Seven West Media took the opportunity of interviewing media buyers after Seven’s recent 2020 Upfront event. The broadcaster has compiled some of those comments from the investment heads who will fund Seven’s increased 2020 spend on content.
Below are some of the highlights:
Tom Dobson – Head of Media & Partnerships, NAB
On the proposed merger of Seven and Prime: “Regional and rural Australia will benefit from better access to all of the content. AFL and Cricket – they’re Australia’s national sports.”
3 ways to describe #7Upfronts: “Footy, women in sport, farmers.”
On Mega Mini Golf: “That was mind blowing. Unbelievable.”
Henry Tajer – Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Ageis Network
Henry Tajer
On the power of Tokyo 2020: “It’s a killer. It’s been a part of Seven for a long time. Very excited by that. Innovations like the multi-language approach is really smart. Very impressed.”
On Mega Mini Golf: “It’s a sleeper. Its simplicity will appeal to a lot (of people). I think that’s going to do really well.”
3 ways to describe #7Upfronts: “Fresh, interesting and reliable.”
Toby Barbour – Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Media
Favourite announcement: “Investing in 7.30. Getting that slate and consistency right at 7.30. Smart strategy. Great to see that 30% investment in content and coming into that 7.30 25-54 year old timeslot.”
Favourite new show: “Big Brother intrigues me. I’m sure you’re going to refresh in an interesting and compelling way. Intrigued to see who the host will be. It’s going to explode across all the digital channels. So Big Brother 20 years later in a digital eco-system – I think it’s going to be fascinating to see how it performs.”
On Seven’s investment in primetime content: “(Seven’s) clearly invested in the content. I think it’s the right strategy. (Seven’s) got content that can go across all the platforms which is really important. It makes (Seven) much more relevant and valuable to growth audiences and therefore to brands.”
3 words to describe #7Upfronts: “Refreshed, leadership, determined.”
Lizzie Baker – Head of Investment, Zenith Media Sydney (pictured)
Favourite announcement: “The amount of new content. There are a number of fresh, exciting and ‘different’ programs that lend themselves well to client integration.”
On the proposed merger of Seven and Prime: “I’ve been quite vocal about the value of regional TV and the fact we under invest there. Part of the barrier has been the divide between metro and regional from a buying perspective. Having a network we can buy both from is a huge opportunity that simplifies the buying process. Over 90% reach – it’s amazing.”
On Seven’s investment in primetime content: “For a long time Seven’s audience has been ageing while our clients want to reach that elusive younger audience. This re-focusing on 25-54s will resonate with clients and is really important.”
3 words to describe #7Upfronts: “Fresh, updated and confident!”
Stephen Leeds – Chief Executive Officer, The Media Store
Favourite new show: “My favourite show was (Mega Mini Golf). I can see my kids getting off their devices and sitting around the TV again and watching it together.”
On the proposed merger of Seven and Prime: “As a great supporter of regional what this means is ease of doing business. One conversation with a client that is heavily involved in integration and who is all about mass reach. We are already tapping into to those regional markets, but I think the Seven Prime merger for us means great efficiencies.”
On Seven’s investment in primetime content: “What is important is that you have a defined strategy. It’s the number one demographic that media buyers are buying so I think it’s a good move.”
3 words to describe #7Upfronts: “Bold, fearless and confident.”
Kurt Burnette, Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We’re thrilled with the response to our plans for content-led growth and innovation in 2020. Our partners have backed our plans for more investment in content, alongside our unmatched sport and news offerings.”
“We’re delivering new content that will reach the key audiences that our partners crave – particularly 25-54s. It’s great to see the excitement in the market around these new integratable and much-loved formats. Seven’s sport will continue to drive massive reach and unbeatable moments for our partners.”
“The feedback has also been strong on how we’re making Seven easier to work with. The pending Prime merger will now mean just one place to connect them with the largest and most influential audience in Australia. Plus, CODE 7 and 7CAP offer our partners innovative new ways to maximise their results.”