For decades, HBO operated one of the world’s most successful Pay TV networks.

In the past decade however, the company faced a paradigm shift in the television industry with the advent of over-the-top streaming services and millions of hours of on-demand content from prominent competitors, as well as innovative new services and providers.

HBO needed to reposition itself away from being solely a traditional premium cable network and appeal to cord-cutters as it entered the emerging streaming space.

 
 

Our strategic research focused on deepening and expanding HBO’s consumer base, evolving the HBO brand to meet the needs of consumers in the digital era, and shaping comprehensive communications strategies and marketing initiatives.

We initiated a comprehensive brand and situational analysis to understand the changing entertainment market. We also conducted a consumer study to develop dynamic profiles of consumer groups based on their habits, preferences and lifestyle.

By recommending a multilateral media approach, we helped HBO develop and introduce campaigns through distinct synergies with pay TV providers.

At the same time, we discovered a growing desire among consumers for digital content that’s accessible anywhere, any time.

These findings led to further quantitative and qualitative research and testing techniques that informed the design, content, launch, targeting efforts and marketing communications of HBO NOW.

Through our critical work on the launch and growth of HBO NOW, we identified the company’s tremendous untapped subscriber opportunities and set the standard for how major media companies evolve their businesses in the digital era.

After its launch, we remained deeply involved in helping HBO NOW expand its subscriber base and reduce churn, helping grow HBO NOW to 10 million subscribers in five years.