MTV: Horrify your parents, again

Strategy

May 15

CLIENT:
Part of SVA’s Masters in Branding program, taught by Tosh Hall

ROLE
Brand Strategy

TEAM
Alex Gilkey, Shrutika Manivannan, Yaren Kaya

Challenge
If you were a teenager after 1981, you grew up with MTV. It always changed with the times, disrupted what was stale, and pushed the needle on what was acceptable. But in recent years MTV has lost its purpose, moving from disruptor and culture shifter to a product focused on nostalgia (16 of 28 current programs were launched before 2012) and Ridiculousness (consistently making up the majority of their schedule). In the process, MTV lost 50% of their 18-49 demographic and revenue decreased by 17%.

Solution
John Sykes, MTV’s fourth-ever employee, put it best: “It would feel like you were breaking the rules by watching it.” MTV needs to get back the spirit of horrifying parents – acting out, speaking up, embracing failure, and pushing boundaries. It needs to remember how to break the rules: the rules of what a show talks about, the rules of how we engage with our audience, the rules of streaming, and the rules of distribution.

Say This, Not That
MTV needs to break the rules of what a show should talk about.

DOCUMENTARY CONTENT DIRECTION: PROMOTE NEW VOICES
**Reboot True Life** to cover real stories about unique voices and relevant cultural topics.

LIFESTYLE CONTENT DIRECTION: THE ANTI-CRIBS
**Homes & Homies** gives home tours of non-celebrities, peaking into new ways of living and walks of life.

NEWS CONTENT DIRECTION: PUSH BOUNDARIES AND HAVE FUN
**Get Real, World** offers news/talk shows that value real conversations, uncomfortable confrontations and outlandish humor.

Breaking the Fifth Wall
MTV needs to break the rules of how unscripted shows can engage with the audience.

In 1998, TRL asked us to vote for our favorite video; what if we used that same idea for reality television? Introducing Play God: an interactive and unscripted format where at the end of every episode, you decide what happens next. Bringing this level of engagement to reality television would make MTV a unique space that co-creates with its audience.

Alone, Togther
MTV needs to break the rules of streaming to rethink the online viewing experience.

Introducing Party On, a first-of-its-kind watch party feature that encourages watching with your friends. In a world that discourages sharing of streaming passwords, MTV can help to stand out by helping to make it easier for friends to watch their favorite shows together. Just turn the party switch on, send a link to your friends to join, and quickly watch shows together from across the globe.

Let’s Get Digital
MTV needs to break the rules of what it means to be a modern television network.

Streaming topped cable-TV viewing for the first time in 2022 and Gen Z is leading this shift. We think its a great time for MTV to continue to be a pioneer in the television space, by being the first cable network that moves to being completely digital. One brand helps to simplify our user’s experience - rather than the 6 channels MTV currently offers, there can be one brand with one MTV experience. Either go to m.tv on your browser or the MTV app. This move also allows the brand to be more flexible – digital-only content is quicker and cheaper to launch – and more dynamic, focusing on creating the best content for our target audience’s viewing experience.