AdAge spoke with Rob Tuck of the CW network about their successful upfront presentation that included Stevie Wonder. He said that even though they had missed three years, it felt like it was just yesterday. Tuck said he wanted to give advertisers a taste of their new shows and they didn’t want to worry about the digital platform. He believes their content is what helps them sell ads whether it’s traditional or digital. He said their ultimate goal is to give people a taste of shows they are bringing to the market.
He admitted they’re the small guys so they don’t have as many resources. He said that beginning with Gossip Girl they knew people were watching digitally. Even though they tried to take down the shows online, they were popping up illegally. He realized if you can’t beat them, join them. He said since their audience is younger they want to watch online but don’t want to ask their parents for a password. So, now they offer the shows without having to sign in but the price is that they have to watch the ads.
Ad Measurement Comments from the Interviews
The general consensus of the interviewed group regarding the best way to measure TV streaming viewership is still Nielsen but there are some new vehicles they are testing. Rita Ferro of Disney+ says they are testing measurement through Comscore. Rob Tuck of the CW said measurement is a sore spot for them. He said both networks and agencies need to find ways to simplify measurement. He said it comes down to audience delivery and how many eyeballs are watching.
Melissa Grady Dias, global chief marketing officer of Cadillac, said that it’s an interesting time right now for TV measurement. They are still looking at Nielsen but are not clear about what lies ahead.
Joanne Leong, VP and director of global partnerships of Dentsu, said they are testing and learning practices with different companies. She said they haven’t identified which company is the winner. She thinks they will have more clarity in 2023.
Rob Master, VP of media and marketing for North America of Unilever, said they are working on different measurement platforms. He would like to look at the foundation and get that right and then build from there.
