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NBC Was Listening
Peggy Entrop
August 26, 2008
A Lesson on how to Engage Customers
I love the Olympics! And, when I look at the Nielsen Ratings, I can see I’m not the only one. The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are adding up to be the highest rated Olympic Games ever televised from a foreign country. Viewership for the Opening Ceremonies alone was up 20 percent over the 2004 Opening Ceremony in Athens. What is drawing in so many viewers? Clearly there are a variety of factors, including the fact that NBC has been paying attention to its customers.
The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino marked the lowest TV viewership ratings in recent history. According to USA Today, the most significant factors contributing to the relative lack of viewer interest in 2006, were (1) the events were taped and aired later allowing people to easily see the results ahead of time online, and (2) a lack of emerging stars and poor performances.
NBC took these complaints and focused on turning them into strengths for 2008. They negotiated event times to position the most anticipated events (anything involving Michael Phelps and Gymnastics) so they are aired live during U.S. Prime Time. They also maximized the effectiveness of their website by streaming live coverage from 30 Olympic venues so viewers more interested in Archery than Diving can watch online – Live! NBC also made sure to broadcast the entire Games in HD, appealing to the ever-booming HD viewer population.
If one thing can be said about the 2008 Summer Games, it is that there is no shortage of emerging stars. Ok, as much as I love NBC, I can’t give them credit for Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, or Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. However, what NBC has done well is to provide context around the stars of each event. I had never heard of Oksana Chusovitina until I tuned in for the Women’s Gymnastics qualifying round. She is a five-time Olympian and 33-year-old mother who immigrated to Germany from the Ukraine seeking medical care for her son with Leukemia. If that story doesn’t capture your attention, nothing will. She won a Gold Medal, but even if she hadn’t I would still consider watching her compete a highlight of the Games. In event after event, NBC coverage focuses on the humanity of the athletes, creating an emotional connection with viewers.
Another factor that seems to be contributing to the success of these Summer Games is the pervasive fascination with China as a nation and Chinese culture in general. For much of the U.S., these Games have been an opportunity to see for the first time what life is like in mainland China. (And, as usual, the possibility of activist protests has also helped draw in more viewers.) NBC has capitalized on this fascination by constantly highlighting special interest stories about China itself. During one hour of Olympic Track and Field events, I saw profiles on two Chinese temples and a story on Shanghai’s ultra-modern architecture. The NBC website also provided links to information on the Chinese Cultural events leading up to the Olympics. Information on a country once characterized as secretive and isolated is now widely available through a variety of channels.
NBC has created an excellent and emotionally connected experience for their viewing customers – responding to complaints from the past and anticipating what their customers want to see has made these games and their airing truly unique.
Peggy Entrop is Office Manager at Vox, Inc., a customer experience research and consulting firm. Contact her through the feedback form on our Contact Us page. Copyright 2008 Vox, Inc. All rights reserved.
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