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【Ranking 2014】Analysis of the Top 20 Items & Places Featured in News Programs
As 2014 draws to a close, Dentsu Inc. Public Relations (Dentsu PR) investigated keywords for "things" and "places" featured in television news programs over the past year. Using broadcast log data provided by Wire Action Inc., they extracted and compiled content (including captions and audio) aired during evening and nightly news programs on the six key Kanto region stations.
The top 20 ranking results are as follows.
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1st Place: Tokyo Skytree |
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1st Place: "Tokyo Skytree" for weather information, 9th Place: "Tokyo Tower" as an event venue
Tokyo Skytree ranked 1st because it is featured even without specific news or events, as its weather camera footage is used for weather reports. Tokyo Tower ranked 9th, but it generated coverage this year by being used as an event venue for the first time on its main observation deck, offering free admission to new adults on Coming of Age Day, and lighting up for events like Japan's World Cup matches and the Pink Ribbon campaign. The area around Tokyo Tower also saw exposure tied to seasonal events, such as its many cherry blossom viewing spots.
Social Media and TV Programs Grow Closer
Popular social media platforms dominated the top spots: Twitter ranked 2nd, LINE 3rd, and YouTube 5th. Twitter and LINE are increasingly established for soliciting and sharing viewer opinions, while YouTube videos frequently featured within programs served as information sources. LINE itself was frequently featured, such as its LINE Stickers service allowing anyone to freely sell stickers, and its free calling service to traditional mobile and landline phones, indicating high interest from TV program producers. It seems fair to say that gathering online reactions to TV shows and introducing online trends on TV has become established practice.
Major downtown department stores are a mirror reflecting the economy
Among the TOP 20, seven spots were taken by major downtown department stores, led by Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store. This year, around the April consumption tax hike, department stores were covered to gauge consumer purchasing sentiment. Additionally, department stores are frequently the focus for coverage on clothing sales trends influenced by weather changes, as well as bonus season and mid-year gift sales campaigns. This suggests department stores are seen as ideal for conveying consumer behavior. Indeed, department stores truly are a mirror reflecting the economy.
TDL, a year-round topic, and USJ riding the Harry Potter wave
Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) ranked sixth. Opportunities for coverage arose throughout the year, including the May launch of the projection mapping show "Once Upon a Time" on Cinderella Castle and the September renovation of the popular "Jungle Cruise" attraction, its first since opening.
Meanwhile, Universal Studios Japan (USJ) ranked 11th. Its new Harry Potter-themed area, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," opened this year and became a major talking point. Pre-opening events and the immediate post-opening crowds were widely covered.
TV also went crazy over Frozen and iPhone 6
While various media outlets released their "hit rankings of the year, " Frozen consistently ranked high and secured 4th place in this ranking. It was repeatedly featured on TV, covering not only the film's own topics like its domestic box office revenue and audience growth, but also its theme song, toys, limited-edition collaboration New Year's cards sold at post offices, and even "cosplay videos" uploaded to video sites.
Also this year, the new iPhone model, the iPhone 6, launched and ranked 13th. On release day, lines outside Apple Stores were covered by media. The iPad, which ranked 20th, was reported on as an example of smart device adoption, with coverage showing its use by the Japanese national team for data analysis during World Volleyball matches, and its use in health management and educational settings.
From vacuum cleaners to restaurants, robots are drawing attention
Among items and places that fell outside the TOP 20, keywords related to "robots" were prominent. Representative examples covered included cutting-edge robot research at Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Research Center; KIROBO, humanity's first robot astronaut; robotic vacuum cleaners like iRobot's Roomba series; Takara Tomy's Omnibot, a home robot drawing attention for the first time since Aibo; and SoftBank's humanoid robot Pepper, equipped with artificial intelligence. Additionally, the "Robot Restaurant" in Shinjuku, Tokyo, was highlighted as a tourist attraction drawing attention from foreign visitors.
Leveraging TV Trends for PR Activities
We asked Mr. Hidehito Iwai, Director of Television Business Promotion at Dentsu Inc., about these findings.
"This survey doesn't simply tally 'news topics of the year'; it ranks which products and locations appeared as keywords. This offers a glimpse behind the scenes of TV program production.
First, the consistent appearance of social media platforms like Twitter, LINE, and YouTube in the top rankings clearly reflects current TV production methods. This result vividly shows how social media plays a major role in both collecting viewer feedback as a "tool" and becoming "content" to cover itself. This would have been unthinkable ten years ago.
Department stores also rank highly. This is because when depicting consumer trends on TV, 'department stores offer the clearest picture.' Whether it's consumption tax hikes or the start of bonus season sales, department stores provide an extremely clear lens for capturing consumer and economic trends. Furthermore, department store PR teams are highly flexible, responding adaptively to sudden requests for coverage. This is one reason for their high exposure frequency. This is a longstanding tendency unique to television, not limited to this year.
Zoos and aquariums also rank highly. Stories about children and animals are considered "surefire topics" for news programs. With a large audience of housewives and seniors, the simple appeal of "cute things" resonates strongly, linking directly to the current popularity of "mascots." This is another trend unique to television.
When considering 'how to get corporate activities featured on TV...', leveraging these TV tendencies (e.g., linking with department stores or animals while creating social media buzz)
will undoubtedly make for compelling "TV-friendly material."
By analyzing TV viewing habits based on data, it's now possible to theoretically verify the reasons and trends behind coverage to some extent. Databases for analyzing newspapers, online news, and social media are also becoming more established. In 2015, the introduction of data science should advance further in corporate communications and PR activities.
The ability to combine both "television intuition"—relying on experience and instinct—and "data science" will become increasingly essential going forward."
Original article here (from Dentsu Inc. PR's digital × PR information site " DIGITAL BOARD ").
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