CNN Targeting Younger Viewers To Attract New Advertisers

By Alex Weprin 

It is hardly a secret that cable news viewership skews old… sometimes very old. While viewers 55+ can goose total viewer numbers, the bottom line is that aside from somewhat shady gold dealers and certain male-enhancement pills, most advertisers prefer younger viewers. The TV news “key demo” is adults 25-54,” while most of the rest of TV sells adults 18-49.

According to Variety‘s Brian Steinberg, CNN is hoping to attract new advertisers for programs that it think will skew younger than its competitors. “Parts Unknown” is already vastly younger than msot cable news programs, and the network expect the same of “Inside Man” and the doc “Girl Rising.”

The subject matter drew ad dollars from Procter & Gamble’s Always feminine-hygeine products. Procter has advertised on CNN before, but this product had not, according to D’Alba. Likewise, MillerCoors has used the Bourdain program –centered on travel and food – to promote Leinenkugal, a craft wheat beer. The advertiser had not appeared on CNN in some time, D’Alba said.

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“We are looking for more travel-related revenue. We are looking for more automotive, especially younger-skewing automotive, as well as the beverage categories,” D’Alba said.

Reading between the lines, don’t be surprised if CNN adds another travel program or two to its lineup at some point.

Then there is the new morning show “New Day,” which will have some sponsorship integration at launch from insurance company Allstate:

On TV, Allstate will sponsor a recurring “New Day” segment called “5 Things You Need To Know,” complete with a video “billboard” telling viewers the insurance company is the sponsor and a first-in-ad-break placement for its commercial. At CNN.com, Allstate will get a place in a “morning bar” underneath the masthead, where it will appear after the TV segment. Users will get to see the “five things” mentioned on “New Day” – but also a sixth element that will actually be content from Allstate.

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