Challenge
To support the latest installment of a romantic reality television show entering its 17th season, TVadSync collaborated with one of their most valued agency partners to deliver both media activation and advanced analytics. Building on the successful work together across previous seasons, the team aimed to apply key learnings from prior campaigns to maximize performance for Season 17. Media efforts for Seasons 15 and 16 had delivered strong results, with Tune-In Lifts of 70% and 77% respectively. For Season 17, the objective was to build on this momentum by re-engaging lapsed viewers and expanding the audience, capitalizing on the cultural relevance of the show and its consistency in delivering drama for its audience.
Strategy
To maintain momentum across the season, the media campaign was structured into three distinct flights promoting tune-ins to Episodes 1 & 2, 7 & 8, and 13 & 14, focusing on episodes which had the most buzz around them. Drawing on learnings from previous seasons, the agency and TVadSync developed 13 custom audiences to target, focusing on the most cost-effective tactics for driving Tune-Ins. Priority was given to reaching viewers of competitive shows on other networks, audiences of sister networks, and individuals showing strong online interest in similar content. Digital media ran across Display and Online Video (OLV), with a 2:1 impression split favoring Display to maximize reach and efficiency.
To measure performance over the campaign’s lifetime, the agency leveraged TVadSync’s Smart Insights platform. Throughout the campaign, TVadSync tracked ad exposures across channels and applied multi-touch attribution to understand the true impact of each media touchpoint. Advanced causal modeling quantified incremental lift and cost per Tune-In, delivering clear, actionable insights that can inform media planning and audience strategy for future seasons.
Results:
Season 17 delivered an overall Tune-In Lift of 78%, surpassing the strong performance of Seasons 15 (70%) and 16 (77%). This improvement was driven by a greater emphasis on TV viewership and online behavior, as well as expanded use of TVadSync’s custom audience segments. The campaign’s top-performing tactics included:
| Tactic | Tune-In Lift | Cost per Tune-In |
| Cross Channel | 117.5% | $0.53 |
| On-Air Showlist | 112.1% | $0.59 |
| Showpage Visitors | 90.3% | $0.43 |
- Cross Channel: Targeting viewers of similar content on sister networks
- On-Air Showlist: Targeting viewers of programming on the same network
- Showpage Visitors: Targeting visitors to the TV Show website
Building on insights from prior seasons, the team doubled down on Online Video (OLV), which outperformed Display with an 80.5% Tune-In Lift vs. 75.7%. While the overall CPTI of $0.72 was slightly higher than Season 16, the increased investment in OLV helped drive stronger lift among more targeted audiences.
At the end of the campaign, TVadSync’s Smart Tribe report uncovered content preferences among the show’s viewers. Notably, fans of the show were over 10x more likely to watch a similar show on ABC network and showed a strong affinity for romantic comedies like 27 Dresses. These insights provided the agency and the TV Network with strategic guidance for future audience targeting and content alignment.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, this case study highlights the pivotal role of analytics in powering media campaigns. By leveraging the insights of previous campaigns, TVadSync and their agency partner successfully applied key learnings to drive higher tune-in lifts, demonstrating the value of data-driven decision-making in optimizing campaign performance. Moreover, the success of the Season 17 media campaign underscores the importance of continually refining audience segments to better understand the unique composition and preferences of each show’s audience. This case-by-case approach allows for tailored messaging and strategies that resonate more effectively with viewers, ultimately enhancing the overall impact of the campaign.
If you’re interested in learning more about how TVadSync can drive similar results for your brand, please reach out to us at [email protected]