NextGen TV Consumer Awareness Holiday Campaign Launching to Educate Viewers, Promote Sales of NextGen TV Receivers

Posted on December 3, 2020 in ATSC News

New Consumer Website WatchNextGenTV.com Offers Comprehensive Channel Listings, Purchase Guide for NEXTGEN TV Sets

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (November 16, 2020) – With a planned multimillion dollar on-air and online awareness campaign scheduled for over the holidays and into early January, Pearl TV  and its Phoenix Model Market Partners today announced that it is coordinating a multimarket consumer awareness campaign with local broadcasters who are now transmitting in NEXTGEN TV.  The new NEXTGEN TV service is already on the air in more than a dozen cities, and the Pearl TV business group of broadcasters is working with TV manufacturers to introduce the new service and its capabilities together to drive receiver sales and to raise consumer awareness of the NEXTGEN TV mark.

“Almost every week, we’re seeing stations sign on with NEXTGEN TV channels, adding a whole new dimension to TV viewing with brilliant video and new audio experiences like Voice +, one of many features of the new Dolby Audio system.  We’ve been working to help stations transition and now we’re bringing to select markets a new brand campaign that stations will promote on-air and through their online channels. We’ve produced spectacular new TV spots that introduce that capabilities of NEXTGEN TV, and we’ve launched a consumer-friendly website that will help viewers identify the channels transmitting in NEXTGEN TV and the right models to purchase from our consumer technology partners LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony,” said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, which counts more than 750 stations in the Pearl membership.

“This initial effort is all about awareness, and we’ll be testing how these messages reach consumers.  Buyers of NEXTGEN TV sets will want to know more about the benefits of owning one of more than 20 new sets from LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony that are now at retail and available soon.  We want consumers to understand that the NEXTGEN TV experience from local stations will be getting better and better, as more functions and features are added down the road.  Based on feedback from this initial campaign, we will refine our messaging and push ahead to extend our efforts later in 2021 as new NEXTGEN TV models and manufacturers are introduced,” Schelle explained.

The NEXTGEN TV television advertisements were developed by Hothouse, an Atlanta-based, integrated marketing agency with more than two decades of history launching new entertainment TV platforms, brands, and programming priorities.  Hothouse developed the campaign to introduce and solidify NEXTGEN TV’s value proposition to consumers who are seeking to experience the next generation of TV.

“Immerse yourself in stunning video with brilliant color, sharper images and deeper contrast that will make you feel like you’re really there. Feel the power of movie theater-quality sound that lets you hear every voice clearly and offers consistent volume across channels. NEXTGEN TV is enhanced with Internet Content to get the most out of live sports, live news, live events and more, in real time,” explains the TV spot that will begin airing in selected markets at the end of this month.  LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony are launching more than 20 NEXTGEN TV models this year.

First Promotion of NEXTGEN TV Brand

“We appreciate the support of broadcasters on this initial campaign. CTA established the NEXTGEN TV mark to indicate a product’s conformance with NEXTGEN TV testing standards and requirements. At CES® 2020, companies unveiled a number of new products optimized for the NEXTGEN TV standard. Now, consumers can simply look for the NEXTGEN TV logo as they shop for new TVs – an easy way to make sure their televisions can deliver all the benefits of NEXTGEN TV,” said Brian Markwalter, senior vice president, research & standards, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®.

The campaign includes three elements:  On-air advertising with market-customized TV spots that showcase NEXTGEN TV’s capabilities and retail availability, a consumer website that highlights cities with a number of stations already on-air and links to NEXTGEN TV-equipped receivers, and online promotions executed by individual stations in each target market that will encourage consumers to learn more.

Key Messages of Campaign

The “Future of Television” campaign highlights the capabilities of NEXTGEN TV.  By merging over-the-air TV with the Internet, NEXTGEN TV is going to change the way viewers watch live broadcast television.  Stations can now personalize their news, sports, live events and shows with interactive features that give viewers the content most relevant to them. NEXTGEN TV is a feature built into select new TVs. NEXTGEN TV is designed to be upgradable so your television advances with the latest technology.   With NEXTGEN TV, viewers can get:

• Stunning 4K, High Dynamic Range video
• Movie theater quality sound
• Added voice clarity with Dolby audio system Voice +
• Consistent volume across programs and channels
• Enhanced Internet Content on demand

Features available on NEXTGEN TV will vary by device and by broadcaster as commercial service becomes available in local markets.

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About Pearl TV:

Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry.  Pearl’s membership, comprising more than 750 TV stations, includes nine of the largest broadcast companies in America: Cox Media Group, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, and TEGNA, Inc.

About the Phoenix Model Market:
The Phoenix Model Market is a collaborative effort with a dozen Phoenix, Arizona TV broadcasters who are launching next-gen TV service marketwide, as a model for the TV industry.  Participating TV groups and stations in the Phoenix Model Market include: Arizona State University’s Arizona PBS (KAET), Arizona Television’s KAZT Channel 7 (Independent),  Fox Television Stations’ KSAZ (Fox) and KUTP (MyTV), Meredith’s KPHO (CBS) and KTVK (Independent), E.W. Scripps’ KNXV (ABC) and KASW (CW), Telemundo Station Group’s KTAZ (Telemundo), TEGNA’s KPNX (NBC), and Univision’s KFPH-CD (UniMas) and KTVW (Univision).

Media Contact:
Dave Arland
(317) 701-0084
Dave@Arlandcom.com

Posted in ATSC News