Marketing: The State of Viewership
The Challenge
The State of Viewership is Samba’s first attempt at establishing an industry-leading report on the health of the TV industry.
We had two goals visually: hook potential viewers with stunning visuals and let the data speak for itself.
We wanted to speak to the excitement of TV and our technology diving deep into TV data.
To do so, we juxtaposed larger-than-life TV moments: superheroes, sports superstars, movies, and series’ iconic moments with macro shots of the television screen.
On the other hand, we let the data shine on its own: charts are unencumbered, uncover insights, and tell stories on their own.
Because the news cycle moves so fast, we only have a week to build more than 60 pages of charts, visuals, and content once the data comes in. These reports have been the ultimate exercise in how to optimize and templatize every aspect of the project.
The exclusive nature of our data needed to be represented well through our choice of data visualization.
Dayparts are a unique capability of Samba, and we wanted that dataset to stand out. Instead of using clocks or icons, we decided to use a more spectacular metaphor and represent how skies look during each daypart. As a result, the chart is visually arresting, easier to comprehend, and ultimately more engaging.
The data science team and I tested dozens of color schemes and developed a map system on Python and Excel to accelerate the production of custom maps, cutting the time needed to produce them by 80%.
Demographics are usually represented either as a pie chart or a bar chart, which gets tricky if you compare multiple series. Histograms helped us tell a better story and let the reader understand and grasp the slight variations in demographics.
The templatized nature of the reports helped us incrementally improve the quality of the reports, and our visual representation of Samba TV's data. We were able to move at light speed on the traditional charts, and carve enough time under the deadlines to push forward when we felt we needed to. The combination of unique insights, forward-thinking design and content, and aggressive marketing paid off: every report Samba puts out each quarter generate hundreds of leads. The reports help Samba generate more revenue and solidify its place as a leader in TV insights.
There are so many ways I can compliment Julien's work, but if I had to highlight one thing, it would be his ability to thrive under pressure. Julien's calm demeanor and sense of humor helped us make it through crazy deadlines and near-impossible projects in an extremely fast-paced environment. On top of that, not only did we deliver in time, but the work has always been superb. We've had nothing but fantastic feedback on the State of Viewership reports we have delivered for the past year, and without Julien, they would not exist. I'd work with him in a heartbeat.
