NMA Why advertise in the sports pages of newspapers?

1
NMA Why advertise in the sports pages of
newspapers?
2
Targeting the male sports fan the opportunity

• The NMA has undertaken a major piece of
  qualitative and quantitative research 1100
  sample May-June
• National newspapers offer an unrivalled
  opportunity to enrich and extend campaigns
  targeting this audience in an environment they
  are passionate about, devote time to and where
  they start reading the newspaper.
• As part of a multi-media campaign newspapers
  added to the schedule significantly improve ROI
  for this audience increasing national coverage by
  10 points, low viewing regions such as London and
  South by an additional 10 points

3
5 key reasons why newspaper sports pages are an
opportunity for advertisers
Source Guardian
4
5 key reasons why sports pages are a opportunity
for advertisers

• Sports fans have an impressively involved
  relationship with their sports media
• Newspapers play a key role in extending and
  enriching their sports experience
• Newspaper sports pages provide information that
  is socially valuable and emotionally nourishing
• Sports pages are a totally absorbing environment
• Sports pages are seen by readers as virgin
  advertising territory

5
Love of sport is fundamental

• A love of sport unites and unifies very different
  men
• different ages, different values, different
  politics, different occupations, different
  classes, different ambitions, different
  perceptions of self
• their passion for sport causes them to be very
  similar in all of
• how they feel about sport, how they behave with
  sport, what they use their sports media for, what
  their requirements of sports media are, how they
  feel about those media , what they value in those
  media,
• as well as similar, crucially, in how they behave
  with those media
• the only real differences to have an effect on
  their requirement for information about sport
  stem from how erudite they require their sport
  information diet to be
• ie whether they choose a broadsheet or a tabloid
  newspaper
• how much detail and depth they want in their
  information
• how focussed on truth and /or sensationalism they
  are
• a combination of their values, politics, social
  identities then dictates which broadsheet or
  tabloid they choose
• the mindset through which they consume newspaper
  sports sections is shared, and is particularly
  focussed

All of the above make s newspaper sports sections
a potentially effective environment for
brand-building advertising targeting men
6
1. Sports fans have an impressively involved
relationship with their sports media
7
1 Men who love sport are very involved by their
sports media

• Time dedicated to chosen sports media is prized
  and closely guarded
• checking scores before eating, reading pre and
  post match reports, radio tuned to 5 Live in the
  shower, quick internet fixes of sport info during
  work day, listening to radio commentary while
  watching match on TV
• Reading the sport usually a priority as soon as
  the newspaper is obtained
• for 54 the back page is the real front page
  they admit to going there first
• Time is made so that getting the sport
  information can fit somewhere into the day
• committed readers as likely to read it 2 times
  in the day as once only.

8
Back Page First Readership

• 54 of tabloid readers claiming to treat back
  page as their first port of call corroboration
  of
• qualitative insight that broadsheet less
  likely to claim back page first readership,
  although over a
• third still opt for back page as first access
  to paper.
• This rises to 69 including those who scan front
  page headlines and then turn to sport section
• 16 - 34s most likely to claim back page first
  readership.
• Source BMRB

9
Time Spent Reading

• Almost 1 in 3 spend 21 minutes reading the
  sport pages in their daily paper.
• Weekend readership shows a broader spread of
  reading habits, with over 40
• spending 21 minutes reading their sports
  section.
• Source BMRB

10
Number of Reading Occasions

• Equal split between those who read the sport in
  an isolated chunk, versus those
• who go back to digest the sports pages.
• No significant difference between daily and
  weekend reading occasions
• Source BMRB

11
Reading Occasions Daily vs. Sunday

• Readership of the sports pages happens
  throughout the day debunking the myth that
• newspaper readership is a hurried read to or
  from work
• Sunday paper achieves significantly more morning
  readership than the daily paper
• with half of readers picking it up to read the
  sport either before or during breakfast.
• Source BMRB

12
Daily Paper Reading Occasions Morning Zone

• Daily paper being read in a variety of
  situations Main differences between tabloid
• and broadsheet readership are
• Reading at work on arrival and during break a
  valid opportunity to read the
• sports pages for tabloid with up to 1 in 3
  reading drops to 1 in 5 or less for
• broadsheet readers
• Source BMRB

13
Daily Paper Reading Occasions P.M. Zone

• In the evening at home the most regular claimed
  zone for reading the sports pages of
• the daily paper - with almost half reading at
  this point.
• Source BMRB

14
2. Sports Pages enrich and extend the experience
15
2. Newspapers sport pages extend and enrich the
sport fans experience

• Strongest benefits derived from newspapers after
  the event
• Looked to and valued for in-depth and expert
  analysis
• Editorial viewed as expert and considered and
  therefore especially valid
• Due to range of and expertise of journalists
• 3 reports on one match
• Unlike commentary and commenting on TV and radio
• Newspapers provide more insight eg what happened
  after the final whistle
• Tunnel antics / tensions / fracas etc. post match
  can be reported better via newspapers
• whats gone on once they go down the tunnel
  the rollocking they got from the manager almost
  like a gossip column
• I love the way newspapers go through all the
  player previews
• Ability for more direct comparison - in the cool
  light of day
• you know the headlines - but its a habit to
  compare your own opinion with what you saw, the
  analysis is more considered, theyve got more
  breathing space - they add something extra

• Before the event is valued
• news and views
• latest developments
• but less immediate than TV and radio
• speculation as to what may occur
• you read the passion in their writing
• voice of the nations stuff
• As well as ability to fan the flames of hopes
  and dreams
• adding to excitement, anticipation and adrenaline
• the gossip, the transfer talk
• the fans view
• fosters the fantasy element of sport - the if
  only aspirations of amateur players /
  enthusiasts
• its escapism, a fantasy world - wed all love
  to be Beckham, be in their boots
• to read, perchance to dream especially Tabloid
  readers
• you imagine yourself as part of it - theres an
  envious streak while reading it

16
Before and After Value of Paper

• Perceived value of paper around a sporting event
  felt to be higher
• after the event with half of tabloid and
  broadsheet readers feeling it is
• very / quite important to help prolong the
  excitement.
• Value as build-up should not be underestimated
  however, with over a third
• of sports readers valuing the ability of the
  paper to help build up anticipation
• about an event
• Source BMRB

17
3. Sports Pages provide information that is
socially valuable and emotionally nourishing
18
3. Newspaper sports pages provide information
that is socially valuable and emotionally
nourishing

• It provides them with vital social currency
• Expert, detailed information about their
  sport/team and other sports/teams
• Which means they are in on the conversation at
  work, in the pub
• a validated view, an expert opinion, the inside
  track, a real insight
• They know what they are talking about
• They are fluent in what is a universal (male)
  language

19
3. Newspaper sports pages provide information
that is socially valuable and emotionally
nourishing

• The detail and the depth of newspaper sports
  editorial is not just dry information it is
  emotionally nourishing as it allows men who love
  sport to
• Live or relive the experience
• Extend the pleasure of victory or the soul
  searching of defeat
• Enjoy it from different angles
• Understand it more fully
• Share the passion with writers who are adept at
  expressing and fuelling personal and collective
  passions
• you read the passion in their writing
• Dream what could happen next, how it might feel

20
Paper Social Currency

• Two thirds of tabloid readers and over half of
  broadsheet readers openly agreeing with statement
• that they use what they read in newspapers
  about sport to stimulate conversations with
  friends or
• colleagues
• 80 of the sample disagree with the idea of
  keeping what they read to themselves indicating
  the
• degree to which newspapers provide starting
  points for social discussion
• Newspapers are also shared regularly by a
  significant number 45 of tabloid readers and
  over a
• third of broadsheet readers access other
  peoples papers for different perspectives /
  input
• corroborating the sense that a paper has a
  wider readership than the initial purchaser
• Source BMRB

.
21
Paper Information Values

• Clearly readers value their paper for the
  information it provides
• Strong levels of agreement with feeling more
  informed about whats going on
• And over half committed to the view that
  newspapers provide in-depth analysis
• and a more considered view
• Source BMRB

22
4. Sports Pages are a totally absorbing
environment
23
4. Newspapers pages are a totally absorbing
environment
Really well written bits are my toilet read
No-one can talk to me when Im reading the sport
Men like statistics on sport they want to read
it 3 or 4 times to log it
I will shut off from the others
Want to concentrate, to digest what Im reading
Youre able to lock in and shut the rest of the
world out - I want silence while Im reading
I commit to that time, before the kids get up
Me and my paper and my cup of coffee - time for
me
I hide (from wife and kids), go back to bed with
the paper
Sports a real adrenaline rush. Youre interested
to read the paper, catch up, its uncontrollable
24
Paper Involvement / Entertainment Values

• Even split between those who feel they are not
  easily distracted and those who
• disagree with this sentiment.
• Clear value placed on reading about sport as
  part of mens relaxation / entertainment
• zone - with half in agreement about this
  statement.
• Important to note that half of sample disagree
  with the idea that the sports pages of
• the newspaper are purely for information - and
  a quarter strongly disagree. Further
• evidence that pleasure / involvement is at the
  heart of the value of reading about sport
• Source BMRB

25
Mood during Reading (continued)

• Again clear indications of high levels of
  involvement during reading with further
• evidence of the bubble phenomenon whilst
  reading - in my own world/oblivious
• to others/absorbed/involved - ie. vital to
  acknowledge this when communicating
• with them
• a third of tabloid readers are so focused as to
  agree on a quantitative survey that
• they are oblivious to others whilst reading
  their sports section.
• Source BMRB

26
5. Sports Pages are Virgin advertising territory
27
5. To readers newspaper sports pages are virgin
advertising territory - a totally missed
opportunity
Clear overall feeling that the advertising is not
as good as it could be

• Fairly disparaging response indicated a lack of
  emotional connection
• apologetic
• bland, waste of space - take no notice - all
  small, unobtrusive and tucked up the corner
• no cleverness in execution
• very direct - no trying to ponder what theyre
  selling, just stuff like got no money? Have a
  loan!
• no real surprises
• all very stale -feels really predictable
• visually incongruous / confusing
• theyve got a picture of an office which youre
  trying to forget about, its got no place on the
  page - (Broadsheet Midlands)
• Uninspiring
• Ive never been tempted, but then they seem to
  be the wrong choice of adverts - Id like to see
  - more dedicated and relevant (Broadsheet
  Midlands)

• A desire nevertheless for display advertising to
  complement their emotional mindset rather than
  prick the bubble
• a lot of its in your subconscious - you see a
  colour photo of Tiger Woods in his Nike cap on
  the back page and the brand goes in
• An awareness that brands do successfully align
  themselves to sport to generate a positive image
• theyd gain a lot of street cred by doing good
  ads
• those that did get noticed and achieve a degree
  of involvement were strong on relevance or on
  relevant siting .

28
6. How can advertisers best enter this bubble ?
29
Potential routes for advertisers to break into
this bubble
Levity, brevity
Locked on, wants to log it, needs to use it to
inform his dreams and his conversations, using
his precious time to get the insight, its part
of the man he is
Relevance of brand
Cleverness of siting
Cleverness/ empathy of execution
30
Breaking into the bubble

• Levity, release
• the sport is taken seriously.and respondents are
  in information gathering mode.
• But they are in and on leisure time sport
  remains fundamentally about entertainment /
  release / relaxation from life.
• As such advertising has to acknowledge this
• and should work to entertain / captivate /
  intrigue
• rather than bombard with minutiae of facts
• Brevity
• readers want detail in their sports column inches
  but not in ads
• e.g. mobile phone packages / mortgage rates etc.
• so much small print - Im not going to bother
  with that
• Vodafone Michael Schumacher ad very powerful if
  used in newspaper sports sections during f1
  season

• Cleverness of execution
• as ever, very clever or very funny ads are likely
  to win over most objections, and humour is
  especially relevant
• to this audience
• to this context it is all about banter, ribbing,
  laughing at each other - John Smiths campaign has
  some highly viable sports executions which could
  happily live within the newspaper
• Empathy of execution emotional intensity
• recognition of the emotional intensity of sport
  within advertising can help to demonstrate
  empathy / understanding.
• mean and moody, complements the editorial - a
  sense of occasion shows its a brand leader and
  keeps it in the minds eye Guinness rugby ad
  particularly strong delivery, also Sure bull ad

31
Breaking into the bubble

• Empathy of execution belong in the bubble
• ie. building a sense that the brand justifiably
  belongs within the bubble / sanctum / community
  that is sports enthusiasts
• it needs to be interesting and striking without
  being intrusive
• not an infiltrator from the outside who has no
  real understanding of how men think or feel while
  digesting sporting news
• they should target firms that would really fit
  with sports they cover - unless a phone company
  is prepared to make a better link in their ads,
  it seems inappropriate
• insensitivity to this sporting mindset is hugely
  counterproductive
• they have to advertise to us as part of the
  sports fraternity - if its totally naff, well
  take no notice of them
• you need something where you can actually get
  involved
• this includes presenting the right men of the
  various men inside each reader he is manly man,
  not effete man when thinking sport
• Gucci sun glasses, Police sun glasses( using
  Beckham), Ben Sherman using Rio Ferdinand, Armani
  and Justin Chambers

• Empathy of execution the collective
• particularly within the tabloid universe,
  newspapers are as much a public as private medium
• talk factor in newspaper / display advertising
  might be a potential opportunity
• as papers / views and features are shared
• ads which work to unite readers interests /
  sense of humour etc. could be capitalised upon
• e.g. John Smiths have it style press
  advertising
• there are a dozen papers lying around at work
  with 300 people passing through and theyre all
  reading the sports pages
• papers sell millions a day - they could do more
  with ads - bold, simple, in your face and
  relevant to sport, especially if theyre funny

32
Breaking into the bubble

• Cleverness of siting
• bespoke advertising
• advertising feels powerful when well thought
  throughAdidas ( Viera), Vodafone Schumacher
• when the brand has clearly invested in an
  execution tailor made to complement the editorial
  / events of stature in sport
• Guinness has taken the trouble to create an
  advert - your attention is always caught if
  people make an extra effort, do something special
  for an event thats important for you
• you accept its not such an intrusion
• particularly apposite for brands which are known
  to be investors in sport
• theyre more entitled to mention their products
  in relation to sport because they give money to
  sport eg Gillette
• editorially relevant advertising
• can be achieved via the visuals or via the
  headline
• picking up on the point of an article was
  impactful and distinctive

• Relevance of brand the man, not just the fan
• readers self -perception and perception of user
  imagery obviously again here brands need not to
  uncomfortably challenge the environment
• also an opportunity to think more broadly about
  the brands that are relevant
• calls for sporting brands are clearly made, and
  offer a natural fit
• but they are not the extent of the possible
• more creative solutions, if executed carefully so
  as not to alienate, may offer more standout
• talk to the man in the fan, who does other
  things except think sport, cars, DIY
• I dont want to be aerodynamic and powerful
  (broadsheet reader, Shepperton)
• but dont make him look like hes a girl when
  hes reading about the rugby brands he buys
  include
• Diesel, Gap, Stella, John Smiths, Nike, FCUK,
  Brylcreem, Vodafone

33
Why National Newspapers?

• Editorial Impact
• Unrivalled, guaranteed environment, offering an
  intense, sociable,
• and stimulating experience
• Clever, relevant creative cuts through and is
  talked about it becomes a part of the bubble
  both leveraging and fueling the readers emotions
• Clever, relevant creative captures the readers
  time offering significant, quality, exposure (
  esp compared to the average 2 mins or so of a TV
  campaign)
• Significant upweight of client campaign in RWC
  editorial
• Greater ROI per Campaign spend
• National Reach, Cover and Frequency
• Geographical distribution of campaign
• Multiple consumer contact points
• Complementary media activity consumption/schedul
  ing
• Paper read pre/post match
• TV during
• Enhances overall campaign cost effectiveness

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)