TVNZ Planit+

Background

For many years, TVNZ sent out a weekly, printed newsletter to all of their advertising agency and key advertising clients, outlining the programming schedule for two weeks ahead. Planit was the bible for advance notification of programming and was a significant annual investment for TVNZ.

When TVNZ decided to implement an electronic version – initially to run alongside and eventually replace the paper version – they knew fast, easy publishing was going to be absolutely critical for Planit’s success.

Publicis Dialog provided the usability, template designs, launch communications and project management for the electronic Planit version, while Touchpoint was selected to build and host the application. During all aspects of the project, the TVNZ marketing department contributed direction, strategic and creative input.

Objectives

• Move Planit into an online format that TVNZ design staff could produce weekly
• Introduce advertisers and agencies to the online format slowly, before taking away the paper version
• Make online Planit more interactive and more valuable than the paper version

Target Audience

Media planners and buyers at advertising agencies and marketing personnel at advertisers.

Channels

Touchpoint implemented/managed the following components of the campaign:

• Email
• Mail

Other components:

• Fastline advertisement
• Face to face

Approach

A series of templates were developed that could be adapted using WYSIWIG functionality. These templates could be mixed and matched depending on what was needed to enable TVNZ staff to create a unique, attractive email newsletter each week.

Additional online features were added, including more info pages, links to relevant sites and video streaming of programme promos and research.

To launch these new features, an instant prize system was developed. If the recipient clicked on the special link in each of the first four issues, they had the random chance of being an instant winner of prizes such as dinner vouchers, beauty spa vouchers, CD vouchers and chocolates.

The launch of Planit Plus was communicated via the TVNZ sales reps and a direct mail piece attached to paper Planit. An ad was placed in Fastline and invited people to register online if they didn’t already receive Planit and wanted to.

How Touchpoint Technology Helped

• TVNZ is fully self-sufficient in producing Planit each week
• Already there is a move to a more customisable version of the newsletter, making it more relevant to a wider group of individuals
• Scalability – the circulation can be expanded dramatically with little or no cost implication

Results

• Initial involvement and clickthrough rates were encouraging
• Post-launch feedback, through sales reps and research groups, indicated there was a high degree of acceptance of this new electronic version
• TVNZ withdrew the printed version of Planit two months after the online version launched