The Nine Upfront revealed the media group’s 2022 plans this week in the first of the TV Upfronts. Nine was first last year too with Seven and 10 not revealing their schedule until mid-October.
See also: The only coverage you need to read – Mediaweek at the Nine 2022 Upfront
To dig a little deeper into the Nine plans and what it means for advertisers, the Mediaweek Studios this week hosted Nine chief sales officer Michael Stephenson and GroupM chief investment officer Seb Rennie.
As to why the early start each year for Nine, Stephenson told the Mediaweek podcast: “We have a good story to tell and we like to tell it nice and early to make sure our advertising partners – agencies and clients – have plenty of time before they start making some very important decisions about how they invest their money in the following year.
“2022 will be an absolute belter of a year for advertising”
“We talk about the marketing platform we have created across television obviously and increasingly across our live streaming and on-demand platform 9Now plus radio, publishing and of course the introduction of regional TV.
“There’s a lot of news and some exciting times ahead for us.”
Stephenson explained how Nine had accelerated the transition to become a more digital company. “We have a story to tell about being deeply rooted in content, but powered by data and technology. They are the three things you need to be a successful media company. It’s clearly very important for brands, because that is what powers campaigns.”
When asked about how critical it is to hear from a broadcaster and publisher at an upfront event, Rennie told Mediaweek: “The Upfronts are a great opportunity to let us know what’s going on over the next 12 months. It’s hard to argue about the importance of content, data and technology being big parts of what we and our clients want to lean into.
“The path Nine has been on over the past few years has been a positive one”
“The Upfront is an opportunity to go a little bit deeper into each of those pillars. This year we are expecting to hear more about evolution than revolution because the path Nine has been on over the past few years has been a positive one.”
Stephenson wasn’t shy about a forecast for the year ahead: “I think 2022 will be an absolute belter of a year for advertising. Big brands continue to advertise to build their brand and smaller retail brands will return to the market across all of the platforms we operate in. There is a real opportunity for brands and agencies to change the game and I can’t wait to see who does.”
While Nine competes hard for dollars against Seven and 10, there is some love for them too. Stephenson: “We are all fierce competitors, but I have an incredible amount of respect for all the people we compete against day in, day out. They are only one section of the market. When you think about total television, which is a large part of our future, in that marketplace we don’t compete against Seven and 10. We open our business up into the broader digital video market.”
As to judging where the advertiser’s spend goes, Rennie said it depends on the advertiser’s needs.
“What are they trying to achieve and what audiences are they trying to reach. We build strategies that allow us to execute on that. The content slate is important and we want to make sure there is consistency for advertisers who are on air all the way through the year. And also for those in the market for only a brief period of time. There is a lot that goes into the decision making behind what share is awarded.
“The price that we have to pay is a hot topic for advertisers and something that Michael and I spend a lot of time talking about.”
Stephenson interjected: “And Seb normally wins.”
Listen to the full unedited Mediaweek podcast here.
Also available on the LiSTNR app or on your favourite podcast platform
Plus Stephenson and Rennie also talk about Nine’s ratings
• How does Nine manage to predict its ratings so accurately?
• Nine’s move to total TV, how will it compete against Seven’s regional strength?
• How important are the big hits shows to advertisers if the audiences are guaranteed?
“Those shows are the ones consumers connect with and they offer integration opportunities,” said Rennie.