USE CASE

AGENCY:	Science and Magic
ROLE:	Principal Consultant, Account Lead
TEAM:	WTTS Programming & Promotions, Andrew Gouty
TECH:	WordPress, Goodbarber,Spotify,ADOBE CLOUD

Audience development CONSULTING - EXPERIENCE ENGINEERING FOR broadcast, MOBILE, WEBSITE, streaming, podcast, social media

SITUATION

One of the last independently owned and operated rock stations in the country, 92.3 WTTS, was operating with a ten year old website, and a mobile app that was barely functional. With more and more audience moving to streaming media outlets like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and other similar services, it was time to help WTTS evolve itself beyond being just a radio station to become a music experience delivery company. WTTS engaged my prior firm, Science and Magic (acquired) to develop and execute a strategy.

SOLUTION

We led the Programming team through strategic planning, and helped re-orient their perception of their competitor set to be not other radio stations, but streaming services. Based on this, we re-imagined the WTTS website as an artist-centric web magazine for exclusive content about national artists, and rebuilt their mobile presence from the ground up – all in the middle of of a global pandemic where no live music was happening, and no one was driving in their cars listening to the radio on their way to work.

OUTCOME

Our recommendations around experience delivery, audience and content, and marketing lead the station to the highest ratings it has ever achieved in its three-decade history, including being in the top three stations M-Su 6a-12M for A25-54, a second place PM Drive finish and 4th place Mid-days finish. The station established a 6.5 share 12+. Their prior record was a 3.8. Each 12+ share point is worth approximately a million dollars in revenue, using rough industry estimation to put this into a dollars and cents perspective for value delivery.

A COMPLETELY REIMAGINED EXPERIENCE

Laura Duncan, Program Director

“THE TEAM AT SCIENCE & MAGIC HELPED TRANSFORM OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM. THEIR DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIGITAL PATH SPECIFIC TO WTTS HAS CATAPULTED OUR DIGITAL CONTENT TO A HEIGHTENED LEVEL NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED. THE STRATEGY THAT WTTS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SCIENCE & MAGIC HAS ALIGNED PERFECTLY WITH OUR BRAND. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PATIENCE IN EXPLANATION IS UNMATCHED. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”

CHANNEL OUTCOMES

Facebook – up 65 % in the 120 days after launch, with a reach of 637,678 65% 65%
Instagram – 10,552, up 248% in the 120 days after launch 248% 248%
YouTube – doubled views in the 120 days after launch to nearly 2MM views 100% 100%
Podcast – had over 1,200 plays in the first 120 days after launch 100% 100%
WTTS Stream – increased by 25,000 to nearly 100,000 streams / mo in the 120 days after launch 34% 34%
Mobile Apps – more than 327k views across 5,300+ users, first 120 days 78% 78%

PROGRAMMATIC OTT

MOBILE-FIRST

Competing with Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and other streaming services meant developing an entirely new strategy for mobile, and new mobile experiences – including native iOS and Android apps, a Progressive Web App, a mobile-optimized responsive website, and developing capabilities for push, text, geofencing, and more.

Not only did we rebuild their entire mobile infrastructure, we created videos to promote it both online, and on targeted OTT (over the top) television buys for the brand, and for the app.

We focused on both building a set of unique and valuable digital and mobile experiences that existing P1 (first-preference) listeners (from the “customer” to the “referral” stage) would appreciate and find useful. Then we used programmatic OTT television to surgically target P2 and P3 listeners and other highly likely audiences using preferences and behaviors, as well as other targeting tactics, to showcase these new experiences and drive awareness, establish perceptions, and drive trial listening in both new and existing channels for the radio station.