CBS's Radha Subramanyam Clarifies Today's Complex Data-Driven Ecosystem

Creating Content for an Evolving AudienceSubramanyam helms CBS Research at a time when the parameters of television are rapidly changing and expanding Video transcends platforms and inhabits new devices audiences are shifting traditional habits and developing new behaviors and purchasing patterns and data tracks it all unleashing a torrent of information that is at once illuminating and confusing How do we best use data to form a full storyline of the viewer and their journeyAccording to Subramanyam TV still reigns supreme as one of the most popular content platforms quotIt is front and center in people39s livesquot she says quotThere are more shows being produced today than ever before and people are consuming more hours of quality content and premium video than they ever havequotThis programming bounty is resulting in more hours spent on media and accelerating the speed with which viewers conveniently fit more video into their day quotThe acceleration of timeshifting continues Consumers watch what they want when they wantquot Subramanyam explains adding that this is leading to a rise in OTT and other platform options quotPlayers are coming in and out It continues to evolve rapidlyquotIn response to the intense need for quality content across the ecosystem CBS is producing plenty of premium content for its own properties while also developing and producing hit shows for other networks and the major streaming service quotCBS is producing 94 shows today up 20 percent from last year and 120 percent from five years agoquot she saysEvolving Research to Maintain Programming DominanceWhen it comes to the primary focal point of any initiative quotit always starts with contentquot Subramanyam says quotbecause without great content you have nothingquotBut content alone is not enough she notes You also need insightful research that will reveal the network39s challenges and opportunities strengths and weaknesses Under Subramanyam39s leadership CBS is among the first to blend big data new technology and traditional research to to complement the development of new showsquotWe have always had a great legacy and investment in insights around content specifically testing around shows and other forms of creative That remains a top priorityquot she says quotWe also use every possible classic research techniquequot from dial testing to focus groups and neuroscience quotand we are allin on artificial intelligence and machine learningquotConducting Marketing Research to Understand AttributionIn addition to being a program creator CBS is also a marketing organization and Subramanyam39s department conducts a range of marketing research projects quotWe are doubling down in a way that we have never done before to understand our campaigns across TV digital and socialquot she explains quotAnd we39re generating attribution not just for our clients and partners but also for ourselves in our own marketing campaignsquot Her work in marketing extends to insights from datadriven ad sales campaigns as wellSubramanyam39s department measures more than the spots and dots of advertising Ad creative is also an important consideration quotWe know that without great creative and great spots we won39t have great resultsquot she says quotSo we AB and ABC test all of our spots all of the time We optimize the creative with clientsquot From there it is possible to measure the KPIs such as awareness and intent to view Subramanyam believes that by tweaking creative brands can understand the immediate impact of an ad or campaignMaximizing Content Success by the PlatformIs content platformspecific For Subramanyam some rules apply across all great shows quotYou need great characters strong narrative arcs and great talentquot she asserts But there are differences between networks where one show will resonate on one network and not on another quotwhich may require brandlevel tweakingquotThat is within the premium video space Outside of premium video such as in digital and social there has to be a different set of attributes according to the platform quotIndividual talent needs to speak differently on Twitter versus Facebook versus Instagramquot Subramanyam says quotAnd we use data to suggest what works best for what platformquotAdvice for the Next GenerationSubramanyam and I share a similar outlook regarding a career in research We both highly recommend it to today39s college students quotI find it deeply fulfilling as a profession and it is an honor and a privilege to represent the actual customer to a brand and be a voice for that customerquot she explainsWhat we both love is that research today is creative and scientific using both sides of the brain Plus quotyou have to be extremely nimble be willing to change and coursecorrect as needed and always be open to learning radically new skillsquot Subramanyam advisesHer parting words to today39s college students quotIf that sounds like you the world is your oyster We will need far more analytics and insights professionals in the future than we need todayquotClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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CBS's Radha Subramanyam Clarifies Today's Complex Data-Driven Ecosystem

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CBS's Radha Subramanyam Clarifies Today's Complex Data-Driven Ecosystem

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