Marketing In the News

    John Lennon, the famous Beatles musician once said, “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” This quote identifies Lennon's perspective on consumerism while also identifying the television (TV) as a marquee asset for households around the world.
   

Sky, Europe's largest media and pay-tv broadcaster, is attempting to add a horse to the race with their brand new Sky Glass TV. More importantly, they are going to launch the highest funded product launch that has ever been seen in the United Kingdom. I decided to cover this article as I believe cable TV is a thing of the past and based on Sky's newest product it appears they feel the same way. The details of this marketing campaign and launch are noted in Marketing Week's Friday article highlighting the brand's product specs, marketing aspirations and general logistics of the launch. 

The value proposition that Sky presents is an intriguing one. They are offering a product that intends to capitalize on the fact that more and more consumers are moving away from traditional cable TV and moving towards specialized streaming packages. They intend to create a more immersive user interface (UI) that works with streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu to allow quick and easy access to any show or movie you are looking to watch. Specific benefits include the TV being the only carbon neutral option on the market currently, competitive pricing (including monthly payment options) and easy accessibility to viewing the TV as 40 million people will be within a 20 minute drive of a store with their new product on display. 

    Sky is reporting that the marketing campaign will be 55% above the line (ATL) and 45% (BTL) using targeted marketing through Spotify, YouTube and other mediums that offer opportunities to target a more specific audience. With more and more marketing happening BTL it is interesting to see them put so much faith in targeting their audience through TV, radio and print formats. The research team decided this by coming to the same conclusion that John Lennon did; televisions are a household asset with no hyper-specific demographic that desires them. One of the biggest ATL strategies they are employing is a Times newspaper cover that is projected to achieve 1.3 billion out of home impressions. 

In conclusion, I find Sky Group's approach to marketing their new TV a bold and accurate assessment of what is necessary to break into the TV landscape. I believe they are putting enough capital in the right places to make the campaign successful. Not to mention the timing of this marketing campaign coming right before Thanksgiving and Christmas two of the largest consumer holidays. The only concerns I have are whether the product will be perceived as innovative enough for consumers to justify replacing their old TV with this new one and if the product will hold up once purchased. I am excited to see what the future holds for Sky Group's newest UHD television and the possibility of expansion to the U.S. or other countries if the demand is there.