Managing promotional resources: are TV broadcasters getting it right?

Speaking at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Jo Wilkinson, of James and Wilkinson Media (JWM), said: "Have clear and single-minded objectives, and a focused vision, which will ensure that your promotional activities run effectively.

"Prioritise your promotional messages."

"Prioritise your promotional messages. How? We recommend that you have an annual or quarterly planning process. And make use of a single model to aid the prioritisation of promotions."

Britain's Wilkinson, who previously worked for BBC and Sky, urged broadcasters to allocate a percentage of promotion airtime to each category. She warned broadcasters against wasting or mismanaging airtime, which she described as their biggest marketing tool, thus recommending that they manage it carefully and control it well.

Wilkinson also had strong words for broadcasters who disregard their audiences by showing 'crap', stating: "Don't forget your audiences. Choose content that satisfies audiences, delivers higher viewing, helps improve the brand's perception of your channels, and add value to your brand.

"And most of all, distinguish between commercially viable and less commercially viable viewing and light viewers and heavy viewers."

Apply aspirational targeting

Wilkinson's colleague Alan James said: "Try to extend the reach of your content by applying aspirational targeting, which is one way of repositioning your channel (programme credibility, and brand repositioning and future repositioning)."

James, who previously worked for BBC and Ogilvy & Mather before launching JWM with Wilkinson, pointed out that broadcasters need to use effective frequency to maximise their effectiveness. Summing up their presentation entitled 'Sitting on a goldmine', both James and Wilkinson said promotional resources will only be well-managed by applying the four following points:

• Single-minded objectives: tell everyone in the team what you are trying to achieve

• Clear prioritisations of promotional messages
  
• Efficient targeting
  
• Effective frequency planning and resources allocation

James said, "At a time when there is increasing pressure on marketing and creative budgets, now is the time to ensure that you are getting maximum value from your promotional resource, and recognise its opportunity cost and the impact it has on each individual service and overall portfolio."

Themed 'Connect 3.0', PromaxBDA Africa 2011's sponsors included SABC1, 2 and 3, M-Net, DStv, TopTV, e.tv, Red Pepper, Clearwater, Monarchy, Screen Africa, SuperSport, CSquared and branding partner Orijin.

"Promotion of local talent"

SABC marketing director Yvonne Johnston said, "This partnership strengthens our efforts as the public broadcaster in contributing to the promotion of local talent, and for locals from the world to explore the future direction of TV promotion."

The event was also graced by US-born Michaela Angela Davis, an image activist, writer and conversationalist, who urged broadcasters to get intimate with their audiences, create characters and invest heavily in content.

Davis currently works for BET (Black Entertainment Television), one of America's top 20 cable networks.

PromaxBDA Africa 2011 Winners