[Case study] Peacock Streaming: Brox.AI Shadow Panel Uncovers Surprising Ad Preferences

Introduction

In the competitive streaming industry, understanding consumer preferences is crucial for success. This case study explores how Brox.ai's innovative Shadow Panel technology was used to uncover insights into Peacock's ad length and pricing strategies, revealing unexpected consumer behaviors that could reshape industry approaches.

The Power of AI Shadow Panels

Brox.ai's Shadow Panel is a cutting-edge approach to consumer research, offering unique advantages over traditional methods.

How It Works

1. Panelist Recruitment and Profiling

   • We recruit panelists to our internal panel for recontacting and creating rich profiles.

   • Each panelist provides at least 5 hours of video interview data, with many completing up to 20 hours.

2. Comprehensive Data Collection

   • Deep personality profiling survey assessing traits like risk tolerance, frugality, goals, motivations, and values.

   • Sector-level profiling surveys covering situational behaviors, preferences, and decision-making processes in areas such as consumer finance, streaming and media, tech, grocery shopping, AI, and health.

   • Detailed demographic information.

3. AI-Powered Predictions

   • Our proprietary model uses this rich data to predict the most likely response to new, unseen questions.

   • The model outputs a value for each shadow panelist and a qualitative explanation for their answer.

Advantages of Shadow Panels

• Unlimited Questions: Ask new questions without panelist fatigue or quality deterioration.

• Cost-Effective: Avoid spending large sums on fielding new questions.

• Depth of Insights: Combine quantitative predictions with qualitative explanations.

The Peacock Study: Ad Length vs. Pricing Testing

Methodology

We asked our shadow panelists if they would consider signing up with Peacock for different price points and ad lengths.

Key Findings

1. Expected Trend: Consumers are more likely to consider a free or cheaper service with fewer ads.

2. Surprising Insight: Consumers were more likely to consider a subscription with 1 minute of ads per 30 minutes than 50 seconds of ads per 30 minutes at various price points.

Analysis of Unexpected Trend

We queried the qualitative reasons generated by our AI model to explain this counterintuitive preference:

1. Perception of Time: 1 minute sounds shorter and more straightforward than 50 seconds to many consumers.

2. Negligible Difference: The 10-second difference was not significant enough to sway decisions.

3. Focus on Value: Consumers prioritized overall content value over small differences in ad time.

4. Psychological Pricing: Round numbers like "1 minute" are easier for consumers to process and accept.

Implications for Streaming Services

These insights can help streaming services like Peacock to:

1. Optimize ad durations for better consumer acceptance

2. Fine-tune pricing strategies

3. Focus marketing efforts on overall value proposition rather than minor differences in ad time

The Power of AI in Consumer Research

The Brox.ai Shadow Panel demonstrated significant advantages:

• Scale: 207 panelists answered 21,114 questions in total (102 questions each)

• Efficiency: The study took only 5 hours to complete

• Cost-Effectiveness: Total cost was approximately $400

This approach eliminates panelist fatigue and allows for deeper, more nuanced insights at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

Conclusion

As the streaming industry evolves, understanding nuanced consumer preferences becomes increasingly crucial. This case study demonstrates how Brox.ai's innovative AI-driven research methods can uncover counterintuitive insights, potentially reshaping industry strategies. For companies like Peacock, these findings could be the key to crafting more appealing subscription models and staying ahead in the competitive streaming landscape.

Discover how Brox.AI can help your company optimize ad strategies through message testing and boost customer acquisition: Contact us at sales@brox.ai for a demo.

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