DirecTV plansbook

Advertising Campaign Spring 2014Towson University

V GEYTHE

GROUP

Advertising Campaign

V GEYTHE

GROUPSail With Us to Success

MissionTo share creativity with the world.

PhilosophyTo meet and exceed the expectations of our clients.

GoalsTo increase awareness of brand and increase client retention from 50 percent to 80 percent.

Account Executive: Sloane Guber - [email protected]

Research Executive: Sierra Mascilak - [email protected]

Account Planner: Jason Holzman - [email protected]

Copywriter: Kristen Brophy - [email protected]

Media Planner: Christian Zenetich - [email protected]

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 5Market Overview (5)Primary Competitors (5)Secondary Competitors (5)Product Overview (6)Market Research (6)Target Market (7)Marketing Objective (7)Media Mix (7)Creative Strategy (7)Media Plan and Budget (7) Campaign Evaluation (7)

Situation Analysis 8Company Analysis (8) Product Analysis (8)Consumer Analysis (8) (9)Market and Industry Analysis (9) (10)Competition Analysis (11)Primary competitors (11)Secondary Competitors (12) Primary Research 13Research Questions (13)Methods (13)Summary of Findings (14)Survey Analysis (14)Insights (15) (16)

SWOT Analysis 17

Marketing Communications Objectives and Strategies 24 Objective (24)Strategy (24)Rationale (25)Execution (25)

Media Objectives and Strategies 26 Objective (26)Strategy (26)Rationale (27)Media Schedule (27)Executions (28)

Works Cited 30 Appendix 31 Survey Research Questions (31) (32)Interview Research Questions (33) Interviews (34) (35)Media Flight Plan (36-38)Markets (39)

Marketing Problems and Opportunities 18Target Market Profile 19Advertising Objectives & Strategies 21 Creative Brief (22)Creative Execution (23)

Campaign Evaluations 29

5 The Voyage Group - DirecTV

Executive Summary

While DirecTV dominates the satellite television service industry, overall satellite services are not as popular as other television services. Satellite services have a bad reputation. With the introduction of all these differ-ent mediums people can watch their shows off of, the demand for at home television services are threatened. There are also multiple websites, programs and subscriptions now that offer other ways to watch shows rather than being a member of a television service. DirecTV used to offer special luxuries to a television view-er such as recording, pausing, fast forwarding and more. But now other services also provide these same luxuries so the need for satellite has decreased.

Primary Competitors

Market Overview

When it comes to satellite TV providers, DirecTV competes mostly with Dish Network, and when it comes to cable TV providers, DirecTV competes mostly with Comcast. DirecTV is the leading satellite provider in all of satellite TV, and Dish Network is a close second. Therefore, DirecTV takes an invested interest into what moves Dish Network is making and what features they’re adding to their service. Also, since both companies offer virtually the same package deals as the other, it’s harder to separate themselves from each other, which is another reason why they see themselves as primary competitors.

Secondary Competitors

With that being said, Comcast, the leading cable provider in all of television, serves as another major compet-itor of DirecTV’s. Satellite and Cable will always be in competition, so it’s incredibly important for DirecTV to have a grasp on the cable TV market and what Comcast is doing within. Similar to Dish, Comcast also offers many of the same features as DirecTV, which again makes it harder to separate themselves.

Lastly, since the digital age of media has taken over in such a major way, DirecTV finds themselves compet-ing with the likes of YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and many others. To combat this, DirecTV has had to make them-selves active and visible on the Internet, even while their main focus lies on television. They’ve done so by creating a website, social media sites and have found ways to interact with customers via the Web. In 2014, it’s a must for DirecTV to consider their digital competitors as important as Comcast, Dish Network, etc.


Executive Summary

Product Overview

Market Research

Through research we found that DirecTV has a very wide market since television is watched by most people. Although since DirecTV is well known for special sports packages offered, and regularly advertise the variety of sports packages they offer, we found that DirecTV is more regularly consumed by middle-aged males.

Direct TV has many different packages to offer including free premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Cinema for the first three months of a DirecTV subscription. DirecTV is also largest direct-to-home digital TV service, putting it ahead of Dish Net-work, which is the number two network and directly competes with Comcast. The rev-enue of DirecTV increased by 9% in 2012 which means that revenue went up to $29.7 billion in fiscal 2012 compared to the $27.2 billion in revenue from 2011.


Executive Summary

In this campaign we will be targeting working males, ages 25 to 39 typically with a family, middle to upper class, na-tionwide.

Marketing Objective

Target Market Creative Strategy

Media Plan and BudgetWith a budget of $1 million we plan to put mostly all of the budget toward television commercials with an often pres-ence in the media. The advertisements will be run through-out a year’s length in correspondence with the NFL sched-ule to target football viewers.

Through this campaign we hope to increase awareness of the brand, but most importantly better people’s attitudes about satellite television as well as the brand DirecTV specifically. We hope to have an overpowering voice in the media. All while promoting DirecTV’s referral program so users are more aware of the program, and DirecTV will continue to receive new users after the campaign is over.

Media Mix

The other commercial we will run will be made by DirecTV users, During our cross promotion, which we have teamed up with GoPro, fans will enter in to a contest to win a GoPro as well as tickets to an NFL game located closest to them, where they will be asked to record their experience. We will use the winners’ experiences to create a 30 second com-mercial for DirecTV.

Campaign EvaluationTo measure the success of our campaign, we will be sending out an easy and quick post-campaign survey through email as well as making it available through DirecTV’s website. The surveys will remain Online and will not be given out in paper form for efficiency.

For this campaign we have created two different 30 second commercials, since television advertisements are the tra-ditional media route we have chosen. The first commercial will be a 30 second advertisement we have created using humor and showing the usefulness of the pause feature DirecTV offers. As far as new media we will be creating online advertisements specifically on Facebook since research has shown us our target market uses Facebook more than other social media options.


Situation Analysis

Providing entertainment to over 32 million people across the United States and Latin America, DirecTV is a leading satellite television company that strives for high customer satisfaction and the ultimate viewing experience (DirecTV, 2014). Based out of El Segundo, California, the service began in 1994 and continues to please customers across the nation with its variety of high definition channels and different package options. With the help of today’s ad-vanced technology, DirecTV uses a satellite dish that is installed on rooftops for the most precise connection and quality on television screens in every home, dorm room, hotel, restaurant, and much more.

Company Analysis Consumer Analysis

Product AnalysisAccording to the DirecTV website, it’s service offers a lot of different packages regarding cable TV. It offers free premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Cinema. This is free for the first three months that the consumer has DirecTV. It also offers free Genie HD DVR in up to four rooms. With the NFL Sunday Ticket package, you are also able to see every minute of the NFL football game (Di-recTV, 2014).

The research database, LexisNexis provides a vast amount of information regarding the product of DirecTV. It states that it is the largest direct-to-home (DTH) digital TV service in the U.S. DirecTV is ahead of Dish Network, which is the number two network and directly competes with Comcast (LexisNexis, 2014). DirecTV also owns two digital broad-cast centers, one in Colorado and one in Los Angeles. These two stations help transmit the content which is re-ceived from its satellite. The revenue of DirecTV increased by 9% in 2012. This means that the revenue went up to $29.7 billion in fiscal 2012 compared to the $27.2 billion in revenue from 2011. (LexisNexis, 2014).

According to MRI+ Media markup, some information on the current consumer in the market of Tablets, E-Readers, Apps, TV/Cable users in the last 30 days from Fall 2013 products are 56 percent to 43 percent men to women (MRI+, 2013). Which means men are a bit more likely to watch cable TV than women. Also according to MRI+, people that attended college are 82 percent more likely to watch cable television than the average person, while people with no college education are 41 percent less likely than the average person to watch cable TV (MRI+, 2013). People in the age 25-34 range are most likely to watch cable TV at 105 percent more than the average person and 36 percent of all people that watch cable TV are age 25-34 according to MRI+ (2013). The next age range of 35-44 is 43 percent more than the average person to watch cable TV and 24.3 percent of all cable TV users are ages 34-44. A household income of $150,000 is 146 percent more likely than the average person to watch cable TV, while 31 percent of all cable TV users have a household income of $75,000-$149,000 (MRI+, 2013). According the MRI+ (2013) while 30 percent of all cable users live in the south region, people in the north east are 38 percent more likely to watch cable TV than the average person. Also, 31.7 per-cent of all cable TV users have children under 6-years-old, and 75.1 percent of all cable TV users are white (MRI+, 2013).


Situation AnalysisConsumer Analysis (Continued)According to MRI+ (2013) Cable TV users are typically wealthy middle aged with kids. According to Nielson’s My Best Segments (2014), the wealthy middle aged with kids group is called the Winner’s Circle. The Winner’s Circle is a collection of mostly 35 to 54-year-old couples with large families in new-money subdivisions (Nielson, 2014). Things such as recreational parks, golf courses, malls, shopping centers and other big corporations and amenities can be found surrounding the Winner’s Circle homes (Niel-son, 2014). The Winner’s Circle median income is over $100,000, they are also big spenders who like to travel, ski, go out to eat, shop and go to shows (Nielson, 2014). They are considered the Elite Suburbs social group and are in the lifestage group of Accumulated Wealth (Nielson, 2014). Some demographic traits of the Winner’s Circle are suburban, wealthy, household with kids, homeowners, management employment level, graduated plus education level, ethnicity of white, Asian, or mixed (Nielson, 2014). The Winner’s Circle lifestyle and media traits according to My Best Segments (2014) are to shop at Anne Taylor, Visit theme parks, read, watch American Idol, and drive a Mercedes-Benz SUV.

Market and Industry AnalysisWith the cable industry on the rise, Online services such as Netflix and Hulu, satellite and cable providers are struggling to keep up with the instant access to movies, video games, and television shows. Among satellite providers, DirecTV is ahead of the game, now offering NFL Sunday Ticket programs which help it stand out among sports fans.

The pay-TV market in the United States is the largest in the world and it continues to grow. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) estimates the average American views 181 hours of video each month (Business Source Complete, 2014). With a 450% increase in cable broadband speed in 2013, it’s safe to say that paid-TV is only growing. NCTA estimates that over 900 cable channels are offered in the year 2014 (Business Source Complete, 2014). There are a few issues in the cable industry. The United States Telecommunications Report (USTR) stresses that with the rise of 4G mobile technology, mobile TV will challenge the traditional way that subscribers consume TV services. Cable and Satellite television users are being charged subscriber fees, resulting in more pay-TV users moving towards mobile apps for their television entertainment (Business Source Complete, 2014). With cheaper prices, usability , and portability, mobile TV is one of cables greatest competitors. Along the lines of competitors, stands the Internet. The Internet provides Internet users with YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix allowing the viewer to accesses nearly unlimited access to videos, movies, and TV shows.


Situation AnalysisMarket and Industry Analysis (Continued)

Cable providers are partnering with various Online and Mobile TV providers. USTR states that Verizon Communications has, proposed a partnership with Netflix while Netflix itself is under pres-sure to seek greater scale by merging with another, larger, player in the media market (Mar-ket Share Reporter, 2014). Other pay-TV providers are also preparing for the changes as mobile entertainment evolves. USTR provides information of how several companies plan to change, In August 2012 Time Warner Cable announced plans to migrate to an all-IP technology platform in an effort to enhance its video-delivery business over the following few years (Market Share Reporter, 2014). The migration involves the introduction of set-top boxes and the operator is installing powerful gateway devices that connect to its broadband network. Meanwhile, DISH Network petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow it to reform its mobile satellite services (Market Share Reporter, 2014).


Situation Analysis

Just like any other industry, DirecTV is faced with several different competitors. Since DirecTV is one of the most popular providers in all of television, it’s competition lies with the top tier companies such as Dish Network and Comcast, but they aren’t limited to just that (Red Books, 2014). The digital age of media has become increasingly popular, so DirecTV is now competing with the likes of YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. With that being said, since DirecTV is a satellite provider and not a cable provider, it’s primary competition lies with other satellite providers, while it’s secondary competition is with other popular cable providers and the aforementioned digital competitors.

As for the primary competition, the other satellite providers, the main company that DirecTV is in competi-tion with is Dish Network, which they emphasize on their website with side-by-side comparisons (DirecTV, 2014). The website compares the two companies’ many features which include HD channels, access to the latest movies and their cheap prices (DirecTV, 2014). DirecTV controls the satellite TV market at 19.5%, while Dish Network is second in command at 13.7%, making them the two leading satellite TV companies (Statista, 2014). Also, in 2010, DirecTV owned as much as 18.7% of the entire pay TV market, which includes cable companies as well (Statista, 2014). So, while DirecTV is still atop the satellite TV market, Dish Network is right behind them.

All in all, it’s clear that these two companies have cornered the market for satellite television and because of that, DirecTV sees them as their top competition. If DirecTV doesn’t take an invested interest in Dish Network and the various things they’re doing to grow their company, DirecTV will fall behind in the satellite TV market. Dish and DirecTV are the two main satellite companies that provide all of the different features that they do, so it’s essential for DirecTV to take on Dish as their main competition.

Primary Competition

Competition Analysis


Situation Analysis

DirecTV’s secondary competition lies with the cable providers. Companies like Comcast, Verizon, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, AT&T, etc. all play a huge role in the cable television industry, which in general is in com-petition with satellite (Red Books, 2014). With Comcast being one of the top cable providers in the world, DirecTV sees them as one of their biggest secondary competitors, which they also emphasize on their website with side-by-side comparisons, similar to how they did with Dish Network (DirecTV, 2014). According to (Statista, 2014), Comcast controlled 20.4% of the pay-TV market share for cable providers, which was the leading company of all cable providers. Like DirecTV and Dish Network, Comcast also provides several different features within their service that include HD channels, access to 100s of movies, sports packages, etc., which makes them a clear competitor. (Comcast, 2014)

While DirecTV mainly competes with other satellite providers, their goal is still to convert cable users into satellite users and because of that, the aforementioned companies are just as big of competitors for DirecTV as the other satellite companies are. Since Comcast is the leading cable provider, and since cable is the biggest competitor to the satellite TV market, it’s essential for DirecTV to claim Comcast as their secondary competition. If they forget about them, or don’t focus enough energy into com-peting with them, DirecTV will find itself falling further and further behind the pay TV market.

Other competitors that DirecTV faces are companies like Hulu and Netflix, who use the internet to stream TV shows and mov-ies, causing a big threat to DirecTV. With the rise of the Internet as well as smartphones, sites like YouTube and other mobile and online video streaming sites are becoming DirecTV’s competition because customers are now using these options instead of paying for cable or satellite in general. All in all, DirecTV’s primary competitor is Dish, followed by Comcast and the other major cable providers, and ending with the other streaming sites like Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, etc (Red Books, 2014).

Both satellite TV providers and cable TV providers have had to combat the digital age of media in a fierce way. YouTube, Hulu and Netflix are just three of the many companies posing a threat to the success of DirecTV and it’s a must for DirecTV to figure out ways to compete with the aforementioned digital companies.

Secondary Competition


Primary ResearchResearch Questions1. What are current user’s attitudes about DirecTV?2. What are non-users attitudes about DirecTV?3. What are people’s attitudes about DirecTV’s referral program?

As a group we created our survey on Thursday, October 7th, and sent it out to prospective television users to take. Most of these users were targeted through social media using the snowball sampling method. Every group member posted the survey as their Facebook status. We asked our friends to pass this survey along to their friends to increase the amount of people who took our survey. The respondents took this survey Online through the website Qualtrics, where all of the data was stored. The data was collected between a time-frame of 8 days, and a total of 120 respondents completed it. The survey was 33 questions, and we also conducted 4 detailed interviews, which were 12 questions each. The interviewees were all people that we had a personal connection to.

The 33-question survey was sent out to both non-DirecTV users and DirecTV users. However, we interviewed three DirecTV users, and one non-DirecTV user to compare our results with. Below are profiles of the four people we conducted interviews with. All of the interview questions asked are listed in the appendix.

Methods


Primary Research

Summary of Findings

The survey respondents ranged from college students to the parents and grandparents of College students. The majority of the respondents were Females, composing of 71 percent of the data. The respondent’s ages ranged from 18 years old through 50 plus years old. The respondent age of 18 through 25 showed the highest responses of 59 percent. The second highest respons-es were from respondent’s age, 42 through 49 at 17 percent. The majority of the respondents currently use Comcast and Verizon FiOS, making up 76 percent over all of the respondents. Again, the majority of the respondents were college students, with little income. The highest in-come margin from the respondents at 21 percent was $20,000 through $39,999. Surprisingly the second highest response was from respondents that made over $100,000, making up of 17 per-cent. 68 percent of the respondents are single. The majority of the respondents were Caucasian at 93 percent. The responses showed interest in the following channels, Movie channels at 60 percent, Sports at 57 percent, and Comedy at 56 percent. The majority of the respondents had their current television provider for more than five years and showed no intention to change their service. The respondents felt that they rarely see DirecTV advertisements, while the respondents felt that Verizon advertisements made the largest impression. The respondents answered that they would switch providers if they were offered a cheaper rates and felt that cable providers surpassed satellite services in forms of quality.

Survey Analysis


Insights

Primary Research

Our first research question, what are current user’s attitudes about DirecTV, was answered through data collection from a survey taken by 120 respondents, as well as four interviews. The Voyage Group discovered that the main reason people had/have DirecTV and enjoy it was mainly for the sports package DirecTV offers as well as the recording and pausing, fast forwarding options. Respondents from the survey that are current DirecTV users expressed their disinterest in switching services anytime soon. Although in an in-depth interview (see appendix interview #) a current user of DirecTV expressed the service is quite average and he is considering switching soon. We have also learned that the satellite may cut out from time to time, and the phone-in customer service is poor. The current users are aware they may be paying a bit more than aver-age for their television service but are somewhat satisfied with what they are receiving.

The second research question, what are non-user’s attitudes about DirecTV, was also answered through a survey conducted as well as interviews. We found that non-us-ers overall do not seem interested in switching to DirecTV for a few similar reasons. Most people who have never tried DirecTV are hesitant to try a satellite service because they have heard rumors about it cutting out during storms or other various reasons.


Other respondents expressed they are a lot more comfortable with trying Comcast and Verizon Fios since it is generally dominating the industry. Also many non-satellite services provide the package which offers cable, phone and Internet for a decently priced package which many us-ers prefer. Most respondents do not have DirecTV and do not plan on switching anytime soon.

Our third research question asks about people’s attitudes referral programs in-generally and more specifically about DirecTV’s referral program. Based on our findings through a survey and an interview, most people are comfortable referring products in general to family friends and co-workers that they enjoy. Most people who said they are comfortable referring a product and have DirecTV actually have not specifically referred DirecTV to anyone else. Current Di-recTV users are also unaware of the $50 gift card incentive a user can receive from referring someone. Most people expressed that they would be interested in referring things if they re-ceived an incentive.

Insights (Continued)

Primary Research


· NFL package· Recording shows· “Sports mix” – multiple games on one TV screen· Leading satellite company· Offers a variety of packages· Strong growth in Latin America

· Advertised poorly· Poor customer service· Expensive monthly cost· Satellite may cut out at times· Customer don’t know about referral Program· Customers don’t refer people· DIRECTV is currently in debt

· It’s cheap to sign up· Satellite TV is becoming more popular· More people are switching from basic cable to different TV services· People like to refer products to their peers· There’s a growth in broadcasting and cable television Market· Growing market in downloading movies at home

· Most of the ads on TV are from Verizon and Comcast· Other companies offer entire packages including Phone, TV and Internet· People hesitate to try satellite TV· Other services are better at advertising their referral Programs· Intense competition from other TV services· Intense competition from the Internet and smart phones· Bad economy· Rising programming costs

Strengths

Opportunities

Weaknesses

Threats

SWOT Analysis


Problem:

As previously stated, our research shows that respondents who are non DirecTV users have a bad taste in their mouth about satellite TV. This is a huge problem for DirecTV because it limits the possibility of new users joining DirecTV. It has also become apparent through our research that DirecTV’s media presence is very low compared to competitors such as Verizon and Com-cast. This is another major problem because if satellite TV already has a bad reputation, and DirecTV isn’t doing anything specific through their advertisement’s to promote their brand then there is no way to change the attitudes of non-users.

Marketing Problems and Opportunities

Satellite TV, in general, has a bad reputation and DIRECTV in particular is not seen in the media as much as their competitors.

Opportunity:

DirecTV can use this bad reputation of satellite in general as well as low media presence to their advantage. We see the low media presences as an opportunity to have a bigger voice in the media with more memorable commercials. With the budget given we will create creative and memorable commercials while promoting all of the positives of satellite and packages of DirecTV.

To have a bigger voice in the media by promoting the various packages that DirecTV, the leading satellite company, offers.


This campaign is targeting white males 25-39, married with children, that typically watch 20-25 hours of TV a week. This target market typically works in business or finance and watches sports at night and on the weekends. The reason that we chose to target this specific market is because this is the general age where you are independent are making a decently high salary of around $100,000. Many males this age are avid sports viewers. Especially males that are recently out of college will still probably be following their college football teams.

Target Market Profile


Target Market

John Miller, age 35, has a wife named Sofia, 32, and two sons, Joshua, 6, and Michael, 8. He works as an accountant at Ernst & Young. John and his family live in Upper Dublin, PA. John makes roughly $131,000 yearly. In college he played football at Pennsylvania State University as a backup running back. John and Sofia like to entertain their friends on NFL Sunday with their famous chili and Rocky Mountain Coors Light. On the weekends when he is not watching football he plays pickup basketball and football with his friends from work. He spends a lot of time at his gym, L.A. Fitness, as well. He also assistant coaches his son’s little league football teams. John drives a 2013 black BMW 5 series. Sarah drives white 2012 range rover. The Mill-er’s have a golden retriever named Coy, after their favorite player LeSean McCoy.



Secondary Target Market The secondary target market for this campaign would be the spouse of the husband. The reason for this is because the spouse is typically going to be around the husband and will be watching TV with him. Since they will be around more frequently, some of the advertisements should be veered towards them.

Bryn is a 35 year old female who is married to Nick, a 36 year old male. Bryn works as an ele-mentary school teacher and Nick works as a mortgage broker, both in Sparta New Jersey . On Monday nights after work, they watch Monday night football together.


Advertising Objectives & Strategies

Positioning StatementDirecTV is the television service that offers reliable and affordable unlimited live cov-erage for men ages 25 to 39, with a family that typically enjoys sports, by providing a variety of different packages with exceptional live sports entertainment.

Advertising ObjectiveOf all the people that are aware of DirecTV, but aren’t interested in making a com-mitment, convince 35% to have a better perception of DirecTV by FY2016.


Advertising Objectives & Strategies

• Why are we advertising? So all television users have a better perception of DirecTV.

• Whom are we talking to? Working family Men, ages 25-39, that enjoy watching sports, with their friends and family.

• What do they currently think? Cable television delivers superior service in terms of quality and options, compared to satellite television. Satellite television is cheap and unreliable in delivery of service (cuts out often).

• What would we like them to think? DirecTV offers everything that cable television offers, quality, service, reliability, affordability and also allows for greater access to sporting events than the other cable companies.

• What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey? DirecTV provides quality sports entertainment.

• Why should they believe it? DirecTV users become loyal customers, compared to the other television providers.

• Are there any creative guidelines? Mandatories? Television commercial.

Creative Brief


Advertising Objectives & StrategiesCreative Execution Traditional Advertising: Television Commer-

VIDEO: CUT TO FRIENDS ROLLING THEIR EYES.

AUDIO: UGH, NOT AGAIN DUDE.. GO!

VIDEO: CUT TO GUY RUNNING TO THE BATROOM

VIDEO: CUT TO BATHROOM DOOR.

SFX: RUMBLING, EXPLODING, SOUNDS OF GUY STRUGGLING

VIDEO: SHOT TO FRIENDS SITTING ON THE COUCH WAITING.

AUDIO: (YELLING OVER BATHROOM SOUNDS) DON’T WORRY DUDE, WE HAVE DIRECTV. WE CAN PAUSE THE GAME.

VIDEO: SHOT OF FRIEND REACHING FOR THE REMOTE, PRESSING THE PAUSE BUTTON.

SFX: GAME NOISE CONTINUES UNTIL PAUSED.

VIDEO: SHOT TO THE TELEVISION WITH THE GAME PAUSED, BECOMES OUT OF FOCUS. DIRECTV LOGO APPEARS IN FOCUS.

ANNCR (VO): NEED A MOMENT? WITH DIRECTV YOU’LL NEVER MISS A PLAY.

VIDEO:OPEN ON A SHOT OF A GROUP OF FRIENDS WATCHING THE NFL GAME AT THEIR FRIENDS HOUSE.

SFX: SOUND OF FRIENDS CHEERING AND YELLING. AMBIENT NOISE OF THE GAME IN THE BACKGROUND.

VIDEO:OPEN SHOT OF THE FRIENDS EATING CHEESES AND BEAN DIP.

SFX: SOUND OF CRUNCHING, CHEWING, AND CHEERING.

VIDEO:OPEN SHOT TO GUY HOLDING HIS STOMACH, FACE SWEATING LOOK-ING SHOCKED.

SFX: STOMACH RUMBLING, CHEER-ING IN THE BACKGROUND.

VIDEO:OPEN CLOSE UP SHOT OF THE GUYS

FACE. AUDIO: UH-OH GUYS.


Marketing Communications Objectives and Strategies

Marketing Communications Objective

To motivate 80% of the target audience to gain awareness by FY2015. To motivate 35% of the target audience to take action by signing up and referring DirecTV by FY2016.

Marketing Communications Strategy

Our marketing communications Strategy will include cross promotion. DirecTV will Pair up with GoPro to promote their services on commercials, as well as on the DirecTV homepage, about the opportunity we are offering. It’s called DirecTV’s GoPro Challenge. To enter into this sweep-stakes you must be a DirecTV user AND also must refer a friend. Anyone who refers during the month of November gets entered into this raffle. We will select 20 winners, send them two tick-ets to an NFL game of our choice (whichever team is closest to them) and a free GoPro. The winners will be required to attend the game with a DirecTV sponsor to shadow them and super-vise the recording of their experience. The video memory card will then be collected from the fans and turned into a 30 second commercial. The commercial will be played throughout the NFL events in our target market region.


Marketing Communications Objectives and StrategiesMarketing Communications Strategies RationaleThis marketing communications strategy will work because based on our previous research, DirecTV currently has a questionable and weak reputation. This challenge is an opportunity to engage NFL fans in efforts to create a new brand personality for DirecTV. GoPro currently has a fun, witty reputation and will benefit from this challenge as well. We will promote the camera on the DirecTV commercial explaining that it was recorded by a GoPro video camera. The Go-Pro brand will also benefit because the participants will hopefully tell their friends about their positive experience with the camera.

Marketing Communications ExecutionJune 2015 - Advertise the GoPro Challenge sweepstakes July 1 to August 30 2015 - Contestants can enroll in sweepstakes August 31 - DirecTV will choose 20 winners randomlySeptember to December - DirecTV will send the winners a GoPro and tickets to a regular season game with located closest to winners’ locationDecember 31, 2015 - Winners’ footage is dueJanuary/February 2016 - DirecTV’s 2016 30-second superbowl commercial will be created through DirecTV’s users experiences that they captured at the respective NFL game they attended


Media Objectives and Strategies

Media ObjectivesTo reach 80% of target audience with a frequency of 7 times. GRP is 560.

Media StrategiesOur target audience is males and females ages 24-50, who are in the working middle class, and who enjoy watching football.

Our target market specifically targets men. We have decided to target a smaller age gap with a more specific income. We will target men between the ages of 24-39 with an income of around $100,000. Our target audience, which is broader than our market, will include females (either the men’s wives or also just females in families who enjoy watching football) with a broader age range to target a dynamic variety of families.

We will be using traditional media, but only advertising on television because it is the most pop-ular media outlet for watching sports, especially football (LexisNexis, 2014). The majority of our target market and target audience watch TV more than listening to the radio and reading news-papers/magazines (LexisNexis, 2014). Our 30 second commercial script can be found in the appendix.



RationaleThe Online media we chose to use will include a Facebook page because social media is grow-ing at a fast pace for many generations, especially for our target market (LexisNexis, 2014). Google search history helps determine what ads will pop up on a user’s Facebook page, allow-ing us to also track what users are searching for “TV providers” and target them by placing Di-recTV ads on the right side of their Facebook page. In addition to this, our Facebook page will have helpful information about the services that DirecTV has to offer as well as the appropriate links to the homepage to learn more about the brand.

Media ScheduleFor the media schedule we decided to use a pulsing effect, so if we split up the year quarter-ly, from August to January we will have our heaviest presence because that’s when the NFL season takes place. From February to April we will have very little presence since the football season will just be ending. From May to August our presence will begin to increase because the NFL Draft will be taking place, and the NFL becomes a hot topic until the season starts in August.



Media Execution

August to January - $600,000

• 60% of our budget will be put heavily towards advertising during the football season. We plan to be most present during this time because our target audience will be most present on watching television.

February to April - $50,000

• 5% of our budget will be put towards barely advertising during the lull of the football season.

May to July - $300,000

• 30% of our budget will be put towards during the NFL draft when we know our target will be watching television again

The leftover $50,000 will be put aside for buying ad spots on Facebook and what isn’t put to-wards that can be fallback money in the budget just in case. The Online advertisements will be shown at a continuous rate throughout the year. The flowchart representing this schedule and budget can be found in the appendix.


Campaign Evaluations

Advertising ObjectiveOf all the people that are aware of DirecTV, but aren’t interested in making a commitment, convince 35% to have a better perception of DirecTV by FY2016.

To measure the success of the campaign, we will send a follow-up survey via email and also available to take Online through our website. We will send this survey out post-campaign, to see if the campaign was more effective at being more present in the media.

Questions• Within the past year, recall the most advertised television services you’ve seen advertised.• If you remember DirecTV’s advertisements, can you recall the main message that DirecTV

was portraying through their ads?• Can you recall a specific commercial in detail? If so explain.• Have these advertisements changed your attitude towards the brand?• Have you switched to that brand, or plan on doing so in the near future?


Works CitedDirecTV (2014). Who We Are. Retrieved from http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/about_us/our_company DirecTV (2014, September 15). Deals & Offers. Retrieved from http://www.directv.com

DirecTV (2014, September 22). Why DIRECTV?. Retrieved from http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/what_is_directv?lpos=Head er:1

Comcast (2014, November 14). Comcast. Retrieved from http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Learn/DigitalCable/digitalcable.html?C MP=KNC-IQ_ID_61300222-VQ2-g-VQ3--VQ6-69552061528-VQ16-c-pkw-comcast%20cable-pmt-e&iq_id=61300222&NUM=2

Lexis Nexis. (2014). DIRECTV. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/

Mediamark Research & Intelligence (2013). Fall 2013 product: Electronics tablets & E-readers – Apps downloaded or used TV/Cable personally downloaded, last 30 days. Retrieved from http://www.mriplus.com/site/index.aspx.

Nielson My Best Segments (2014). PRIZM segment explorer. Retrieved from http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp?ID= 30&menuOption=segmentexplorer&pageName=Segment%2BExplorer

Red Books. (2014). DIRECTV Competitors. Retrieved from http://www.redbooks.com/advertiser/DIRECTV/

Statista. (2014). DirecTV’s pay TV market share in the United States from 2008 to 2020. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statis tics/251741/directvs-pay-tv-market-share/.

Statista. (2014). Comcast’s pay TV market share in the United States from 2008 to 2020. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statis tics/251691/comcasts-pay-tv-market-share/

United States Telecommunication Report. (2014). United States Telecommunications Report, (3), 1-104.w


Appendix

1. Age (18-25) (26-33) (34-41) (42-49) (50+)2. Sex (male) (female) (other)3. Type of TV service (Comcast) (Verizon) (Dish) (DirecTV) (Other)4. Income (>$20,000) ($20,000-$39,999) ($40,000-$59,999) ($60,000-$79,999) ($80,000-$99,999) (100,000+) (student/unemployed)5. Marital Status (single) (married) (divorced) (other)6. Children (0) (1-2) (3-4) (5+)7. Ethnicity (Caucasian) (Hispanic) (African Am8. How many Television sets do you have in your home (0-1) (2-3) (4-5) (6+)9. How often do you watch television? (never) (sometimes) (often) (always)10. On average I watch ____ hours of TV a week (0) (1-2) (3-4) (5-6) (7+)11. I typically watch (check all that apply) (Sports) (Reality TV) (Home/garden) (Sitcoms) (Game shows) (News) (Travel) (Discovery/history) (Comedy) (SciFi) (Other)12. I watch TV mainly for sports (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree)13. How long have you used your current television provider? (>1 year) (1-2) (3+)14. I’m likely to switch providers in the next 2 years (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree)15. If you responded yes, which provider would you switch to? (Comcast) (Verizon) (Dish) (DirecTV) (Other) (None-not switching)16. How often do you see advertisements from DirecTV (never) (sometimes) (Often) (always)17. How often do you see advertisements from other Television services (never) (sometimes) (Often) (always)

Survey Research Questions


Appendix

18. Which television provider do you see the most advertising from? (Comcast) (Verizon) (Dish) (DirecTV) (Other)19. I think DirecTV advertisements are effective (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree)20. What type(s) of media do you obtain most of your daily advertisements from? (Television)(Internet)(Flyers)(Posters)(Newspapers)(Magazines)(Billboards)(Mailers)21. I would switch to a different service if I was offered cheaper rates (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (strongly agree)22. I believe cable services are better than satellite services (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree)23. If you don’t already use satellite TV would be interested in trying it? (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree) (already have it) (I already use satellite TV)24. How many times a week do you record TV shows? (0) (1-2) (3-4) (5-6) (7+)25. How many movies do you watch a week? (0) (1-2) (3-4) (5-6) (7+)26. What medium do you use to watch movies) (Netlflix) (Hulu) (DVD disc) (On Demand) (buy/rent from service) (other)27. I am comfortable with referring a product to a friend/family member/co-worker (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (strongly agree)28. Have you ever referred a product to a friend/family member/co-worker? (yes) (no)29. Have you referred your television service to a friend/family member/co-worker? (yes) (no)30. If yes, what service do you have? (Comcast) (Verizon) (Dish) (DirecTV) (Other)31. I would refer a television service if I was to receive an incentive. (example: free packages, discounts, etc.) (strongly disagree) (disagree) (neutral) (agree) (Strongly agree)32. What are you willing to pay for television service (per month) whether its cable or satellite?(25-34)(35-44)(45-54)(55-64)(65-74) (75+) (N/A)

Survey Research Questions (Continued)


Appendix

DirecTV User:

1. Describe what comes to mind when you think of DirecTV.2. What made you decide to purchase DirecTV?3. What do you like the best about DirecTV?4. Why did you choose satellite over cable TV?5. What would you like to see to improve your satisfaction with DirecTV?6. What do you think are the advantages of DirecTV?7. What do you think are the disadvantages of DirecTV?8. What is most important to you when purchasing television packages? Movies, TV shows, sports, music, etc.?9. How do you feel about the DIRECTV package “NFL SUNDAY TICKET” allowing access to any NFL game?10. How do you feel about the convenience of purchasing movies and series online or at the store? For example, Hulu, Netflix, Redbox, etc.?11. Have you ever used a different provider? If so, what made you switch to DIRECTV?12. Do you see yourself switching providers in the future? What would make you want to do that?13.If a friend/family member/co-worker referred a product to you, how likely are you to try it? Non- Direct TV Users:

1. Describe what comes to mind when you think of DirecTV.2. Describe your opinion of DirecTV?3. What is your favorite aspect of cable TV?4. Did you use a different provider before your current one? If so, which one do you like better?5. Is there a certain reason that you do not use DirecTV?

Interview Questions


Appendix

The first DirecTV user that who was interviewed by The Voyage Group was Mike Marsico, a white male, age 45, who is married and has two children with an income between $80,000 and $99,999. The key points of this interview highlighted his favoritism of Di-recTV’s “NFL Sunday Ticket” package and the varieties of channels that the provider has to offer, including the on-demand options. However, Mike also stated his dissatisfaction of DirecTV, which mainly seemed to be the expensive monthly costs and poor custom-er service. Mike seems to be content with his choice to switch to satellite television after using cable for a few years prior to purchas-ing DirecTV. When Mike was asked about switching providers in the future he said he was unsure because he enjoys the NFL Ticket package so much. However he made an important point that other services have phone, TV, and Internet for the same price he is paying right now for only DirecTV’s television service.

Interview #1 - DirecTV User

Logan, is a 22 year old Business Major at Towson University. Logan was a past user of DIRECTV while he was living in Boulder, Col-orado. Being a huge NFL fan, Logan “Loved” the NFL Sunday Ticket package that DIRECTV offered, which allowed unlimited access to all of the official NFL games, anywhere at any time. Logan mentioned, The Red Zone channel, described by Logan as a customized channel of live feed whenever a NFL team would make a forwarding play. Logan also explained, Sport Mix, which allows access to view multiple games on a single television. Logan chose satellite over cable television mainly because of the price and value that the service provides. In Logan’s eyes, owning a satellite was no different than cable. “Eventually every cable service provider will in-crease your rates as time goes on. So no matter what service you have, the prices will be similar at the end of the month. It all comes down to what that service provides, and for me, I couldn’t say no to the multiple NFL options that came with my first year subscrip-tion through DIRECTV for free.” Logan suggested a few improvements on DIRECTV’s part, in order to retain customers. “Although the cable was interrupted only once over a three month span, it was still annoying, especially knowing you’re literally paying for television interruptions as a cloud interferes with the satellite dish. Other than the quality of the picture during storms, Logan had no other complaints.

Logan currently lives at his parent’s home, where the household uses Verizon FiOS. When asked if he would ever switch back to DIRECTV, when that time came, Logan replied, “Yes, would get DIRECTV again. Something about it is more appealing.”



Appendix

Tracy, a 48 year old Caucasian female, originally switched to DirecTV about three years ago because cable prices were getting too expensive and she was looking for a cheaper option. She said the starting rate of satellite TV seems cheaper than most cable op-tions which is how they get people to switch, but things add up and you end up paying around the same that you would be paying for most other TV services anyway. The thing she liked best about DirecTV was the free NFL package they received the first year with DirecTV. When asked if she purchased it this year she said no, she loved the package but it was $280 a year for the package.

When asked if she planned on switching cable services within the next year, she explained that she did not plan on switching be-cause she’s come to realize there is no “cheaper option” any service that is offered may have different starting out fees that are appealing but all in all things add up to being about the same prices and you don’t receive any extra bang for your buck with a spe-cific service. Cable, which used to be the much more expensive option, is not far from the price she is paying for satellite. One of her favorite features about DirecTV is the opportunity to DVR shows and fast forward through commercials. She said that used to be a perk to satellite but cable now offers it too so there is not much different. There aren’t many pitfalls to having a satellite, it doesn’t go out much, maybe during really bad storms.


Risa Lavine is a 53-year-old female who was interviewed by the Voyage Group. She is a current user of Verizon FIOS and has never used DirecTV before. She is married with 3 children, Caucasian, and makes an income of over $100,000. Due to the fact that she has never used DirecTV, she was not able to form an intelligent opinion about it. However, she associates DirecTV with having a lot of work done on the house to install a satellite dish. A certain reason that she does not use DirecTV is because she is very content with FIOS. Although DirecTV does provide the NFL Sunday Ticket, she is content with the sporting content that she gets through FIOS. She is able to watch professional sports, college sports, high school sports, and even hunting channels.Before FIOS, she used Comcast. She is much happier with FIOS than she was with Comcast and does not plan on switching pro-viders in the future unless she was to experience major interruptions in service or a major increase in cost. She experienced major service interruptions with Comcast and feels that if she were to have a satellite dish on the roof she would have similar problems. Her favorite aspect of DirecTV is the hundreds of channels that she has to pick from. She also likes that FIOS corresponds with her Internet and telephone services. She was not aware of any of the DirecTV packages, but in the past she has received flyers and postcards but nothing recently. However, if a family member, friend, or co-worker strongly recommended a product she would be very likely to try it.

Interview #4 - DirecTV Non-User


Year At a Glance Student The Voyage Group Professor Eun Soo Rhee Semester Fall 2014 Reach Avg Freq GRPS $(000) Goal Est Goal Est Goal Est Balance Goal Est BalanceAugust 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1September 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1October 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1November 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1December 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1January 35.5 12.5 7 1.1 249 14 234 104.5 102.5 2.1February 6.2 2 7 1 43 2 41 18.3 14.6 3.6March 6.2 2 7 1 43 2 41 18.3 14.6 3.6April 6.2 2 7 1 43 2 41 18.3 14.6 3.6May 36 5 7 1 252 5 247 106 98.6 7.4June 36 5 7 1 252 5 247 106 98.6 7.4July 36 5 7 1 252 5 247 106 98.6 7.4Total 2377.2 105 0 1000 954.54 45.46National Contingency $(000): 0 Spot Contingency $(000): 0

AppendixMedia Flight Plan



Default Flowchart Title Default Flowchart SubTitle Student The Voyage Group Professor Eun Soo Rhee Semester Fall 2014 Target Demo: All Adults ages 25-49 Medium Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Total Across Spot TV-Prime 5 5 5 GRPS: 15$(000) 8.6 98.6 98.6 COST: 295.7Spot Cable 14 14 14 14 14 14 2 2 2 GRPS: 90$(000) 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 14.6 14.6 14.6 COST: 658.8National Only Area GRPS GRPS: 0$(000) Cost: 0Reach Avg. Freq. Spot Only Area GRPS 13 13 13 13 13 13 2 2 2 5 5 5 GRPS: 104$(000) 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 14.6 14.6 14.6 98.6 98.6 98.6 Cost: 954.5Reach 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 2 2 2 5 5 5 Avg. Freq. 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Spot + National GRPS 13 13 13 13 13 13 2 2 2 5 5 5 GRPS: 104$(000) 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 14.6 14.6 14.6 98.6 98.6 98.6 Cost: 954.5Reach 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 2 2 2 5 5 5 Avg. Freq. 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0


AppendixMedia Flight PlanGoal Sheet Student The Voyage Group Professor Eun Soo Rhee Semester Fall 2014 National Plan National Plan Reach Freq GRPs %Share Est $(000)August 0 0 0 0 0September 0 0 0 0 0October 0 0 0 0 0November 0 0 0 0 0December 0 0 0 0 0January 0 0 0 0 0February 0 0 0 0 0March 0 0 0 0 0April 0 0 0 0 0May 0 0 0 0 0June 0 0 0 0 0July 0 0 0 0 0 -------- -------- --------National Media 0 0 0National Contingency 0Total National $$ 0Spot Plan

Spot Plan Reach Freq GRPs %Share Est $(000)August 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5September 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5October 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5November 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5December 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5January 35.5 7 248.5 10.5 104.5February 6.2 7 43.4 1.8 18.3March 6.2 7 43.4 1.8 18.3April 6.2 7 43.4 1.8 18.3May 36 7 252 10.6 106June 36 7 252 10.6 106July 36 7 252 10.6 106 -------- -------- --------Spot Media 2377 100 1000Spot Contingency 0Total Spot $$ 1000Total Plan 1000



Market List Student The Voyage Group Professor Eun Soo Rhee Semester Fall 2014 Market Name Rank %US Albuquerque, NM 44 0.6 Buffalo, NY 50 0.56 Greensboro et al, NC 46 0.6 Harrisburg et al, PA 41 0.64 Jacksonville, FL 49 0.58 Las Vegas, NV 43 0.63 Louisville, KY 48 0.58 Memphis, TN 47 0.59 Norfolk et al, VA 42 0.64 Oklahoma City, OK 45 0.6 Birmingham, AL 40 0.65 Cincinnati, OH 33 0.8 Columbus, OH 32 0.8 Grand Rapids et al, MI 39 0.66 Greenville et al, SC-NC 36 0.74 Kansas City, KS-MO 31 0.82 Milwaukee, WI 34 0.79 Salt Lake City, UT 35 0.78 San Antonio, TX 37 0.7 W Palm Beach et al, FL 38 0.69 Charlotte, NC 25 0.96 Hartford-New Haven, CT 29 0.89 Indianapolis, IN 26 0.95 Nashville, TN 30 0.86 Pittsburgh, PA 22 1.03

Charlotte, NC 25 0.96 Hartford-New Haven, CT 29 0.89 Indianapolis, IN 26 0.95 Nashville, TN 30 0.86 Pittsburgh, PA 22 1.03 Portland, OR 23 1.02 Raleigh-Durham, NC 28 0.92 San Diego, CA 27 0.93 St. Louis, MO 21 1.1 Cleveland, OH 17 1.36 Denver, CO 18 1.31 Detroit, MI 11 1.7 Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL 16 1.36 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 15 1.51 Orlando et al, FL 19 1.27 Phoenix, AZ 12 1.6 Sacramento-Stockton, CA 20 1.23 Seattle-Tacoma, WA 14 1.58 Tampa-St Pete, FL 13 1.58 Atlanta, GA 8 2.04 Boston, MA 7 2.12 Chicago, IL 3 3.07 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX 5 2.16 Houston, TX 10 1.82 Los Angeles, CA 2 5 New York, NY 1 6.54 Philadelphia, PA 4 2.61 San Francisco et al, CA 6 2.14 Washington, DC 9 2.05 50 Markets Chosen, covering 67.13% of US households.

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