KYW Philadelphia is showing off new branding April 12. Known as CBS Philadelphia, the station is erasing its ”Eyewitness News” branding and going with ”Finding Heart in Every Beat.“
Kelly Frank, CBS Philadelphia president and general manager, described Eyewitness News as “who, what, where and when.” The new branding “is driven by why,” she said.
The planning started a year ago and involved the Atlanta agency Matchstick, which Frank said studies “gap analysis.” Viewers emerged from the pandemic different from how they were before, she said, and desired a greater connection to the community, and more context in news stories. “We asked ourselves, how could we serve our local communities better?” she said.
A 300-page research document sat on Frank’s desk. “We looked at not just us, but the competitive analysis of where we are, how we are perceived, and where is there a gap in the market,” she said.
Famed newsman Al Primo introduced the Eyewitness News branding at KYW in the mid ‘60s, showcasing reporters in the field, sharing what they’ve seen, as opposed to an anchor reading that report from the studio.
Adrienne Roark, CBS Stations president, was “involved every step of the way” in the CBS Philadelphia rebrand, she said. Other CBS stations may consider similar brand tweaks. “All of our branding and design decisions feature a market-by-market approach,” Roark said.
The major Philadelphia stations are owned by networks. ABC has WPVI, a ratings beast. NBCUniversal owns WCAU and Fox holds WTXF.
The CBS Philadelphia branding goes live at 12:30 p.m. April 12, and the day’s early evening newscasts will feature it. The brand’s main color is green, same as the market’s beloved NFL team.
Some 30-40 KYW staffers had input in the rebrand, with Frank, VP of news Kathy Gerrow, VP of creative services Will Manzano and director of streaming and digital Jorge Mondaca the key players.
“We created an internal committee of brand ambassadors,” Frank said, “to be part of the process.”
