Audience Value Case Study: Late Night Comedy Central Deprivation
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Comedy Central – Fall 2010
Study Objectives: Comedy Central engaged Latitude to creatively design a study showcasing the unique value of Comedy Central’s Late Night programming and audience, for advertisers and partners, with emphases on the following:
- Audience loyalty and to Comedy Central late night programming: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report
- The high value of the Comedy Central late night audience
- The unique strengths of the Comedy Central brand in the competitive landscape
Study Components:
Phase 1: Deprivation and Immersion – n = 180+ appointment viewers of late night programming (both Comedy Central and non) were recruited to deprive themselves of their favorite shows/networks, and immerse themselves in competitor content for one week. Participants were re-contacted online, and comparisons were made between both Comedy Central programming fans and fans of competitive shows.
Phase 2: n = 1000+ online survey conducted nationally to deeply understand perceptions of the late night programming landscape.
Outcomes: We provided Comedy Central with a partner presentation deck highlighting the unique value of the audience and the deep loyalty to The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. We brought to life the “addictive” nature of these shows, with stories highlighting “withdrawal symptoms,” “side effects,” and the “detox effect.” Comedy Central presented these findings to ad partners in an interactive format, turning typical sales calls into spirited discussions built on this “detox” metaphor. Results of the study were buzz-worthy, covered by press outlets including AdWeek and Stephen Colbert himself.
Image credit: Wonderlane
