weed out weak alternatives and move forward with the production of over ten pilots. Our client also used the research to inform editorial decisions about the shows in order to improve their chances for success, and prove to advertisers that the shows should be able to attract high-income viewers.
TV Category White Space Assessment
Industry: Media and Television
Area of Focus: TV Program Development, Planning, and Strategy
Target: Consumers
Method: Quant online survey and focus groups
Background: A cable and satellite television channel wanted to explore airing shows in a category that was new to them but was already moderately well-established on other channels. Our client was interested in gaining a better understanding of the category in order to inform development, production, and marketing efforts.
Business Questions: Why do viewers watch shows in this category in the first place? What are the best and worst shows in the category, and what can be learned from these shows? Which subgenres in the category seem saturated, and where is the white space? How strong is the client’s brand fit with these kinds of shows, and should this impact their willingness to move forward with shows in the category?
Approach: Online survey conducted among viewers of the category and viewers of our client’s channel, and focus groups among similar respondents.
Outcome: Study findings were used to understand the key drivers of the category, establish best practices for producing these kinds of shows, home-in on the best opportunities for this client to enter the category, and both weed out weak concepts under consideration and pinpoint the strongest concepts to develop. The client has since aired several shows in the category that have performed well.
