Thursday, June 26, 2008

TeamSoper-OPB's Creative Partnership Provides Thirty+ Campaign Elements

NEW DTV NOW MINI-WEBSITE - A clean design, the best content, customizable for each participating station, and available with a simple click (redirect from stations' sites) or as a source of great content.

The DTV NOW site is modeled after the digital portion of OPB's web site -- one part of OPB's nationally recognized leadership in DTV education.

The “DTV NOW!” campaign, running through May 2009, includes more than THIRTY individual elements. DTV NOW participating stations have already received the following campaign elements:

1. On-Air Spots (11 total -- All Closed Captioned)
2. On-Air Spot Rundown & Scheduling Strategy
3. Strategy & Logo Graphics
4. Press Release – DTV NOW Campaign Launch
5. "DTV Tips" (Fact Sheet #1)
6. Program Guide Article - First In A Series
7. Website Tools
8. Op Ed Piece / Letter To The Editor
9. How To Guide For Station DTV Special Events
10. FAQ's For Board Members, Management & Professional Staff
11. On-Air Drive > DTV Strategy, Tips & Messages
12. Acknowledgement Insert / Buckslip
13. DTV NOW Images / Photography
14. Translator Letter / DTV Converter List
15. Research > Highlights The Challenges At The DTV Converter Retail Level.

From my perspective, there are two important differences between the PBS awareness toolkit and our DTV NOW campaign.

The first is our creative partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting (who’s leading the nation in DTV Converter Coupon Applications).

The second is our unique direct response strategy. No doubt, PBS will provide quality spots and useful materials based on their two-phase approach that begins with education and ends with action, however TeamSoper-OPB believes:

1) Viewers are unaware there is anything to watch on digital TV and that, once they are aware, they will grasp the positive reasons to switch – interference-free pictures & CD-like sound -- and be prepared to switch.

2) The DTV switch is complex. Viewers are more likely to grasp the issues and make a successful transition if they receive frequent communications such as "DTV Tips," containing the unbiased truths about Digital TV.

3) The DTV NOW strategy allows us to target those most at risk of losing access to television all together.

4) Viewers who sign-up for "DTV Tips" are potential new members, given that they watch Public TV and took action to receive more information.

5) There are very real benefits to having elements have been “road tested” by OPB and being constantly refined / improved by the TeamSoper-OPB creative partnership before you receive them, and;

6) There will be a customer service nightmare in the final weeks of the campaign if we do not urge viewers to take action now.

TeamSoper and Oregon Public Broadcasting are in a creative partnership to produce the “DIGITAL TV NOW!" campaign. Available to all public television stations, this campaign will assist and strengthen stations' efforts to help viewers and members make successful transitions to digital television from now through May'09.

This partnership will create more than thirty individual DTV NOW campaign elements, including on-air spots, member e-mails, web tools, and more.

We’ll provide a suite of DIGITAL TV TIPS designed to answer viewers’ most frequent questions. When you combine these on-air elements with direct mail and e-mail delivery of information your viewers and member can use, you will inspire action, trust and loyalty. The digital transition can be a “win” for the future of your station.

If you have questions or want a price quote based on your number of active members, please call Michael Soper at 435-654-5896.

Click to download a full 7-page, DTV NOW! “pdf,”including campaign element descriptions

NEW: HOW TO STRENGTHEN PTV'S DIGITAL TV TRANSITION

Getting your DTV transition campaign in high-gear is easier and less expensive than you may think. Download this 3-page "pdf" document, "How To Strengthen PTV’s Digital TV Transition," and compare your current effort with those of DTV NOW stations.

DTV NOW CLIENT COMMENTS:"What convinced us was reading -- and re-reading -- Becky Chinn's commentary on Oregon Public Broadcasting's efforts in CURRENT." [Download in "pdf."]

Where does your State rank? Here's an index of the DTV Converter Coupon Applications By State Population? Updated June 20, 2008.

"DTV NOW" DELIVERS FOR OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING

OPB aired 440 digital spots in roughly one-month's time starting December 15th. Today, the State of Oregon remains 140% above the national average based on converters per person requested. If you compare compare their coupon request to the total US population, the State of Oregon is #1 in coupon requests.

Steven M. Bass, Persident, OPB Announces TeamSoper-OPB Creative Partnership

MORE CAMPAIGN DETAILS

Every element of the TeamSoper Campaign can be put to use the moment it’s delivered. For those stations seeking to customize the campaign, there are easy to edit documents.

Combined with supplied graphic images and photos, the campaign will help you build a strong, positive position within your coverage area, telling the PTV story with respect to the transition.

TeamSoper’s campaign theme, “Digital TV Now!” supports a variety of key public television messages about the DTV transition, including:

1. The need viewers' may have to change the way they receive and watch television.
2. Our commitment to viewers to be a source of facts and a helping hand.
3. That we are now broadcasting programming on digital channels -- e.g., you don't need to wait for February 17, 2009 to watch.
4. We're excited about the potential of digital technology, but our highest priority remains giving viewers excellent, definitive content and programs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DTV NOW AT OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Read OPB's Membership Director, Becky Chinn's personal perspective on the DTV NOW campaign. Download her article, originally published in Current, Feb. 4, 2008. [DOWNLOAD PDF]

HOW TO HELP VIEWERS WHO VIEW A TRANSLATOR STATION -- Either Public or Commercial Television

Understanding the translator challenges requires taking a specific viewer's point-of-view. A viewer who watches any over-the-air signal orginating from a translator -- either from public or commercial broadcast television stations -- needs to be made aware of the importance of buying a DTV Converters with the "analog pass through" feature.

DTV NOW on-air spots and fact sheets contain all the details about translators for rural viewers. Without that information, we risk encouraging viewers to buy a DTV Converter than when hooked-up will eliminate viewers' capability to view translator stations that must continue to broadcast in analog format until the FCC plan is completed.