Data insights – We utilized non-linear data sets – including digital, social and real-world weather data – to discover areas where we could grab a larger share of “available couch minutes,” based on the competitive show environment and environmental factors that impact behavioral decisions (i.e., blizzards and incremental weather increase available couch minutes).

Innovation – We leveraged sophisticated data hubs that combine components of Linear, Digital, Social and Weather data to drive a real-time campaign focused on speaking to our target demographic on “The Perfect Way To Ride Out The Storm.” That is, by binge-watching Younger!

Originality – We broke the norm of traditional tune-in targeting, which focuses mass reach across large age and demo brackets. Instead, we focused on micro targeting of key DMAs across audience and interest affinities to our core Younger fans – to determine who, where and when had the most available couch time, due to the above factors.

Data journey – One of the largest blizzards on record was going to impact the whole east coast Friday-Saturday. We recognized we had a large audience trapped at home in search of entertainment. We needed to quickly act and had only hours until the blizzard. Through strong cross-organizational collaboration, we generated custom creative and messaging for the “impact zone.” Through real-time weather data, we deployed placements across the most likely-to-convert audiences who were hooked up to Wifi (signaling they were home) and specifically targeted DMAs and Zips as the storm moved northward.

Implementation – The campaign utilized specifically created “Perfect way to ride out the storm” standard and high-impact display banners, custom-created social posts letting people know that Younger is the show to catch up on at this moment. Further, we used investment strategies that emphasized contextually relevant placements for our audience – including weather sites and arts/entertainment.

Data integration – Data for targeting across programmatic included 1st party and Smart TV/STB data. For social, we utilized FB interest and custom audience profile data and YouTube search and affinity data. In addition, we used in-house inventory to serve the right impression to the right user at the right time.

Data enhanced consumer experience – Digital engagement as measured was 50%-100% higher than industry benchmarks; actual verified % of tune-ins tied back to our specific blizzard efforts across programmatic led to 40% of total verified tune-ins for the specific episode (per an attribution study). Younger was the 5th most binged-watched show nationally during this time period (per largest MVPD); ratings across key national DMAs impacted by the blizzard experienced double- to triple-digit growth vs. prior week.

Data driven behavior change – As a result of this campaign, we have pursued a micro targeting approach to drive tune-in; it fostered more respect for individual DMA and environmental factors that impact available “couch minutes.” It validates our evolving media strategy (reflecting changing consumption patterns) of balancing media weight between pre- and post-premiere tune-in, around “moments”, delayed viewing and retention.

Business impact – Younger Season 2 was a phenomenal success. In the days following Jonas, it nearly tripled VOD viewership, and had its highest-rated episode season-to-date (1/27 .74 A25-54, L+3). Jonas informed a season-long strategy of targeting weekend viewers, contributing to crucial L+3 ratings. Season 2 saw double-digit ratings gains from 1 (+70% A25-54 MC) and over 25M unique viewers across platforms.

Breaking the conventional methods of driving linear tune-in, we partnered with TV Land to utilize a combination of social, behavioral, TV viewing and real-world data sets to launch a real-time “blizzard” campaign during Winter Storm Jonas. Blending the science of digital targeting with the art of one-to-one creative messaging, we targeted fans affected by the blizzard in real-time with creative messaging around “The Perfect Way To Ride Out The Storm.”

Data gathering – We leveraged traditional Tune-In data sets (Nielsen, Rentrak & Tivo) to determine the competitive show environment. We combined this data with Social (FB and Twitter) and Digital (O&O data of Content engagers) to build out affinity targeting segments and lookalikes, which were targeted through Social and Programmatic channels (1st party O&O data PLUS Smart TV and set top box viewing segments).

Data interpretation – We optimized the campaign based on affinity audiences’ relation index score to our core Younger fans. This created two different sets of prospects – those who over-indexed based on linear data, and those who over-indexed based on digital / social data. Optimizations were based on driving retention (retargeting core Younger fans) and driving binge viewing and new fans through acquisition targeting segments.

Targeting – Targeting utilized real-time storm tracking data to pinpoint when and where to deliver digital and social impressions. Who received those impressions and across which Zip codes depended on their digital affinities to our core Younger audience and whether they were connected to their in-home Wifi networks.

A winter storm of historic proportions was about to engulf the entire eastern seaboard of the United States. We seized on this opportunity, taking advantage of the “cabin fever” that blizzards and other inclement weather generate. Knowing we’d have a large, captive audience trapped at home in search of TV entertainment, we acted swiftly to create a dynamic marketing campaign to address the regions affected by the storm – in real time. Working closely with TV Land marketing, the Audience Science team was able to boost Younger’s L+3 ratings and grab an accretive audience – contributing to continued strong ratings throughout the season.

Highlights include: using weather data to geo-target Younger fans and potential fans with high affinities; targeting Wifi-connected devices with media delivered in real time through programmatic and social channels; and high delivery to weather sites and across social channels.