Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase





2021 | |

Weather Sync to Drive Usage On Demand and On the GO

Advertiser: Astro - MEASAT BROADCAST NETWORK SYSTEM SDN BHD
Brand: Astro Corporate
Creative Agency: IPG Mediabrands, Ensemble
Credits: -

199_FINALIST_EC3_ASTRO_WEATHERSYNC REC

Objective & Challenge
Astro has pioneered the Television content space and is the leading content provider in Malaysia for years. To exceed their users’ expectations, innovation had to be embraced, leading to the development of On Demand ser vices and streaming apps like Astro Go These features aim to enhance the viewers’ experience beyond the limit of Television. With On Demand Astro Go feature being offered to Astro Subscribers, the viewer can access Astro’s library to enjoy up to 60,000 content title and they are also able to enjoy content anytime and anywhere on the go. All they have to do is to connect their PVR & Ultra Box to the Internet or they could opt to link their Astro GO account to enjoy their favourite shows anywhere However, over the years Astro’s name had also developed an undesired reputation when it comes to rainy weather and the quality of connectivity on linear TV. This led the users to associate rainy weather with poor streaming quality. A notion that has plagued its users until this day. Nonetheless , Astro has been developing a singular overarching message that showcases the value these features can offer, but customers are still very much stuck to the perception of old habit that Astro is only accessible via linear Television and there were still people who are unaware that they can access on demand and Astro Go App. Hence Astro wanted to reconnect and enlighten their audience by creating a campaign that educates their users on how their content is streamable on many platforms with no additional charges and better convenience.

Insight & Strategy
INSIGHT: Content cravers in Malaysia seek a variety of entertainment that can evoke different emotions and experiences, anytime and anywhere. Moreover, Astro is a brand that can deliver a wide range of quality content to viewers across multiple platforms. Ranging from linear (Television) to Video On Demand, and Astro GO. However, alternative streaming services have changed the younger generation’s digital streaming behavior. Whereby they are consuming more content online and with aggressive offerings It was becoming evident that Astro content cravers have overlooked what Astro can offer over time. So, Astro had to share a clear message that highlights the benefit of the On Demand feature to tackles the notion rainy weather equals poor streaming quality and their users can stream their content regardless of the weather conditions. STRATEGY: We found an opportunity to bridge the gap between the notion in users’ minds about Astro’s brand and Astro’s new value proposition, whereby to reinforce a clear message that customers can enjoy Astro’s content On Channel, On Demand, and On The GO. Astro customers need to feel an emotional connection with the brand. In a way that delivers their USPs in a singular distinctive brand voice to start a dialog with Astro users and change the poor connection that was associated with the rainy weather narrative by focusing on all the ways Astro is adding value into their lives, which allows them to enjoy a variety of content anytime anywhere. Turning problem into a solution by leveraging on Weather Sync technology to present the real value Astro On Demand and Astro Go can offer. IDEA: Taking the weather head on by blending technology to leverage on real time weather detection triggers to reach and speak to the audience with relevant messaging in an intuitive way. Rain or Shine you can stream on.

Execution
There are different ways Astro Subscribers are able to enjoy Astro’s services, and to make sure Astro were able to get a grip of different moment, we partnered with a marketing technology solution provider to boost Astro’s social media efforts with Weather Sync technology to deliver relevant message on all platforms that taps into the users’ emotions. The campaign effort targeted mostly Klang Valley as most Astro users resides within this area. The campaign was heavily focused on changing the undesired notion circulating among its users through creating relevant messages that showcase the different ways you can watch Astro and not be constrained by the weather conditions. With this we introduce this refined idea that Astro is accessible and available beyond the traditional linear streaming method. The campaign targeted both rainy and sunny weather days. With messaging like, “Time to cuddle up and enjoy your favorite shows with video on demand.” for rainy days. Whereas “Can’t handle the heat? Stay in and stream everything under the sun with Astro GO.” for sunny days. From here once the system detects the weather changes within the Klang Valley, it will activate our campaign and trigger our ad to appear to audience who are scrolling through their social media feed with relevant messaging to get audience to connect their On Demand Ser vice and to link their Astro GO account.

Effectiveness
Overall, the campaign performed successfully due to the creative alignment with the weather triggers, thus increasing the engagement and interaction with the ad. The total campaign achieved 3 times more engagement above our benchmark of 1% with the rain version achieving 5 times more engagement. Aside from engagement on the ad, there was a 33% increase in new linking account during the campaign period, which indicates that Astro Customers were linking their Astro account to access the Astro Go app. Apart from new link users, there was also an incremental change in terms of the weekly active user on the Astro GO app and On Demand. To sum up, with the help of weather sync technology it assisted Astro to seal in the factor that you can watch Astro in so many ways even when it is raining. Astro Subscribers can enjoy watching content on Astro anytime anywhere On Channel, On Demand and On The Go.