Case Study: How MediaCom Got Cycling Fans To Switch From SBS to Foxtel’s Eurosport
MediaCom was hit up by Foxtel and Eurosport with a task of finding more people to watch cycling, and not just tune into the free coverage of SBS’ Tour De France. In this case study, MediaCom examines how it got cycling fanatics to change channels.
For the keen cycling fans, Eurosport, which is available on Foxtel in Australia, has the most comprehensive coverage of cycling on TV.
Foxtel and Eurosport together wanted to use this depth of coverage to get more people watching the channel. The problem is that for the majority of Australia’s 1.3m armchair cycling fans, competitive cycling starts and ends with the Tour De France – available free on SBS and for many that is enough.
Eurosport currently shows the other two “grand tours” live and uninterrupted, including the gruelling Vuelta a Espana (the Spanish Tour), but this depth didn’t appeal to the majority of the target market.
Objectives
The key business objective was challenging. MediaCom was tasked with increasing cumulative reach by 25% year-on-year. However, where and how were they going to achieve that kind of growth?
The team set out to identify an audience that Eurosport’s Vuelta coverage would resonate with, and to find a way to cut through – all on a limited budget of just $50,000.
Initially they looked at those Australians currently watching cycling on TV. This revealed an opportunity: the most reliable predictor of someone being open to the in-depth proposition (as opposed to the marquee headline events on SBS) was actually cycling itself; broadly, the more you cycle, the more cycling you want to watch.
MediaCom defined the target audience as “hardcore cyclists”. They turned their back on the 1.3m armchair fans that tune into Le Tour every year, and focused instead on the fanatical audience comprising of just 313,000 Australians, for whom cycling is their number one passion. They cycle regularly and are influential within their cycling networks.
The task was clear. How could they get closer to this elusive and influential group, and use the Vuelta a Espana to prove Eurosport on Foxtel has more live coverage than SBS to encourage them to make the switch?
Campaign
Conventional wisdom would dictate a contextual media plan of carefully-targeted magazine and digital placements, but they’d previously found this approach lacked the efficiency the small budget demanded and wastage was a huge problem they needed to avoid on their limited budget. $50k would be enough to secure a page in each of the specialist cycling magazines supported by a few hundred thousand impressions online.
Therefore, it was agreed that earned media would form the foundation of their approach.
Talking to the cycling fanatics, it became clear that cycling, as a sport or hobby, is profoundly social. From arranging weekend cycles, to gaining bragging rights for the smashing of a personal best, the value of cycling to this group was about so much more than just what happened on the road. It was a truly shared experience.
They had to find a role for Eurosport within the cycling conversations that mattered. So they used a combination of social, mobile, digital content partnerships and on-ground activation to become part of the conversations that mattered, mobilise key influencers and cut-through to this uniquely passionate audience.
This was all about getting the audience thinking about the races they can’t watch on SBS. The highest profile of these and the race with the most passionate following was the formidable Vuelta a Espana.
It was decided that they would use the Vuelta to start the conversation. More than anything, the Vuelta is a climber’s race. Climbing is shorthand for the ultimate passion, sacrifice and commitment to the sport, so to bring this to life they created the Vuelta-Skelta; challenging Australia’s cycling community to match the climbs the peloton endure in the real race. This would mean a climb of 7,136 meters for each cyclist, in just fifteen days.
To kick off the dialogue Eurosport partnered with Australia’s most influential cycling blog, Cycling Tips. This allowed them to call out the nation’s weekend warriors and drive word-of-mouth about the gruelling challenge being set.
The next step was to find a way to follow how cyclists would track against the challenge. Using Strava, the cycling GPS application, they built and populated a live leader-board of meters climbed. Cyclists were encouraged to post updates about the challenge across their forums and social networks using the hashtag #vueltaskelta.
This allowed the team to start thousands of conversations about Eurosport’s in-depth cycling coverage, but more was required. They wanted to find a way to reach the cyclists out on their Sunday ride and get them talking on social media about the Vuelta-Skelta.
From their research, they found out that cyclists rode predominantly in rural areas. Cyclists just couldn’t wait to get out of the suburbs at the weekend. This meant, however, there were no good places to stop and socialise, mid-ride. To give the cyclists a lift on their challenge and a place to share their Vuelta-Skelta experiences, they positioned Eurosport branded coffee carts along key cycling routes across Australia.
Results
The Vuelta-Skelta set Australia’s cycling fanatics abuzz.
Nearly ten-thousand cyclists entered the challenge, and together they climbed a combined (and exhausting) 52 million vertical meters (48% higher than the target) – every millimetre of which was discussed, shared and enjoyed on social media.
Weekend warriors across Australia discussed the challenge over 1,024 Eurosport branded coffees, whilst Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were humming with just under a million social impressions around the unique #vueltaskelta hashtag.
The Vuelta-Skelta campaign for Eurosport delivered a cumulative audience of 756,000, up from 530,000 year-on-year. This represented a rise of 42% – which smashed the 25% target. There was no other promotional activity over the campaign period and no changes to broadcasting rights that would have influenced this increase in any other way.
The $50k Vuelta-Skelta content strategy devised by MediaCom has earned Eurosport the right to start thousands of conversations around its superior cycling coverage and has encouraged many fans to make the switch from SBS.
Please login with linkedin to comment
agency Fetch TV gina rinehart Jacob's Creek personalised ads SportLatest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.