Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 24.07.2024 
In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, where user engagement and cost-efficiency reign supreme, Merkle’s collaborative campaign with SkyShowtime for the Yellowstone series emerges as a beacon of innovative strategy and meticulous execution. This award-nominated campaign not only exemplifies cutting-edge digital marketing practices but also showcases the power of tailored content and strategic collaboration.
Company Overview
Merkle, a dentsu company, powers the experience economy. For more than 35 years, the company has put people at the heart of its approach to digital business transformation. As the only integrated experience consultancy in the world with a heritage in data science and business performance, Merkle delivers holistic, end-to-end experiences that drive growth, engagement, and loyalty. Merkle’s expertise has earned recognition as a “Leader” by top industry analyst firms, in categories such as digital transformation and commerce, experience design, engineering and technology integration, digital marketing, data science, CRM and loyalty, and customer data management. With more than 16,000 employees, Merkle operates in 30+ countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
SkyShowtime, a joint venture of Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) —parent company of NBCUniversal and Sky— and Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), brings together the best entertainment from the world’s greatest studios and storytellers. Featuring thousands of hours of quality entertainment for the whole family, the service is the home to a wide selection of the world’s most highly anticipated series and movies.
In 2021 Merkle, partnered with SkyShowtime, to launch the new streaming service across 22 markets. Part of our mission involved elevating the digital presence of Yellowstone, a cornerstone title in their content strategy.
Campaign Objectives and Budget
The primary objective of the Yellowstone campaign was to determine which type of landing page—programmatic or hero—yields higher conversion rates and lower cost per acquisition (CPA). The targets were set with precision:
- Conversion Rate Improvement: Achieve a minimum 15% improvement in conversion rate with the hero page compared to the programmatic page.
- Cost Efficiency: Achieve a maximum CPA of €25 for the hero page, aiming for at least a 50% reduction compared to the programmatic page’s CPA.
Target Audience and Strategy
Yellowstone’s target audience included fans of Westerns, dramas, and potential streaming service subscribers. The strategy was multi-faceted:
- Custom Hero Page Creation: Emphasizing Yellowstone’s intense plotlines and character-driven narratives to captivate drama enthusiasts while highlighting its Western setting for genre fans.
- Paid Search Activity: Crafting targeted search ads across 16 markets with tailored copy based on local insights, ensuring relevance and resonance with diverse audiences.
Implementation and Creativity
The campaign’s creative brilliance lay in its shift from dynamically generated programmatic pages to bespoke hero pages. These hero pages were meticulously designed to provide a tailored and immersive experience, incorporating vibrant branded colours, episode recaps, related shows, and FAQs. This bespoke approach aimed to enhance user engagement and align with best practices for ranking on Google.
To evaluate the effectiveness of hero pages versus programmatic pages, Merkle conducted an 8-week A/B split test using Google Ads to maintain consistent test conditions. This rigorous approach ensured accurate tracking and reliable performance evaluation, leading to actionable insights.
Results and Evaluation
The results were nothing short of impressive:
- Conversion Rates: The hero page significantly outperformed the programmatic page with 276 sign-ups compared to 113, translating to a conversion rate of 6% for the hero page versus 3% for the programmatic page.
- Cost Efficiency: The hero page achieved a CPA of €21, a remarkable 58% reduction compared to the programmatic page’s CPA of €50.
These outcomes underscored the superior design and strategic efforts invested in the hero pages, resulting in a more compelling user experience and significant cost savings.
What Merkle Say About Their Global Search Awards Achievement
“I am incredibly proud of both the Merkle and the SkyShowtime teams for their collaboration on this campaign, and for being shortlisted for this award. It exemplifies the exceptional outcomes achievable when combining data-driven insights, a strong focus on user experience, and a content-centric approach to drive growth.” Eleanor Dimmock, Digital Marketing Manager at SkyShowtime.
The Yellowstone campaign by Merkle and SkyShowtime stands as a testament to the power of innovative digital marketing, strategic collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. By prioritizing user experience and leveraging meticulous testing, the campaign achieved remarkable results, making it a deserving contender for the Global Search Awards 2024.
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