Reuters TV Releases 4 New Digital Promos, Hoping to Reach a Mobile-First Audience

Reuters TV wants to deliver the news to people who live in a post-broadcast world. With the release of four new promotional spots, the publisher is trying to reach its core audience of smart, young professionals who want to stay informed. The ads won't air on traditional television, because, Reuters said, that's not where the audience is. "The old models of cable television don't suit their needs anymore," said Isaac Showman, managing director of Reuters TV. "They're not watching TV, so why would we advertise there?" Reuters TV, a news broadcast app available for Apple or Android users, offers a variety of methods to stay up-to-date on current, global events. You can select the amount of time you want your broadcast to be and see the most important news clips within that time frame; you can also select a time for your broadcast to automatically download, to prepare you for a commute where you can't connect to the internet. The service also includes breaking news and other live coverage, but contains a personalized touch with customizable aspects. [kickout id="1"] "Whether you want to become socially engaged with the news, or you've seen your friends get fired up about things, or you're unhappy with current affairs," explained Showman, "a powerful way to get started is to get informed about your world." The ads hinge on convincing potential viewers to keep up with their more informed friends, the ones who know what they're marching for. Each promo packs a different message that aims to inform millennials on why Reuters TV is the news delivery service for them. Titled "This Is News," "Take The Time," "Every Day," and "In The Know," the spots use fast-paced music, news clips and imagery of everyday people watching Reuters TV to show potential users how easily this service could fit into their life. "We tried to avoid clichés that most news ads try to tell you," he said. "Most of them [media outlets] fight over who's the truest with the most journalists. If you covered up the logo, you'd never know whose ad it was. We're highlighting the distinctive voice that's true to Reuters TV." It also wants to make the case for a diverse and broad base of information as an organization that prides itself on giving viewers "news straight from the source." [kickout id="2"] "If you look at Twitter, you'll see lots of people who agree with you, probably," he said, referencing the "echo chamber" that plagued the 2016 presidential election in the U.S. "That can be very powerful, but you're missing the breadth of news and the ability to understand other industries, or countries, who don't agree with you." The average Reuters TV user watches for 12 minutes at a time on their phones and visits the app three times a week; viewers who use a system like Apple TV or Roku watch for 22 minutes at a time. Recently, the service reached 1 million monthly viewers. It offers very short commercials between news segments, no more than 20 seconds, that are "beautifully arranged with transitions." The Reuters TV ad load is about 5 percent, while Showman said that traditional television is about 25 percent. "Our hope is for these new spots to speak to the intelligent and young audience that we're already built for," said Showman. [kickout id="3"]