ETV A Branding Case Study (and Work in Progress)

Working from assumptions with no research back-up of perceptions and customers’ needs Brand had become diffused with no “corporate” long-range vision for the organization Value of PBS brand had been lost (or at least misplaced) Substantial budget reductions, leadership changes and technology challenges in recent years further eroded brand consistency The Challenges

The Plan Initiate research for strategic planning and branding initiative Develop a long-range strategic plan Tie branding initiative to strategic plan Involve staff at all levels through the process Create a long-term vision, not just a short-term campaign Evaluate and re-align when necessary

What makes a strong brand? A strong brand… Is familiar Is highly regarded Possesses qualities that distinguish it from its competitors (emotional context) Delivers a quality product or service Delivers good value for the dollars spent Has high customer loyalty

Month 1 (Nov) – develop research priorities with research firm, start RFP process for agency Month 2 (Dec) – develop survey instruments, interview agencies Month 3 (Jan) – carry out research, hire agency Month 4 (Feb) – complete and evaluate research including internal communications audit (share with staff), begin planning for blueprint development Months 5 and 6 (March/April) – Sr. management begins meetings on strategic planning development Timeline

Months 7 and 8 - (May/June) – Work on preliminary blueprint completed with next level management brought in, creative process begins Months 9 and 10 (July/August) – Creative work continues to develop brand position based on blueprint, testing and research, plans developed for internal and external roll-out Month 11 – internal roll-out of blueprint and new branding initiative Month 12 – external roll-out of new look Timeline (cont)

Primary Research Findings Strong positive reputation among various customer groups when compared with other media organizations and other well-known community organizations. Strong brand equity and high recognition factor (only Discovery ranked higher) Good value to the state worthy of state and donor support. High ranking among viewers, listeners and consumers for product quality, but lower with staff. “High quality” educational broadcasting but lower levels of understanding of services beyond tv and radio “Good value” and important to the state

Measurement Metrics Budget for phase II research in 4Q’04 or 1Q’05 Solicitation of anecdotal feedback through and phone calls On-going communications audit Media clips – use of new brand nomenclature, etc.

Impressions of Organizations (mean score on scale from 0 to 10, where 10 means very positive)

Impressions of Organizations (cont’d)

(Other than ETV) Station Watched Most

Term Most Likely to Use (when referring to television)

Term Most Likely to Use (when referring to radio)

Major Corporate Goals Resulting from Research and Planning Increase organization’s long-term financial stability by moving toward a more diversified funding structure Cohesive brand better articulates how ETV affects individuals’ lives Create multi-platform programs/content that make a measurable impact on the lives of South Carolinians Cohesive brand ensures consistency of message across all platforms increasing awareness and use.

Create a strong umbrella brand leveraging the strength of the existing equity of the ETV brand (corporate ETV) Introduce the “ETV Promise” – more than just a strategic plan Tie the “ETV promise” to the brand Involve stakeholders at all levels Use new branding initiative to introduce the South Carolina Channel Better leverage value of PBS brand Develop consistent nomenclature and “look” across all platforms (logo, etc) Primary strategic initiatives

Short term tactical plans Roll-out new logo and blueprint to internal stakeholders in conjunction with launch of SC Channel – identify “boundary spanners” as cheerleaders Introduce “My ETV” campaign Prioritize logo changes to accommodate budget issues TV and radio air, Web site (redesign underway) Stationery/business cards/some print materials

Lessons learned Strike a balance between keeping staff in the loop and avoiding “design by committee” Know when testing is valuable (and the rare occasion when it isn’t) Don’t listen to the perpetual naysayers Sometimes intuition will win out over research (not often, but be open to it) You can’t communicate all things to all people – target messages PBS co-branding doesn’t have to be an either/or decision Factor in more time for “real time” working with logo options

Logos

New Truck Design

Contact information: Reba Campbell ETV VP, Communications and Government Relations