NBC - legacy brand
the ask
Take a well established legacy brand and push them
to adapt and excel in the current market.
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situation
As you'd expect with a legacy brand, NBC Universal has a highly storied history, breaking barriers and breaking ground. From Broadcasting the First televised world Series to introducing color TV, NBC has been at the
forefront of the industry.
However, in the new age of Streaming, NBC is suffering from a term we coined the White Claw phenomenon;
it was once a disruptor and industry leader, but now, it is struggling to stand out in a crowded ecosystem.
We all know and love a good white claw. But do we remember when White Claw was the coolest and only seltzer
on the market? Upon its initial debut, it completely shook up the beverage industry and completely changed the drinking habits of typical beer and liquor drinkers. It wasn't long before every beverage company produced a white claw equivalent. We coined the metaphor the White Claw problem. Unfortunately, the white claw problem is occurring in the TV landscape due to Streaming. Streaming for a while was the cool new thing; everyone loved binging. However, it was only a short time until everyone came out with a streaming platform and flooded the consumer with options.
research
NBCs' target audience is individuals between 18-34 who are likely already subscribed to at least one streaming platform; they love consuming content across various mediums and staying on top of trends. In addition,
they frequently set aside time to catch up on their favorite shows/movies and share their opinions on
social media in some facet.
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Through focus groups interviews and surveys of our target audience, we found four things:
consumers are overwhelmed by the number of streaming options
consumers prefer recommendations from likeminded online communities and friends than streaming algorithms
consumers typically stream shows while engaging with one to two other forms of media (phone, laptop, tablet)
consumers view traditional tv as out of touch and streaming as elitist.
insight
Streaming took over traditional TV…so Social can take over Streaming.
OTT streaming ate up cable and failed to be an effective solution. As a result, consumers are left wanting more,
and changes in viewing experience suggest that if OTT could eat up cable, social can eat up OTT.
Consumers aren't viewing video content independently; they're on their phones, checking emails, and texting while watching shows. However, compared to the days of cable when families would gather to watch shows like American Idol, people often tend to view content physically distanced and digitally connected.
strategy / brief
Our goal is to push the boundaries and norms of the current streaming and television landscape
and bring forth a new innovative, social, and all-encompassing watching experience.
Instead of fighting for consumers' attention in a cluttered landscape and attempting to change their behavior,
we are embracing the current streaming experience, learning from and expanding upon streaming to
create a new innovative, social, and all-encompassing watching experience.
big idea
Online Studio Audience
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​​Online Studio Audience is an innovative form of Streaming that combines social connection with indulging in content. By giving the consumer a way to chat with friends, look for new recommendations from fan communities, and personally interact with content, Online Studio Audience offers consumers an authentic connection to each other via the platform. So whether your best friend is sitting one bedroom over or in a bedroom across the world, you can enjoy chatting and socializing while bonding over your favorite show.
NBC app
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Housed within the NBC app
Join or create different channels
Comments appear in-app as you watch
User-generated reviews
Connected to socials
Social Streaming is housed within the NBC app. Users can create different channels with friends and family or join fan communities. So whether you like murder mysteries, romcoms, or reality tv, there's a track for you filled with viewers who enjoy the same content. As you watch, you can upload comments that will appear for other viewers when they reach that point of the show. This helps avoid spoilers and keeps users engaged. Within the channels, there are user-generated reviews; everything posted can be connected to and reposted to other social platforms.
launch
to launch the online studio audience, we will create experiential popups in certain cities that correlate with new show releases and popular shows finally. Additionally, we'll create a consistent location within NBC's NYC studio. These popups act as hosted launch parties, where consumers can come together to watch content and view what users watching at home have to say via projected screens on the walls. They'll also be invited to post to channels and be able to see their comments on the projection in real-time. After the initial launch, the experience can be extended into a consistent space for groups of consumers to experience NBC content in a new way.
Interactive & Cinematic Production
Original content has taken over the streaming landscape, and while NBC has its own shows, it's necessary to invest additional funds into making the content a cinematic watching experience.
i couldnt have done it alone
Cam Walter, Hanna Wink, Kamana Krishnan, and Savannah Tindall fellow BU Advertising Grad Students