Digital Marketing: Et tu, Hulu?

When Caesar met his grisly end, he greeted his backstabbing frenemy Brutus with the bemused query, 'You too, Brutus?”

That's probably what many cable companies felt earlier this month as Hulu, one of the original TV streaming services, declared it, too, planned to partner with network television to stream certain 'live” broadcasts such as news, sports and other popular shows.

The fractured television viewing audience just splintered a little more, leaving 'traditional” cable companies at risk of becoming expendable. Hulu isn't the only one, of course. Google (via YouTube), Bloomberg, Apple and several other tech companies are close to bringing 'live” streaming TV to a screen near you.

New Tech Rising

For many current cable subscribers, this news is likely to be met with a yawn. But for tech savvy millennials - tired of paying high cable bills for the opportunity to watch the few live offerings they still feel compelled to watch on traditional TV - this latest twist may be just the push they need to completely cut the cable cord and proceed with consuming strictly streaming content.

Many analysts believe the road to irrelevance already is on the horizon for the cable industry. Easy access to live local news and sports programming was one of the last features keeping cable customers holding on to their monthly service. The 2015 YouTube Generation Study by Google reported that one in three households in the 18 to 49 age group already have killed their cable connection or never signed up for cable TV at all.

Marketing Messages Shorter, Punchier

In these highly visual mediums, the quality of your creative messaging is critical. It has to make an impact - and fast.

In general, shorter, more powerful messages are more important than ever. The power to view is on the side of the consumer.

Whether you are creating banner ads, audio and video pre-roll, full-length commercials or social media posts, the quality of the creative message has to nail it, or the mute/skip button will prevail.

This applies to other platforms as well, of course. From live broadcasting platforms such as Periscope to the immense potential of virtual-reality and augmented-reality technologies, marketers will need to adapt to a host of new content environments with messaging that stays true to their brand while adapting to new technology.

Digital Marketing Strategy Drives Success

It's easy to get caught up in the next new thing in marketing and lose sight of the big picture. Integrated marketing strategies create networks of powerful connections - through social media, streaming services, Periscope and news outlets.

It's tempting to want to try everything, but deciding where to spend your marketing budget will go back, as usual, to digging into your marketing analytics. Setting up meaningful KPIs - key performance indicators - and conversion points will give you the best indication of which channels are working and what you should remove from the mix.

Does every business need to jump into marketing on streaming services? Only if it makes sense for your business.

Keep in mind it's not just about promoting your business when customers are watching the Hawkeyes on Hulu. It's about making meaningful connections that drive sales and create customer loyalty while making the most of your marketing budget.

That might mean experimenting with tactics and channels to arrive at the right marketing mix.

l Regina Gilloon-Meyer is a content marketing specialist for Fusionfarm, a division of The Gazette Company; (319) 368-8530, regina@fusionfarm.com, Twitter handle: @Regiimary