Promote the web in weather promos
Stephen Warley February 7th, 2007
Cory’s post a couple of days ago about why “search beats promotion” reminded me of an unintended behavior promos may be encouraging, particularly weather promos. I know weather promos are suppose to get me to watch the news, but for me at least, they simply remind me to check the weather online. Why wait for the 11 o’clock news, when I can grab my laptop off my coffee table? I can’t imagine I’m alone on this. If a growing portion of our audience starts doing this (maybe that’s why late news broadcasts are down 10%), shouldn’t we promote our online coverage, as well as our on-air coverage in every promo? If our promos are reminding people to go online, shouldn’t we at least remind them to go to our websites? Thoughts?
7 Comments Add your own
1. Joe | February 7th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Why wait for the 11 o’clock news, when I can grab my laptop off my coffee table?
I just fire up the Wii.
This is why local weather promos need to be about something specific, rather than just “get the weather” or even “we have awesome technology.” Go for a personality sell, or some unique marketable that you can only get on that newscast (ongoing contest? special feature?)
2. Graham Knewall | February 7th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Why wait ’till the late news for weather?
BECAUSE METEOROLOGISTS ARE VERY LONELY AND THEY NEED TO KNOW YOU’RE WATCHING OR THEY MIGHT JUMP OFF A CLIFF OR SOMETHING…
Don’t laugh. It’s true.
3. Cory | February 7th, 2007 at 8:43 am
You’re right on, Safran. Weather promotion on TV should be either coverage-based (storms) or image (expertise), not for the forecast.
And we need to promote why we’re better, both on TV and the web, than the generic forecasts on portals. Most people don’t see the difference.
4. Stephen Warley | February 7th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Hey Bergman, there is another Steve here on LR:) Sorry for being a slacker. I’m being forgotten already . . . .serves me right!
5. Cory | February 7th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Ooops, right on, Warley!
6. Safran | February 7th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I never get a “right on.”
*Sigh.*
7. Tim | February 7th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Man, this is all part of the same general thing: gotta stop thinking of the organization as a “TV News” organization and as just a news organization. Losing the ‘TV’ prefix allows you to concentrate on serving news , weather, and sports to your community however they want to consume it. Why can’t I go to your site, for example, and sign my cell phone up for updated sports scores from my high school’s teams? Send me the score and a quick note like “Bronson scores on 73 yard pass play”, etc.
So - promote your _coverage_, and let me choose how I get it.
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