• by Jack Myers , October 26, 2007

Among 103 emerging television networks measured in the recent Myers Emotional Connections^TM Study of 8,000 Americans surveyed on their perceptions and attitudes towards media, regional network Plum TV and Gospel Music Channel, along with Spanish-audience targeted Voy Network, are leaders in capturing the hearts of their viewers and delivering greater value to their advertisers.

Plum TV and Gospel Music are in a virtual dead heat, with Plum ranking first overall by a nose, in the aggregated average of the five measures of emotional connection developed by Myers over the seven years it has been developing the methodology.

Each of the 103 emerging networks included in the report are rated on a one to seven scale by their viewers for each of the following attributes:
o I frequently watch this network
o This network is relevant to me and reflects my TV viewing interest.
o Once I tune into this network, I stay tuned without skipping commercials
o When I see advertising on this network, I consider it a recommendation and am
more likely to consider purchasing the product or service being offered.
o I value this network enough to pay a special fee to watch it whenever I want.

In the category "consider advertising a recommendation," Plum TV ranks first, Voy Network second, TVG Interactive Horseracing third, The Africa Channel fourth, Gospel fifth and on-demand offering Ripe TV sixth. Plum, Gospel, Voy and TVG IH rank first through fourth for staying "tuned without skipping commercials." Gospel Music ranks first for "relevance" and "frequently view." While many of the 103 emerging channels are generally unfamiliar to the mass of Americans, it is clear that among their smaller audience base there is tremendous loyalty that translates into increased advertising attentiveness and effectiveness. Networks targeting Latino viewers achieve impressive emotional connections with their audiences.

There are also surprises in the study results that are logical when reviewed in the context of the networks' programming. For example, ExpoTV, which provides in-depth product content and consumer reviews, ranks seventh among all emerging networks for "consider advertising a recommendation and am more likely to purchase." ExpoTV also ranks fifth for "value the network enough to pay a special fee." Voy ranks first, Plum TV second, TVG Interactive Horseracing third and Hispanic sports channel Gol TV fourth in the on-demand value category.

Plum TV founder Tom Scott, who also founded Nantucket Nectars, said that the network has "a lot of parallel evidence that validates the network's success in the Myers study." Plum TV delivers locally produced and focused content in upscale resort communities including Nantucket, the Hamptons, Aspen, Martha's Vineyard, Sun Valley, Telluride and Vail, and has recently expanded to Miami, reaching 14 million people total (although a deal was recently struck with Cablevision to deliver Plum to 2.5 million households throughout the New York City area, and the network is available on-demand via Comcast in New England and Denver).

At Nantucket Nectars, Scott recalls, "I stood behind tables and gave away juice samples. I had hands-on experience with emotional connections...and we all work to connect in the same personal way with our audiences. So it's no surprise we perform well in the Myers study; we constantly receive positive responses from our viewers and we see local information, but this is the first time I've seen hard national data behind it."

Scott advises, "We broadcast in the traditional sense in a few small geographic areas that serve lots of people who love these places. It's one degree marketing; viewers know the people we're covering and they love the place. We obviously get a bunch of benefits -- and among them, reaching people when they are on vacation. People who don't relax are relaxed. The super-busy are relaxing. Our content is tied to places they are passionate about and we develop customized local advertising for our sponsors," which include Porsche, American Express, Land Shark Beer and Volkswagen.

"We deliver viewers who are in a mind frame to embrace the advertisers, who are supporting something they love in a place they love," Scott says. He points to a targeted Amex commercial that localizes the "My Card. My Life." campaign to Aspen. "If you're NBC, you need broad reach. For us, these are our markets and we cover local events, feature local personalities, and there is a face-to-face component we offer."

Scott reports, "Plum will continue to look for geographic expansion, but we don't need it to grow our business. We can grow digitally in an exponential fashion." Plum TV recently received an infusion of $20 million from investors including former Viacom CEO Tom Freston, Richard Branson and Jimmy Buffet.

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