Free News Research from Madison Avenue
By Graeme Newell
gnewell@602communications.com
http://www.602communications.com

Research budget get slashed this year? Well some good news is on the way. There are huge companies out there that are more than willing to give you their multi-million dollar research findings for free.

Each year Fortune 500 titans such as Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, and Ford spend tens of millions of dollars researching the precise emotional buttons their advertising must push to motivate a sale. Before they spend a dime on an on-air schedule, they test and re-test the effectiveness of each ad. These advertising pros use this info to mold spots for specialty cable channels. They tailor-make the ads to target the niche audiences these channels attract. In essence, these channels have become little behavior labs for marketers.

Every year the 602 Communications editors record and categorize thousands of ads from Madison Avenue, cable, and local TV stations. We analyze these ads and come up with specific visuals and messages that stimulate the emotional triggers that motivate TV viewing. Let me give you an example. After analyzing a few thousand ads, all aimed at mothers in their 30’s with children in the home, you will find four consistent emotional themes that show up.

Smart – Mom is an amazing genius. She continually finds clever and imaginative ways to care for herself and her family.

Minivan Example
Video Camera Example
Soup Example
Medicine Example

Selfless – Mom is humble. She quietly and ingeniously helps her family without a lot of showiness. As a matter of fact, she is so clever that she often tricks her family into doing what is best for them, without them ever knowing it.

Pediasure Example
SUV Example
Insurance Example

A Hero - Mom is continually saving the day. Bad stuff may happen to her family, but like Wonder Woman, she finds an ingenious solution that leaves everyone at ease.

Mastercard Example
Aflac Example

Domestic Nirvana – her whole family unit is incredibly happy, well adjusted and safe. The children are precocious and whimsical. The family is constantly hugging and admiring mom.

Soup Example
Store Example
Jif Example
Toll House Cookies Example

Why do these themes show up again and again in Madison Avenue commercials? Because they work. Before Dodge puts a mini-van on the market, it spends millions in research to find out exactly what motivates its target audience. Nestle knows it ain’t about the cookies. There are a zillion different cookies in a typical grocery story. Through careful research, they develop a methodical advertising game plan that quietly convinces mom that smart, heroic and selfless women can love their families with just a bit of Toll House magic.

So how can newsrooms use this information? We aren’t selling cookies; we’re journalists who weave stories about local community issues. The point is that this isn’t just advertising trickery. These four points are deeply held customer values and beliefs. They are a window into the soul of our viewers. This is how they want to see themselves. If your newsroom wants to attract more mothers in their 30s, then stories that mirror these values will strike a deep emotional chord with this specific audience. Madison Avenue spent millions finding these connections. The good news is that you can use them in a package for your 6pm show.

So as newsrooms start to crank up the back-to-school stories to attract young mothers, they can utilize these core emotional drivers in their storytelling techniques. You could start the story planning by looking for ways to showcase the story information around these four values. For example, don’t center the story around the impersonal shelves at Wal-Mart. Instead, find a smart-shopping mom who saved the day for her family, her school, or her community.

Showcase her intelligence and creativity. Show how she solved a tough problem with a smart solution. Show the best parts of her family life with bright-eyed and happy children. This is how this audience sees itself, and if your story mirrors these beliefs you will create a loyalty that motivates viewing even on slow news days. This is a newscast that’s a friend, not just a product.

So which specific audience do you want to attract to your station? If it’s men in their 40’s, you might want to hang out with the History Channel for a few weeks. Look at the images, words and attitudes of every ad that rolls across the screen. If you want men in their 20s and 30s, then check out Comedy Central, Spike and Versus. Take advantage of all the free research that’s available to you every single night in the Madison Avenue creations that provide a window into the soul of our audiences.

Graeme Newell is a broadcast and web marketing specialist. His teasing seminars immediately raise news ratings, and he guarantees you will get results or his workshop is free. You can see his latest on-line video presentation by clicking here.