New strategies to capture and retain viewers, while increasing advertisement potential, were key areas of focus at CASBAA 2013 in Hong Kong. Global and Asian industry leaders joined media personalities to examine successful strategies and techniques.
“CASBAA’s commitment to promoting the effectiveness of multichannel TV as a marketing tool and raising the industry profile among advertisers was in full force, with several panels focusing on branded content, audience measurement and the value of partnerships,” Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CEO.
Many participants agreed that local relevancy was crucial in Asia. Peter Giakoumelos, VP, Advertising Sales, Discovery Network Asia Pacific, advised not to restrict content delivery to a few platforms: “Today, the media landscape is diverse and redefined. All we have done is to satisfy curiosity, and provide the highest quality content that entertains, engages and enlightens.”
Use of branded content is also gaining traction in Asia. Kar-Tai Koh, Global Brand Manager, Shell Advance Motorcycle, noted that branded content helps to create a bond between the brand and the target audience. Commenting on the Freedom Riders Asia series, he noted: “We wanted Shell to develop a bond with the biking community. And the bikers wanted to see, hear, and be part of it.” However, participants also highlighted looming challenges. “The biggest challenge that we have is to create interesting and engaging content, and deliver the client’s messages to the customers at the same time,” Mike Rich, CEO, Content (APAC), GroupM.
Measuring pay TV effectiveness was another hot topic during the Convention. Although this debate has been raging for years, participants noted that the alternative measurement system, Return Path Data (RPD), is showing promise. “RPD provides data and information for the niche channels among different segments,” Henry Robles, Research Director, Audience Research & Analysis, NBCUniversal. Nick Burfitt, Global Director, Kantar Media Audiences, who observed that RPD is becoming widespread, noted: “It can fill some of the gaps among the traditional [measurement] methods and provide solutions.”
When questioned on the importance of satellite transmission given the growth and penetration of terrestrial broadband, panellists highlighted that for “small and advanced” areas like Hong Kong this hold true, but not for wide geographies like Thailand and Malaysia, which has areas where terrestrial broadband is not available everywhere
For more information, please visit http://www.casbaaconvention.com
