Press release from SBS
SBS today announced a new focus on audience engagement through the
establishment of an Engagement marketing team and two new appointments.
The changes will expand the broadcaster’s marketing capabilities through direct and
social media channels.
With the establishment of the Engagement marketing team, direct marketing and new
and social media activity will be joined within SBS marketing for the first time, providing
a better synergy between current direct marketing initiatives and new social media
activities such as Facebook and Twitter.
SBS Marketing Director Jacquie Riddell said: “Direct marketing and new and social
media channels are critical tools for establishing better connections with our
sophisticated and diverse audiences.
“We are building communities of interest around content, and SBS’s new specialised
Engagement team will allow us to further develop and maintain these relationships.”
In the year since launch, SBS has grown its database of interested audiences by 275
per cent and has delivered more than two million targeted emails around major content
areas including news and current affairs, documentaries, food, entertainment and
sport, particularly the Tour de France and football.
Through its already robust and fast-growing CRM system, the engagement team will
continue to improve SBS’s direct marketing communications.
The team will also build communities of audiences in relevant social media channels
and capture demographic and other information that will further increase direct
marketing activity.
Its following on Facebook and Twitter around such programs as Insight with Jenny
Brockie has soared in the past three months. The Insight community on Twitter has
grown from a standing start to over 1000 followers in that period, at one point attracting
300 new twitterers in the hour.
“Audiences are looking to use online tools to engage with SBS content and Insight’s
audience is a great example,” said Jacquie Riddell. “Traditional audiences are joining
Twitter to continue the debate begun on television.”
Convergent Media specialist Aisha Hillary joins SBS full time from a previous SBS
marketing advisory role. She has over 10 years’ experience in consumer marketing
strategy and promotions in Australia and the UK and is currently completing a Masters
degree in convergent media.
CRM specialist Andy Miller joins SBS from triple j, where he managed digital marketing
initiatives including creating and managing online and offline communities. He was
instrumental in growing the broadcaster’s Facebook community from 3,000 to 70,000 in
under one year. At SBS, Miller will take responsibility for growing SBS’s direct to
audience communication via its CRM system.
The new division will be led by Communications Manager, Engagement, Ellis Neil.