ARE YOU #UpFor I t?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH

STRATEGY

CREATIVE

MEDIA

EVALUATION

32

CONCLUSION

3INTRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Wake up at 8. Make breakfast and coffee while checking the news. Go to work. Work. Go home. Make and eat dinner. Watch a show. Go to bed. Sound familiar? Weclome to my life. And the life of most of my friends, too. If you’re a Millennial reading this, you probably do the same shit, just maybe in a different time zone. I recently joined “The Real World” and moved to Alphabet City. I love what I do, don’t get me wrong, but it’s definitely not college. It’s a routine. A routine of constantly trying to impress my supervisor. A routine of trying to pick up girls on Tinder. A routine of being overworked and underpaid. To be honest, it loses its luster after a while. After a couple of post-grad years, I am still trying to find ways to escape from my usual life and make things interesting. For me, it’s HBO. They challenge my expectations and challenge me to think about what I see. They don’t have to tell me to brace myself for their exhilarating programming, let me know that I can watch their shows anywhere (who doesn’t have a mobile app these days), or emphasize the binge-craze. And they don’t produce the best content to simply be the best. It’s an experience beyond the screen. I genuinely look forward to each new episode, and the recap of the events after it’s over. Yeah, it makes me feel cool to be a part of the conversation. But I also love being able to think critically about television on a higher level. Plus, watching HBO gives me awesome material for those awkward work parties... Boobs get old after a while. Swear words are already a part of my every day speech. That’s not what makes HBO interesting. It’s way more than that. It’s the conversation and that it can translate into my everyday social experiences. Not only do I subscribe to HBO, I talk about it, which creates a “club,” if you will. But the club only makes sense when other people like me join in the chatter, and see the bigger picture HBO has to offer.

You have to be up for the invigoration that comes with premium content. We already know HBO is the best, so we can move on to discussing bigger and better things. I’m up for it, are you? Still contemplating the meaning to The Sopranos series finale,Andrew

4 RESEARCH

DEFINING OUR TARGET

WHO WE WANT TO TARGET:Males & females, ages 21 - 26

QUICK FACTS:Slowly moving toward independence from their parentsEnjoy interacting with sophisticated media and new technologyIn pursuit of new, interesting, and exciting life experiences Feel good standing out and having control of their surroundings

WHAT MAKES THEM TICK:Hating Kim Kardashian but loving Kristen WiigUnderstanding and contributing to watercooler conversationSpending time outside whenever possibleYet always making time for watching TV they deem worthy

ALREADY WATCHING:Breaking Bad, Homeland (Season 1 only), American Horror Story,Parks & Recreation, Modern Family, House of Cards, True Detective

IN A FEW WORDS:Digital, optimistic, liberal, connected, impatient, entitled, brash, upbeat

LET’S CALL THEM CULTURE CONSUMERS.

5RESEARCH

BY THE NUMBERS

3 15 22 4 326 7

FOCUS GROUPS

ONE-ON-ONEINTERVIEWS

HRS OF SOCIALLISTENING

OBSERVATIONALSTUDIES

SURVEYRESPONSES

DATABASESREFERENCED

∞

HRS OF HBOCONSUMED

6 RESEARCH

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Learn what consumers already think about HBO. What can HBO offer that differentiates it from other channels?

What does the consumer value during their leisure time?

How do Millennials share content and what do they share via social media?

What are other networks doing to reach the target?

What trends separate Millennials from other groups?

7RESEARCH

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

With our research objectives in mind, we jumped right in to our secondary research. In order to gain a better understanding of our target, we first focused on databases, including Simmons OneView, Mintel, MRI+, and comScore. With this data, we developed a clear plan for our primary research.

Simmons OneView was integral in determing key psychographic information about the target. Here we learned that Culture Consumers currently live shitty lives. Sort of. They have a ton of student loans to pay back and no support from Mom and Dad. They are, however, extremely optimistic about their futures and expect success in their careers. They are motivated and determined to get there. Mintel’s report “Marketing to Millennials” discusses that finances are a significant source of stress for the target. However, “Pay TV” explains that “cutting-the-cord” is not a rapidly growing trend just yet, so there is still money to be spent on cable. We read up on industry, social, and media trends through reputable news sites such as Businessweek, Forbes, AdAge, and more to get a feel for the current positioning of HBO against its competition.

We used comScore to decide which specific media buys to make online. We used it to evaluate the reach, unique visitor composition, and average minutes viewed of each website. comScore also helped us filter out the sites that did not accept advertising. eMarketer was used to solidify rationales for Millennial media use and habits. This research helped us determine which media to use to best reach the target. We also referenced Nielsen for geographical census information.

The bulk of our primary research consisted of in-depth interviews, ethnographies, and focus groups. Talking to the target directly was very effective, as we discovered the power of conversation itself among this group. We got a sense of their daily lives and how brands, and HBO, fit into the puzzle. We attended several “viewing parties,” where groups of Millennials got together to watch HBO shows. Each group differed in personality —and snack choice—yet they were united in their behavior. Our survey provided us with more general statistics on Millennial media behaviors and sentiments. We also spent time listening to buzz about HBO and its shows on social media. This showed that while people talk about their respective shows actively and positively on social media, for the most part they only mention or interact with HBO directly for negative purposes (e.g. to complain when HBO GO failed before the True Detective finale).

8 RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH

“I enjoy taking risks”

“I like to have control over people and resources”

“I like to stand out in a crowd”

“I like to pursue a life of challenge and change”

“I am a perfectionist”

“It is important my family thinks I am doing well”

181Index 100

126

142

163

157

135

The Millennials in our target are risk-takers who will never turn down a challenge. They are perfectionists who value their own minds and want to share their opinions. When it comes to using the web, they’re always on. They’re linked by social media, and they believe that they have the power to influence their friends and followers. Mintel describes that positive experience is a very important purchase decision factor for Culture Consumers, indicating that brands with strong outreach and connection will be the most successful. The brands where their loyalites lie have a strong digital presence and they expect at least that same effort from new brands trying to get their attention.

of Millennials believe they influence thepurchase decisions of those around them1.

74%

of Millennials feel that companies should offer more ways for them to share their

opinions online in the future2.

64%

of Millennials desire and expect brands to entertain them through1:

80%

40%content

co-creation

33%live socialinteraction

32%sponsored

events

31%solid online

content

21%connectionwith others

of Millennials join loyalty programs, higher than the US average3.

86%

Simmons OneView 1. Edelman 8095 Exchange // 2. Bazaarvoice // 3. Microsoft Advertising

9RESEARCH

“““

“

PRIMARY RESEARCH

My friends and I like to discuss TV and movies, even though only some of my friends are on my level. I wish the people who weren’t on my level would get there.— Jacey N., 22

My favorite quality about myself ismy ‘social intelligence’— I love knowing everything and being able to talk about anything with anyone. — Robin G., 25

8 of 10 survey respondents feel stuck in their daily routines.

““I love the shows I watch on HBO, but

HBO doesn’t make me feel like part ofsomething bigger. — Matt B., 23

100%of people observed watching HBO programs sat silently during the duration of the show and errupted into conversation (in person and via mobile) once the credits rolled.

“

“I don’t like to interact with brands on Twitter because I doubt that they willrespond anyway. — Jack D., 23

Is HBO worth paying for? Are you an HBO subscriber?

72% 37%28% 63%

This segment of our research provided deeper insight into the target’s relationship with media and content consumption. Our target follows a very basic routine,with not a lot of time for leisure. When they do, they make a conscious choice whether or not to be fully immersed versus using multiple media. They believe HBO content requires full concentration, and thus would be a worthy investment for them —in time and money.

10 STRATEGY

INSIGHTS

HBO’s most significant competition right now isn’t Netflix or FX, but piracy and sharing.

Culture Consumers value their social intelligence above all else.

They like talking about HBO shows with their friends, but don’t have a reason to share any positive sentiment about the brand as a whole.

They don’t feel like they’re a part of something bigger by watching HBO, a sentiment of closeness that they feel is necessary to be supportive of any brand.

11STRATEGY

THE B IG IDEA

Social intelligence = culture.

For Culture Consumers, the quality of the conversation is everything. They make a point to be in the know, just for the sake of knowing. In essence, this group

has created their own club of people who celebrate and define their generation. Their shared knowledge of all things current and their eagerness to seek out this

information sets them apart from other Millennials. They just don’t know it.

12 STRATEGY

CREATIVE BRIEF

TARGET: Millennials ages 21-26, who we’ve deemed as “Culture Consumers.” They’re dealing with many new experiences in life and thus want to be a part of more meaningful brand experiences. The one thing they all share is their desire to know everything about everything socially relevant.

OBJECTIVE: Establish HBO as an epic, standalone brand worth talking about.

STRATEGY: Convince Culture Consumers to value HBO enough that they ultimately buy a subscription instead of using their friends’, parents’ or neighbors’, because securing their own HBO account guarantees they can achieve the “social intelligence” they crave.

INSIGHT: For Culture Consumers, social intelligence = culture.

PROPOSITION: Unlock next-level intellect with HBO.

SUPPORT: This group doesn’t have time for BS. What they do in their free time is carefully chosen to provide them with value and purpose. An entertainment experience is especially important, as it becomes a part of their conversation at the workplace and in other social settings. The majority of one-on-one interviewees listed intelligence and/or social awareness as their favorite quality about themselves. HBO gives them something stimulating to talk about, thus making the transition from conversation to culture.

TONE: Badass, smart, powerful, relevant.

MANDATORIES: The campaign must include a social component. At least one execution should allude to the importance of subscribing. Overall emphasis on the power of HBO (not bringing any competition into the picture).

13STRATEGY

Of all new subscriptions, achieve 15% Millennial subscribers over one year

Generate Millennial web traffic and app downloads of HBO Connect to 33% in one year

Increase positive sentiment online about HBO and HBO GO by 15% in one year, 18% in two years, and 20% in three years

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

14 CREATIVE

Are you #UpForIt?Culture Consumers value their social intelligence. The idea is to harness their love for

a challenge to prove their mental prowess, and unite them in the process. In turn, HBO is the backbone to this shared culture. Millennials are sociable, but when it comes to TV they tend to watch alone. #UpForIt challenges them to push their personal limits,

and the limits of their generation, and connect with others while exploring their favorite content. “Up For It” not only represents the target’s mindset, but the brand’s

position. To be a part of HBO culture, you have to be up for anything from provocative content, to stimulating conversation, to shareable moments.

CAMPAIGN IDEA

15CREATIVE

In order to kick off and set up the #UpForIt campaign, we will run print ads that will encourage HBO users to get up, get out, and connect with other fans. Each advertisement will challenge Culture Consumers in a different way, focusing on a different aspect of HBO. While some executions will be in reference to the challenging content and social conversation, others will allude to being up for purchasing a subscription. Eventually this campaign may take off into a broader and more serious generational concept, but for now it is somewhat playful and specific to drawing traffic the newly updated HBO Connect platforms.

Magazines allow us to focus in on our target and, by choosing culturally relevant magazines, contribute to HBO’s status. We selected these magazines not only because they show high indices for the target, but also because they center around all varieties of the sophisticated popular culture that our target thrives on—from fashion, to music, to art, to technology. Before Millennial consumers are willing to engage, they must be made aware first. So it is important to reach them here to create a buzz about the campaign and its hashtag.

PRINT

Magazine Target IndexGlamour 217GQ 140Rolling Stone 198New York Magazine 184Wired 147

Simmons OneView

16 CREATIVE

PRINT

17CREATIVE

18 CREATIVE

We know it is difficult to get people’s attention, nonetheless keep it. Especially Millennials’ attention. For this reason, we will use ambiguous billboards in metropolitan areas to spark curiosity. The billboards will run Monday to Thursday to catch people on their way to work each morning and home each night. Each day another element will be added to the billboard to keep it interesting. The last billboard will introduce Mind Vault and invite HBO users to attend the opening event, without telling them exactly what it is.

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2

3

4

OUT OF HOME

19CREATIVE

Mind Vault is HBO brought to life in a bar. A bar tour, to be exact. The experience will give Millennials a place to discuss HBO with one another, while enjoying a night out. In order to enter, guests must have an HBO subscription (and local cable providers will be stationed to help anyone who might want to purchase one at the door). There will be journalists from respective review sites talking to people at the bar, as well as trivia contests quizzing guests on their HBO knowledge for the chance to win free drinks and food. The events will be live-streamed onto connect.HBO.com, where people not in attendance can talk about it digitally and the buzz from the actual bar will appear as well. The bar will become permanent in whichever city best live documents their event using the #UpForIt and #MindVault hashtags on social media.

In a digital contest, we will ask fans to rewrite and recreate the ending of their favorite shows. Users can vote for their favorite through HBO Connect. The winner’s content will premier at the Mind Vault nearest them, and they will be entered to win a spot as an extra on an HBO show.

MIND VAULT

20 CREATIVE

HBO Connect is HBO’s own social platform that focuses on individual programming. We want to revamp the site, transforming it into the center of HBO conversation. Also available in the app form, it will allow users to play, share, compete, discuss, and view events. It will test fans’ knowledge of HBO shows through trivia games where they compete against other fans, receive stats, and can share their scores. The ‘shareable’ aspect will allow users to share art, links, posters, and anything cool they find or have created that other members of the HBO community would be interested in. They will still be able to discuss their favorite shows via the ‘discuss’ link, similar to the Reddit interface. The ‘compete’ aspect will be the home of the Mind Vault competition and future social competitions.

HBO CONNECT

21CREATIVE

The HBO Connect app will be displayed on iPads, stationed around metropolitan areas in order to get people to participate in the trivia while on the go. They will be located in crowded areas, such as subway stations and bus stops. This will compel people to spark conversations with the people around them, and maybe even challenge them to a round of trivia or two.

22 CREATIVE

The campaign centralizes around the hashtag, UpForIt. Fans will be asked to challenge themselves and leave their comfort zone to connect with other fans. We will tweet challenges to interact with our followers, for example, review your favorite HBO episode in 140 characters or less.

A contest will also be held to encourage non-subscribers to subscribe, and current subscribers to show their love. The contest, #WhatIsHBO, asks people to share what HBO means to them through a variety of photos, videos, music, poems, words, or whatever they see fit, to the HBO Connect app via the share button, Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. They must include #WhatIsHBO and #UpForIt. We will choose the 10 most interesting, innovative, and inspiring submissions to win a 30-day trial of HBO.

We will reach out to social influencers to leverage our social media platforms. Actors of HBO shows will share pictures of the billboards and promote the contests. Other influencers, such as Shane Smith, founder of VICE, David J. Peterson, creator of the Dothraki language for Game of Thrones, Gary Whitta, a screenwriter, New York Times Art, and bloggers, such as those behind the “Big Idea Hunters,” will participate in the #WhatIsHBO contest and promote being #UpForIt.

SOCIAL & DIGITAL

23CREATIVE

24 CREATIVE

PROMOTIONSIn order to further reach our target, we will create radio spots for during the music breaks on the Spotify and Pandora websites and applications. On these apps, the spot will be geo targeted so if a user is listening in the location of where a Mind Vault bar will go, the bar will also be promoted. We will also create HBO playlists with popular songs from different HBO shows.

SPONSORED CONTENT & EVENTSHBO will sponsor events beyond Mind Vault to keep the community constently connected. We will sponsor happy hours in cities for Mind Vault attendees. We will sponsor TED Talks in different cities and the attendees can then visit the Mind Vault after (if it is in their city). We will also collaborate with museums. HBO will sponsor events and exhibits with MoMA, offering discounted tickets.

We will sponsor content on websites such as Buzzfeed, Gawker, Reddit, YouTube, and Mashable. We will post multiple videos of the making of different HBO shows. Each video will feature a behind the scenes peek at the wardrobe, makeup, and set. It will include character interviews and highlights from certain episodes. After the season ending of a show, HBO will feature a ‘making of the season finale.’ In addition to videos focused on the making of the content, we will feature videos on the history and making of HBO as a cultural icon: how it came to be and the creative minds behind its foundation and original shows. Additionally, once Mind Vault launches, there will be press releases as well as sponsored content regarding its opening across online news platforms based in each city. The videos will compliment each other by bringing all of the shows together under the HBO umbrella. Banner ads drawing traffic to HBO Connect will also be included.

PROMO & SPONSORSHIP

25CREATIVE

26 MEDIA

OBJECTIVES & STRATEGY

Reach Culture Consumers through high coverage and high-interaction vehicles

Increase number of HBO subscriptions among the target by 5% over18 months

Generate high ratings of attitudinal measures of excitement by 10% inone year

Increase active brand participation within the target on social mediaby 15%

Introduce the campaign in April 2015 and generate a 35% campaign recognition

MEDIA OBJECTIVES

Flight magazine initially to raise awareness for the brand and campaign

Launch Mind Vault in the metro areas with the greatest reach of Culture Consumers

Flight OOH advertising, in the same metro where the first pop-up bar will be, 10 days before the launch

Establish a continuous online presence through HBO Connect and social media platforms

Use continuous banner ads, page takeovers, sponsored content, and SEO to drive all conversation to HBO Connect

Sponsor culturally relevant events

MEDIA STRATEGY

Our budget fuels a campaign with continuous advertising through print, digital (online and mobile), out of home, sponsored events, and search engine optimization. We will launch Phase I of our campaign with a print execution that will build awareness of the general #UpForIt concept. From there, Phase II of the campaign will turn primarily to our experiential, digital, and out of home executions to engage the Culture Consumers.

SF

LA DENHOU MIA

CHI

DC

PHL

NYC

BOS

27MEDIA

GO WITH THE FLOWMonth Feb '15 March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan '16Event Sponsorship TED Talk Museum Exhibition

Experiential HBO Mind Vault *Changes location every 10 days NY Boston Philly Washington Chicago Houston San Fran LA Denver Miami

MagazineGlamourGQRolling StoneThe New YorkerWired

Online

Banner ad

Microsite

Page take-over

Sponsored Blogs

Sponsored Content

OutdoorBillboard NY Boston Philly Washington Chicago Houston San Fran LA Denver MiamiPublic transit

MobileHBO ConnectPandoraSpotify

Social Facebook Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored Sponsored SponsoredReddit AMATwitter Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted Promoted

SEO

New York Magazine

28 MEDIA

MEDIA TACTICS

Experiential // 50%Cost: $7,000,000Rationale: The Mind Vault will serve as a hub for both in-person and digital interaction. Culture Consumers enjoy going to bars (229) and notice advertisements at bars (139). This pop-up bar will travel to the 10 metropolitan areas previously listed, and serve as the ‘spark’ in our social media campaign. Mind Vault will be linked closely to the HBO Connect microsite and app. Ultimately, the bar will become permanent in the metro area with the most social buzz surrounding it.

Online // 32%Cost: $4,457,000Buy: Banner ads, page takeovers, & sponsored contentStrategy: ContinuousRationale: Culture Consumers are constantly online. They have even spent less time sleeping because of the Internet (218). The Internet has become their primary source of entertainment (190) and news consumption (134). From our survey, we know that our target shares news articles most often, which is why we will sponsor online content as well. Online advertising will also maximize reach, YouTube alone reaches 75% of our target market. By growing an even stronger online presence and creating shareable content, it will create the ‘buzz’ that HBO calls for. Online advertising will become heavy in Phase II of the campaign, after the launch of the Mind Vault.

29MEDIA

Event Sponsorship // 4%Cost: $575,000Rationale: 94% of TED Talk advocates say that the pursuit of knowledge is most important to them—proving TED Talk consumers, like our target, are culture consumers. Sponsored events will supplement the idea of the campaign, which is that if you’re up for next-level intellect, HBO can provide it across the board.

Print // 8%Cost: $1,109,485Buy: 1P 4/C, 1/2P 4/CStrategy: FlightingRationale: Magazines are still a main source of entertainment for Culture Consumers (165). Not only do they still purchase them, but they also enjoy reading the ads inside them (133). Selected magazines revolve around current events, technology, pop culture, and high fashion. In Phase I of the campaign, we will advertise heavily in magazine to increase brand awareness and get in front of our target’s eyes. We need to increase brand awareness in Phase I in order to maximize social conversation in Phase II.

SEO // 1%Cost: $200,000Rationale: Google-sponsored search campaign will allow HBO Connect to appear in search results matching campaign key words such as: Mind Vault, HBO Bar, and #UpForIt. Essentially, it will bridge the gap between the target market’s curiosity and the HBO Connect platform.

Mobile // 1%Cost: $200,000Strategy: Continuous Rationale: With music apps like Spotify (185) and Pandora (180), we will use geo-targeting to reach Culture Consumers in the same metro areas as the Mind Vault. The target has veered away from traditional radio, instead, spending more time on Internet radio (159). These music applications will also serve as a platform on which to run promotions. The mobile budget will also be used to create an engaging HBO Connect app parallel to the microsite for a generation that spends the majority of their time on multiple interfaces.

Out of Home // 4%Cost: $585,000Strategy: FlightingRationale: OOH advertising will create hype for the Mind Vault in each different metro. The target is receptive to ads placed around subway platforms (222) and ads in lobbies of movie theatres (146). After all, they are avid movie-goers (211). Taking public transit daily, the target becomes a captive audience while enduring their tedious commute— they become ‘transumers’. Our out of home advertising will be strategically placed to catch the target in moments of higher aperture. Showing up in specific places during our target’s daily routine, our OOH advertising will provide frequency as well.

All indices from Simmons OneView

30 EVALUATION

EVALUATION

For our digital creative, we will be measuring click through rates and ‘word of mouth’. We will measure word of mouth with Mark Jeffery’s equation: WOM = (number of direct clicks) + (number of clicks from recommendations) Number of direct clicks We will also be measuring ‘social buzz’ through HBO Connect platform traffic, increase in likes/followers, social media interaction, and online sentiment. Our print ads will also include a trackable URL to evaluate whether or not they lead to online activity. During the campaign, we will also evaluate attitudinal measures. Specifically, whether the target thinks HBO is worth paying for and whether they think HBO keeps them cultured. We will set up a tracking study so that respondents can evaluate these measures on a five point Likert scale, then we can start to get a measure of progress by comparing the evaluations over time. Finally, we will evaluate success based on number of HBO subscriptions purchased.

31EVALUATION

CONCEPT TESTING

Once we completed our creative, we tested it with our target and received positive feedback. Culture Consumers appreciate that HBO recognizes that they are on that ‘next level’ and that the advertising provides a meaning that goes beyond just the surface. Talking to different people from our target, this is what we found:

8 of 10 understood the idea behind the campaign.

71% agree that they would consider subscribing to HBO. Their responses validated our findings that they do not need to be reminded how good HBO’s programming is, but rather, that HBO has an overarching brand identity. The stronger the brand identity and connection to them, the more likely they are to pay for the product or share positive sentiment about it.

32 CONCLUSION

IN CONCLUSION

Culture is defined as: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Culture is social; culture is intelligent. Culture is shocking; culture is comforting. Culture is dynamic; culture is rooted. And ultimately, culture is what brings us together, for as long as we are willing to be a part of it.

We’re here to prove that cultivating HBO’s culture is the key to uniting Millennials. Because for them, their conversations– their social intelligence– define their culture. And harnessing that will be what positions HBO unquestioningly at the top.

So here’s to the Andrews of the world. To all consumers of culture, and “Culture Consumers.” Some might say Millennials are lazy, entitled, and narcissistic. Millennials themselves might say this. But the truth is that there is no one challenging them to defy that perception. HBO will fill this void in the marketplace and in their minds.

Millennials have developed a culture based on their drive to know it all– and HBO is the only content and culture creator that can help them unlock that next-level intellect, uniting them in the process.

So here’s to that feeling you get when you tackle a challenge. It might not be easy, but if you want it all, you gotta go for it. Element5 is Up For It. Are you?

33CONCLUSI ION

JAIME MANELA,ACCOUNT MANAGER

ALEX ISRAEL,ACCOUNT PLANNER

MARGOT SCHARFE,MEDIA PLANNER

DIVYA MALKANI ,ART DIRECTOR

SARAH MCKINNEY,COPYWRITER

ELEMENT5

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