GUILLAUME COFFIN
VP Head of Commercial and Business Development
Turner broadcasts a number of hugely successful channels in various territories; which would you say are the strongest performing channels in the African markets in which you operate?
In Africa, Turner operates six channels across the continent in 56 English, French and Portuguese speaking countries which include the internationally re-known news source CNN International, Africa’s favourite kids’ channels with Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Boing and Toonami, as well as Africa’s tailored blockbusters destination, TNT, and now the newly launched Adult Swim channel, dedicated to millennials and available on Showmax.
Our kids’ channels, Cartoon Network and Boomerang, reach more than 20 million people in South Africa alone and have been leading and gaining market share within the pay-tv kids industry for almost four years in a row. Turner’s kids multiplex has recently reached new heights, recording a 13.3 % market share in Q3 2018*, leading the whole pay-tv kids segment. Our kids’ channels are even enjoyed amongst the 15 -year-olds and over, including adults. Cartoon Network ranks in the top 5 amongst all pay-tv channels for individuals 15 years and older, as well as for housewives with kids. Boomerang is the #1 kids channel in terms of co-viewing**. Cartoon Network is still, however, the number one TV channel for kids aged four to 14-years-old in South Africa, while Boomerang’s great brand affinity in South Africa mirrors the love for the brand in French-speaking Africa – it is the second most watched channel for kids***. Besides our successful ratings, our brands are well received from a brand image stand point. This year, Cartoon Network was voted the ‘Coolest Kids TV Channel’ in South Africa, and ranked the #2 ‘Coolest TV Channel’ in the Sunday Times Generation Next 2018 Youth Survey. Cartoon Network and Boomerang also scooped the four top spots in the ‘Coolest Cartoon Shows’ category!
Constantly listening to our African audience, we recently re-launched our movie channel with a modern new look TNT Africa channel, endorsing our brand positioning as being the reference for ‘the best American blockbusters’ destination. In only one month, the results are already there! The channel has already boosted its ratings by 45% since the TNT rebrand this September****.
Toonami, the home to our superheroes, is available on Cell C’s OTT channel, Black, and is well received by superhero fans as it offers never-before-seen content in Africa. In 2018, we launched Dragon Ball Super with exclusive seasons, and will premiere the global anime phenomenon, Inazuma Eleven, at the beginning of 2019. This will definitely drive our fan engagement in South Africa where both superheroes and the anime genre is very popular!
CNN International is well-respected for its in-depth analysis of global news which keeps its viewers up-to-date on events shaping the world. CNN’s comprehensive coverage of issues affecting the African continent, showcased on programmes like African Voices, Inside Africa, Africa View and CNN Marketplace Africa, appeal to local viewers.
Constantly innovating to ensure a greater local relevancy, from a brand and content perspective, Turner Africa is pleased by its brand portfolio’s performances especially in such a cluttered and highly segmented market!
What do you think has contributed to this success?
We are committed to providing the best service and high-standard content to our African fans. Turner’s strategic focus lies in constant innovation and creativity to keep attracting and entertaining its loyal fan base. Our localisation strategy that identifies with the cultural differences of our African markets, and which we have implemented for the past four years, has undoubtedly boosted our brand value across the continent.
How do you respond to the evolving consumer behaviour and the consumption of content on multiple platforms?
Turner is becoming a more data-driven media company. Consumer and industry insights are playing an increasingly central role in how we can innovate anything from content development, to marketing to alternative viewing options. While Turner’s linear channels continue to deliver through pay-tv services, we are actively expanding our non-linear presence through second-screen apps, subscription video on demand services (SVOD) and a new generation of online platforms.
What type of partnership opportunities are you pushing forward with in Africa?
Turner has distribution agreements with main African TV platforms in all regions, including pan-African players such as MultiChoice, StarTimes, Orange, SFR/Altice and Canal Overseas, as well as region specific distribution players, including mobile streaming services such as black-Cell C and Maroc Telecom to name a few.
Extended multi-platform offerings on non-linear platforms is a focus for the group as the continent continues its digital TV roll out. Some entertainment and news channels are already available on Cell-C’s OTT service Black and DStv’s Catch Up and DStv Now services.
We are excited to include the new distribution deal signed with African OTT Subscription Video on Demand platform, Showmax, owned by the MultiChoice group, where Adult Swim will be accessible for all millennials as of mid-November.
And looking forward, we are currently in discussion with several telecommunication companies to develop a Boing and TNT digital destination, allowing users to watch kids content and movies on-the-go on smartphones and tablet devices. As affordable uncapped data options expand across South Africa, and ultimately across the rest of the continent, we expect to see usage growing exponentially and are working towards pre-empting our African viewer’s needs.
You mentioned that Adult Swim has recently been added to Showmax’s video on demand service, can you tell us more about this distribution deal?
As from 14 November, we will be extending our reach through Showmax and will be bringing Adult Swim to Africa. Awarded to be the number one Cable Network in the US for almost a decade, Adult Swim offers an epic mix of animation, stop motion and live action comedy. The brand targets 15-34-year-olds with values that resonate with today’s youth generation: irreverent, weirdly wonderful, eclectic, surprising, quirky and surreal. Adult Swim constantly thrives for innovation and authentic fan engagement. The channel embraces all alternative comedic content and offers an epic mix of multi-award-winning animation series like Rick and Morty, Samurai Jack, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Jellies! as well as fan-favourite stop motion (Robot Chicken) and live action comedy (Black Jesus and Eagle Heart)
The new Showmax video on demand service will also have a dedicated kids’ corner which will include Cartoon Network and Boomerang content, available from 10 December, just in time for the festive season!
Can you explain the broadcast agreement you recently signed with SABC for the local version of the highly successful franchise, Ben 10?
Turner and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) struck a deal to broadcast Ben 10 in South Africa earlier this year, enabling us to bring one of our most beloved series to a wider audience across South Africa by tapping into the extensive reach of the public broadcaster.
Ben 10 is Cartoon Network’s longest-running original franchise and has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, winning three Emmys. Africa has been the market with the most success for the Ben 10 brand and its popularity and awareness is quite unique in the world.
SABC premiered the first season of the show in English on SABC 3 in July. We are very proud to announce than fans are still highly engaged with the Ben 10 franchise with more than 3 million kids, aged four-14-years-old having tuned into Ben 10 on both Cartoon Network and SABC since the show was launched on the free-to-air channel four months ago. We are excited to engage new fans by re-airing the complete first season dubbed in Afrikaans on SABC 2 and SiSwati on SABC 1 in December 2018.
Partnering with the SABC reflects our strategy to expand our brands’ presence in South Africa and allows new, local audiences to engage in the Cartoon Network brand. Now, Ben 10 fans across South Africa can join this alien-shifting, bad-guy fighting hero on all his day-to-day adventures and experience an average day, the Ben 10 way!
You recently announced a new partnership with Greenworld Communications in Nigeria – can you tell us more about your revenue diversification strategy in Africa?
To further diversify our revenue stream and business offering, Turner has embarked on expanding its advertising business in key African markets through the appointment of advertising representatives, Mediamark and Greenworld Communications in South Africa and Nigeria, respectively. These two partnerships are a strategic move for Turner which will bring its channels value to advertisers in Africa. Our wide portfolio allows us to target a large array of segments from families, to kids, through to young adults. We are aware that clients are looking for a fully integrated advertising package which Turner Africa is now able to offer in South Africa and Nigeria from non-linear to linear and on-the ground sponsored events.
Another key focus for us, from a business perspective, is licensing and merchandising. The focus for Africa will include both Ben 1O, which benefits from a 99% awareness amongst kids, and The Powerpuff Girls, which we plan to position as a fashion brand. Currently, our merchandise partnerships include main retailers in South Africa like Ackermans, Pick n Pay, Mr Price, Pep, and Jet, to name a few. In partnership with our Toy partner, Playmate, we will be launching a new wave of toys in Q2 and Q4 of 2019.
Do you plan to launch additional channels in Africa in the near future?
Yes we have exciting news with our partner, DStv, for Q1 2019! We are currently working on a pop-up channel dedicated to kids and their parents. This exciting pop-up channel will be endorsed by Cartoon Network and will be full of entertainment gold chips. The channel proposition is to deliver the best animated series and live action movies to African superhero fans for a 15 day period.
We are also working on developing the reach of our non-exclusive channels on the continent with our generalist kids’ channel, Boing, and our channel which is home to the superheroes, Toonami. The newly relaunched movies destination, TNT, is also a key priority for us. We are already in discussion with several local and pan-African distribution players to extend the reach of the American blockbuster movie channel.
Another business focus for us is to create branded blocks on Free-to-Air channels outside of South Africa. Turner’s strategy is strongly focused on expanding its original content offering in General Entertainment in the coming years. We have committed $1 billion to produce original shows that will allow us to own our content and leverage our assets across multiple platforms and services. We are therefore in discussion with various SVODs and African digital and mobile platforms to distribute our original drama and comedy series.
What is the impact of digital on your shows?
It is key for us to connect with our fans beyond the TV screen and constantly offer them immersive entertainment experiences.
Two years ago, we created a new Digital Ventures and Innovation Division which drives consumer-centric initiatives, including our international multi-platform suite of digital properties and its direct-to-consumer product strategy. This department is now in charge of developing all digital products available on our platforms including games, apps and websites.
Mid-November, we will be launching our revamped Cartoon Network website with our African users in mind, boasting brand new optimisation features for fans that may not always have access to high-speed connections. We are excited to say that the new Cartoon Network website will roll-out first in Africa!
Social media platforms are also a focus for our team, as we engage constantly with our fan base and ensure we are listening carefully to them. The increase of local content and curated community management has helped us to reach new records this year on our social networks, with 460K fans on our Cartoon Network Africa YouTube page, 606K fans for our Cartoon Network Africa Facebook page, and more than 300k fans on Boomerang Africa’s Facebook page. This is a good way to think outside the box to come up with new engaging consumer experiences.
For example, this summer, Boomerang will be launching an interactive digital campaign focusing on “The Happos Family” show where we will entice South African families to interact and discover this new Boomerang original on the ground at the zoo, as well as in the digital space.
How do you engage with consumers on a richer deeper level?
Beside our strong localisation strategy, our digital platforms allow us to be more innovative than ever before. With the increase of multiple-platform consumption, we can extend our innovation beyond the creation of programmes and come up with engaging consumer experiences.
All our local productions do include the production of specific formats fitting the digital ecosystem and how African youth use online devices and platforms. For instance, in the upcoming, innovative, locally produced series, Pop Up Party Season 2, we have produced various dance tutorials allowing kids and dance fans to learn the best moves performed during the show.
We are currently also in discussion to produce an exclusive local version of Toony for our African digital platforms. Toony is the newly launched Cartoon Network YouTuber who reviews his favourite shows and Cartoon Network content in a true Cartoon Network style.
What is your strategy to respond to the growing need for local content vs. international brands?
Turner Africa enjoys a strong following on the continent, and we continually strive to create a viewing experience that resonates with our audience. We have increased the number of local productions, celebrated local creatives and constantly collaborated with African talents to ensure that we localise our brand speech through various strategic communication streams. On-air, on-line and for-real!
This year, we are looking for local African animation talents through our CN Creative Lab project – the winner and runners up will be revealed at DISCOP Johannesburg and will be given the opportunity to get their project produced as a pilot with Cartoon Network Africa which will premiere in 2019. We are also excited about our second season of the innovative, locally produced series of short inserts called ‘Pop Up Party’ where we see South African kids expressing themselves through incredible dance challenges. This year, we also collaborated with local comedian, Trevor Gumbi, to launch Mike and Rob, a series show-casing two witty microbes making jokes with local reference which viewers will get to see in-between shows. Lastly, African magic will take centre stage in Boomerang’s new exciting local production set to hit the screens in 2019.
We also increased the number of local collaborations with artists and brand ambassadors such as Toya Delazy, Africa’s very own Powerpuff Girl, and Bafana Bafana’s midfielder, Reneilwe “Yeye” Letsholonyane, who assisted in connecting Ben 10 fans to the FIFA World Cup. We are also proving that we are a multi-dimensional channel that not only offers appealing viewing opportunities for children, but also unexpected, smart and creative real-life opportunities for our viewers. The PPG Awards, which launched in August, was created to celebrate and empower young girls in Africa, offering them a platform to showcase their super-powers. These girls are ordinary little girls, with superhero skills, who have great ideas to change their world. The winners in the fields of Technological Innovation, Social Responsibility and Bravery; and finally Art and Creativity will each receive $1 500 to help bring their award-winning entry to life with the help of a dedicated mentor.
What factors determine how you curate your channels and programmes for the African markets and territories in which you have a presence?
First, we place our fans at the centre of everything we do; we make sure we always keep up with our viewers, who they are, where they are and what they do. Our Data and Consumer Insights team runs ongoing qualitative surveys to provide actionable insights and ensure our brands deliver locally relevant content. One of our latest research initiative is our EMEA kids’ segmentation survey, where the Turner Data and Consumer Insight department breaks down kids consumer types as the Turner brands moves towards a consumer-centric ethos.
We studied a sample of more than 9 000 kids, aged four to 11-years-old, across nine countries including South Africa, which revealed seven fan segments, based on who the fans are, the type of brands they engage with and how they do so. These insights, in turn, allow us to connect far better with our consumer segments. We are then able to adapt to our consumers lives and fit in with their daily routines by adjusting schedules, geo-localising communications and adapting our brand tone of voice.
At Turner, we also have a dedicated ‘Compliance’ service, making sure our programmes are suitable for each of our markets, being careful not to break our viewers’ trust. We also have a dedicated African team which includes programming, marketing and creative development. This team works with local content and brand companies to ensure we always address our audience the right way.
What other plans and projects are in the pipeline for Turner Africa?
In 2019, Turner Africa will continue to bring the world to Africa and bring Africa to the world! Our kids’ channels fan base will be kept entertained throughout 2019 with 325 hours of fresh content, six exclusive new series and 1 325 new episodes.
Cartoon Network fans will soon discover the future hits produced in our Cartoon Network studios with shows like ‘Apple and Onion’, ‘Summer Camp Island’, ‘Craig of the Creek’ and ‘Victor and Valentino’ to name a few. Boomerang refreshed its on-air look this November with hilarious idents, a vibrant colour palette and a tone of voice which brings to life the brand proposition of ‘Watch. Laugh. Play’. We are excited to announce that the latest Cyber Group Studios animation production, Taffy, will be launching at the end of the year with the world premiere happening in Africa! In 2019, Boing will premiere international animation shows such as My Knight and Me, DC Super Hero Girls and new seasons of The Jungle Bunch and Total Drama Action. Toonami, the home of superheroes, which targets six to 12-year-old children and super-hero fans of all ages will be launching new episodes of Dragon Ball Super and premiere another true anime phenomenon: Inazuma Eleven!
In the general entertainment segment, TNT has an exciting line-up including some great American blockbusters such as The Illusionist, Crank, Robin Hood, Gladiator, The Island, Jurassic Park and King Kong.
As from 14 November, we will be extending our reach through Showmax and will be bringing Adult Swim to Africa, offering an epic mix of animation, stop motion and live action comedy. And then of course, in Q1 of 2019, we will have our exciting pop-up channel, dedicated to kids and parents on DStv!
As you can see, we are committed to providing the best service and high-standard content to our fans, keeping our fan base entertained.
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