Warner Bros. Discovery is set to rebrand its streaming service HBOMax as simply “Max,” on Tuesday May 23rd
The company plans to utilize various marketing channels, including digital, social, out-of-home, radio, and linear TV, to promote the rollout of Max. They have also allocated a larger budget for out-of-home advertising, ensuring their presence in airports, shopping malls, electric vehicle charging stations, cinemas, and weather apps.
“We’ll be where the consumer is — even when there’s this big aberration in consumption habits like Memorial Day,” said Zach Enterlin, Executive Vice President of Brand Content and Creative at Warner-Discovery’s streaming marketing division.
By dropping the “HBO” name, Warner-Discovery aims to emphasize that Max offers more than just HBO content while maintaining the integrity of the HBO brand. The company seeks to reach potential customers and expand its subscriber base beyond the existing 96.1 million subscribers across HBO, HBOMax, and Discovery+.
Although specific spending figures and subscriber goals were not disclosed, Warner Bro. Discovery is leveraging its own channels to conduct the largest campaign post-merger, targeting over half of all adults on linear networks and over 80 million people through digital properties.
“This will be the largest campaign post-merger from an owned and operated perspective,” stated Enterlin. The company plans to continuously analyze data, optimize its strategies, and remain committed to the long-term success of the rebranded service.
Warner-Discovery’s decision to drop the HBO name may seem counterintuitive but is a logical step to expand offerings and attract a wider customer base. Incorporating non-HBO content from Discovery while maintaining HBO’s premium image is the aim.
