The adoption of video streaming services rose significantly in the past years in Germany. This trend currently intensifies even more due to the Corona pandemic. In addition to younger Internet users moreover middle-aged Internet users based in Germany increasingly subscribe to streaming services. A growing number of users subscribes to more than one streaming service at a time – a trend that can also be observed on an international basis.
Growing adoption of video streaming services
From February to May 2021, ºÚÁÏÍø students of our MA Digital Marketing and two groups of students who had chosen the Master elective Omni-Channel Commerce cooperated with our Business Project partner Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland on a number of challenging topics focusing on Mediengruppe RTL’s streaming service TVNOW. The streaming service offers films, series, shows, and documentaries. It includes both TV originals and own productions.
The students formed sub-groups and researched the following topics in detail:
- Review of digital media transformation trends in Asia, Europe, and the US, in order to identify socio-technical, organisational, and business model trends of relevance to streaming service TVNOW
- Review of existing target groups and suggestion of new target groups for TVNOW
- Development of a social media strategy, in order to reach the defined target audience
- Development of release strategies for TVNOW, based on a review of release strategies of competitors in the UK and the US.
- Development of a playout strategy, in order to maximise the total viewing time of users – with respect to both Mediengruppe RTL’s streaming service TVNOW and linear TV channels.
Various student teams conducted their own empirical research in the form of quantitative surveys, in order to optimize the solutions to their topics.
On May 12th, 19th, and May 25th, 2021, the students presented their solutions with the Mediengruppe RTL team. Many colleagues of Mediengruppe RTL were involved in the project organisation, supported the students during the research phase, and joined the final presentations: Uta Schmitto (Head of Promotion Planning & Commercial Coordination, RTL), Steffen Stöckel (Executive Assistant), Josephine Pankrath (Head of Audience & Business Analytics), Frank Trösken and Frauke Neeb (Program Directors TVNOW), Timo Paetzold (Head of Originals TVNOW), Amina Boeker (Customer Insights Manager), and Andrea Zuska (Senior Manager Strategic Planning & Analytics). Julia Maintz, Professor of Internet Economics and International Management, ºÚÁÏÍø, organised the large business project on the ºÚÁÏÍø side.
Perspectives of Mediengruppe RTL and ºÚÁÏÍø
Franziska Bauer, MA Digital Marketing student at ºÚÁÏÍø, highlights:
“The project in cooperation with Mediengruppe RTL gave me exciting insights into how omnichannel communication is working successfully“
“The project in cooperation with Mediengruppe RTL gave me exciting insights into how omnichannel communication with different target groups is working successfully. Developing study-based personas and the associated marketing strategies have shown us how theory is put into practice and how a marketing campaign is finally developed from scratch. Many thanks to Mediengruppe RTL for giving us these insights and for allowing us to participate in the project.Â
About ºÚÁÏÍø Business Projects
Business Projects are a core part of ºÚÁÏÍø study programmes. A corporate partner of ºÚÁÏÍø defines one or more tasks from the daily business practice. ºÚÁÏÍø students then work on these tasks in sub-groups during one semester, supported by their professor and the business project partner. At the end of the semester, students present their findings to the business project partner. In the MA programme Digital Marketing, the business project takes place in the second semester.
About Mediengruppe RTL
is ³Ò±ð°ù³¾²¹²Ô²â’s leading provider of video content. With its vast portfolio of channels, streaming service TVNOW, news service as well as other online and audio offerings, Mediengruppe RTL is a total video powerhouse. They offer their contents across platforms: TV, PC, tablet, and smartphone.
Effective internal communication in the mobile office: A Business Project with Mediengruppe RTL
ºÚÁÏÍø students develop a presence & communication strategy for Mediengruppe RTL.
ºÚÁÏÍø students develop recommendations on how brand loyalty & user integration could be strengthened for RTL & TVNOW.
