How RTL Reaches a Massively Engaged Global Audience on Social Video

By Bree Brouwer · November 25, 2020

How RTL Reaches a Massively Engaged Global Audience on Social Video

Video sales and advertising house RTL AdConnect is the global hub for leading premium media. 

Partnering with the biggest media groups worldwide, RTL AdConnect reaches over 165 million people in Europe every day — and even more globally — across 150 TV channels and 300+ digital platforms. 

So just exactly how do they do it?

Tubular talked to Jean-Baptiste Moggio, Head of Marketing of RTL AdConnect, about RTL’s strategy for approaching social video and reaching an expansive global audience. 

These are the key takeaways: 

Think Outside the Box When You Need to Pivot

Like many media and advertising companies, RTL AdConnect was hit by the effects of Covid-19 and had to learn to both create and repurpose content that would help them stay connected with their audiences.

For example, the company had a French chef host guests via a Zoom call to do a cooperative cooking program. RTL AdConnect also started to share more clips from owned properties and TV shows like Fremantle’s Got Talent across social platforms to expand awareness and engagement, further driving advertiser interest and investment.

“We are talking about half a billion views per month across Got Talent [social channels],” Moggio said. “So we can really position our content brands as global leading brands that you can attach your brand to.”

Produce Premium Content Across All Platforms

Moggio said RTL AdConnect’s goal is to convince advertisers they’ll get the highest ROI on premium content, so this is the kind of content the company creates. Moggio said RTL defines “premium” as resonating on social video for its international brands, impacting local European audiences, and being socially native by working with professional creators.

RTL takes a property like Got Talent, for example, and translates it to social video as a way to capitalize on the company’s premium broadcast content and build a global brand. Similarly, RTL created individual channels for regionalized versions of Got Talent to create local impact. Finally, RTL carefully selects the right influencers to partner with and help develop professional video content.

“Our DNA as RTL Group, and more largely from our mother company, which is the Bertelsmann Group is to really produce premium content. I know in 2019, Bertelsmann communicated that it invested on a yearly basis €5 billion into video content,” explained Moggio. 

“So we are really focusing and capitalizing on this great experience and great investment on premium video that can resonate across all platforms from us. It’s bringing [advertisers] the right insights to make them sure they are [making] the right choice.”

Total Video Reach Is Not a Zero-Sum Game

RTL also operates on the idea that total video reach is added on top of TV reach; in essence, you’re adding more audiences beyond simply TV viewers. As such, advertisers need to be on as many platforms as possible to maximize global reach.

Moggio said RTL also sees very small overlaps across platforms, which means advertisers can reach very different audiences across Facebook and YouTube, for example, with worrying about cannibalization. 

“There are users to be reached on all platforms and you have to be on all these platforms… to make sure you maximize your attention,” Moggio said. “And being on all these platforms, then you make sure you maximize your reach and you play the complementarity.”

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