Search results matching tag 'TV'

CNN leads the way with more integrated multimedia website

2438628 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:46:00 GMT

With CNN launching it’s new website with a focus on better integrated video and photography, it highlights the importance of considering a multimedia approach for all new stories.

Brian Stelter of The Washington Post said last week:

“The Web site, which will come online Monday, aims to highlight CNN.com’s original content. The red-hued home page will place breaking news and headlines to the left side, and add a feature section in the centre. It will often include a video player front and centre, reflecting the growing popularity of online video. “

“With 38 million unique visitors a month, CNN.com exists within the top tier of news Web sites, making any redesign particularly influential.”

As someone who not only works in a news agency but also works in communications, I get my news through many channels through out the day:

Getting ready for work: Radio – BBC Radio 4
Commuting to work: Print – The Independent newspaper
At work: Online – Press Association newswire (Mediapoint) / RSS feeds / Twitter / industry newsletters / email alerts
Commuting home: Print – Free Paper
Winding down: TV – BBC Newsnight, ITV 10 o’clock news

Wow, just writing that list shows how much news I personally consume in any given day and all the different channels I use to get it. I am sure that most people would find that if they did the same list, they also would be consuming their news through a variety of platforms.

Of course, not all media avenues will be relevant or possible for each campaign as budgets and content are of course varied but starting off by thinking about a multimedia approach to any campaign can be key to getting the most coverage and therefore the biggest impact for yours or your client’s message.

Posted by Suzy Richards @ TNR Communications

Channel 4 / YouTube deal confirms Andy Duncan is still in the game

1641923 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:16:00 GMT

Channel 4’s departing chief executive Andy Duncan has no plans to go quietly at the end of this year, as proved by last week’s announcement of a ground-breaking content tie-up between the broadcaster and YouTube.

By the time Duncan is carrying the last of his belongings from the shiny building in Victoria, internet users should be able to view a selection of ad-funded C4 content, including Skins and Hollyoaks, via Google’s video site for free.

The move could be a significant development towards generating digital revenues for both C4 and YouTube.

The non-exclusive, three year deal allows C4 to keep control of its own advertising sales, and some non-C4 content to boot, while reportedly giving the broadcaster the larger share of revenue.

Martin McNulty from internet marketing agency TrafficBroker agrees the partnership has the potential to be very interesting for C4, noting it "opens the broadcaster up to a much bigger advertising market, that is liquid". He suggests that if traditional content providers can tap into the auction-type ad sales model that has already made adwords a success for Google, it could be a major break through.

Just as significantly, the deal is also the first real sign that exiting Duncan has a list of ‘unfinished business’ concerning commercial partnership which he has every intention of completing.

Last month, he told me he hoped to be able to announce "two or three commercial partnerships" before he steps down as CEO, and refused to rule out a tie-up with BBC Worldwide.

The deal, already dismissed by most as being dead in the water, gained renewed credibility yesterday when Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw called talks between Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide "encouraging."

Whether the BBC is now more minded to play ball or not remains to be seen, but Duncan clearly has a point to prove and his legacy in mind, which could make for an interesting final quarter. Watch this space.

The king is dead long live the king?

2604343 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:09:00 GMT

I was at MIPCOM last week and talking to the great and good of the TV industry got me thinking will the internet replace TV or does TV just need to adapt.
For 50 years, the TV industry has delivered content and generated revenue effortlessly along the way. But technology is in danger of pulling its plug.

Can it alter its business model to chart a course into more profitable waters? Or is TV irreversibly sinking?

Advertising revenues are down and news that UK online advertising has overtaken TV doesn’t make the picture any brighter. And look at these facts and figures:

•   By 2010 Generation Y will outnumber Baby Boomers
•   96% of generation Y in the first world have joined a social network
•   Years it took to reach 50 million users: Radio (38 years), TV (13 years), Internet (4 years), iPod (3 years).
•   Facebook has added 100 million users in less than 9 months
•   The second largest search engine in the world, based on number of searches conducted, is YouTube
•   Only 14% of people trust advertisements
•   Only 18% of TV campaigns generate a positive ROI for advertisers

Okay, TV is facing some serious challenges, increased competition from online channels, new technologies, lifestyle changes – call them what you will – but cheer up, the business model might be on its last legs, but there's life in the old dog yet...

The answer for TV – embrace the online culture.

One billion consumers use social networks and the like. How can TV tap into the commercial potential of such vast numbers of people? The difficult part isn’t to create a presence; its knowing what presence should be created, where and for what purpose.

LISTEN CLOSELY
The truth is you're involved in the social media space whether you choose to be or not. Listen in to the online buzz in sites like Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, the various forums, communities and blogs. Social media search engines like whostalkin, Social Mention, Delver or tuSavvy are great to use alongside Google analytics to get a good overview of your social media profile and performance. But for a detailed assessment, get a social media reputation audit done by a professional – you’ll be able to use this score as a benchmark for improvement.

START TALKING TO PEOPLE
Word of mouth - one of the most powerful forms of marketing, and it works so well online. If you’ve got something great - everybody’s talking about it. If you don’t - everybody’s talking about it. Before getting involved in social media, think carefully about your approach. Be prepared to share information or even tell the behind the scenes stories.

START SHARING YOUR CONTENT
Social media channels have a rather large ‘Welcome’ mat don’t you know and getting involved in this space will have a positive effect offline too. CBS has attributed a 200,000 increase in viewers in one month to the strategic placement of sample content on YouTube.

USE VIDEO PLATFORMS (DON’T TRY TO COMPETE AGAINST THEM)
YouTube probably presents the biggest threat but also biggest opportunity for content owners. Did you know that currently an average of 20 hours of video is uploaded every minute? OK, some of it may be there illegally, or poor quality, but audiences flock in their droves. Google, YouTube’s owner, has very deep pockets, so while it continues to build its audience, the commercial pressure is off (for now). And legal wrangles over copyright issues are unlikely to derail them, a recent ruling in Universal Music Group's copyright infringement lawsuit against Veoh Networks shows that social video sites may actually not be breaking any laws at all, at least not in the USA.

Then there’s Monty Python who placed free clips on their YouTube channel with click-to-buy links underneath. It's reported that even though the online content is free, Monty Python's DVD sales skyrocketed 23,000% on Amazon and reached #2 on the Bestseller list.

DISCOVER NEW REVENUE STREAMS
Content has an intrinsic value. Viewers will subscribe to watch it (if it’s good enough), advertisers will pay to be labelled alongside it (for the right price), but the online model is still evolving.

But take Facebook - it has 300m users - audience figures are potentially not the problem - it’s all in the packaging. Subscriptions models using Facebook apps are a potential money-spinner for content owners. Users don’t want to pay multiple subscriptions to access content (hello, Hulu!) so multi-layered content for niche audiences just needs to find suitable homes.

CREATE ONLINE ONLY CONTENT
Broadcasters can show content on their websites, but this is only the starting point. Bebo has a track record for commissioning its own content (KateModern and Sofia's Diary), funded by tactical sponsorships and product placement.

Joe Hughes, Yomego – the social media agency.

True or False: Ad Agencies CAN'T think outside the Barb box . . .

2553311 — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:19:00 GMT

I run some very niche TV shows on a minority satellite TV channel, and getting the right kind of advertising and sponsorship has always been an issue.

I had a really interesting session last week with a very experienced, knowledgable and smart ad media man, who was kind enough to give me an hour of his time to chat through how it really works.

One of the most interesting points he made was that the few really big players in the ad agency world buy their media in an almost automated way - for a publication or for a TV channel/show, the system demands ABC and BARB numbers, and the system doesn't work without these.

And the ads that this method of buying makes them produce don't work for me, either. The problem is that my audience isn't 20% people over 50 or whatever, or 15% package tour buyers, it is 100% people who're interested in the specific topic the programme addresses.

There are some simple effects from this fact - to get advertising, I have to go directly to ad agency clients, and to get an ad that looks and sounds really good, those clients have to get some service agency to make spots. My shows are particularly popular with clients who have a genuine, and often more personal, interest in the subject - the MD or chairman sees the show, and phones the marketing guy to tell him to do something about it.

I acknowledge that the biggest problem is that as my shows don't get BARB rated - but can't agencies, imaged by themselves as full of bright, clever and innovative people, think sufficiently outside the box to realise that the only reason some satellite programmes are in existence entirely because they fulfil a distinct need and address an audience that is keen to see them?

Here's a example. I make a programme called The Caravan Channel. It addresses Britains caravan and motorhome owners - reckoned at around 1,000,000 families/vehicles. I've produced it on a fortnightly basis for 3 years, 70+ programmes. It is sponsored by firms who say they get results, and the ad spots carry ads from businesses who come back again and again for the same reason.

But advertising people? It's like talking to a single-response answerphone. Haven't heard of it, not interested, goodbye. The only time they jump is when the client says, get me advertising on this show, and its at that point that we can have a conversation . . . thinking outside the box? Not really.

product placement is all about things

758183 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:38:00 GMT

You could almost hear the sigh of relief emanating from ITV HQ when the government announced it was to relax (read: U turn) its restriction on product placement the other week. The news prompted an interesting debate between the merits of saving the commercial TV channels (for a few more years) and the prospect of Tesco opening up opposite the Rovers Return. I for one welcome the idea. For a start it would actually make some dramas more realistic–I don’t know many people who bother to black out the brand names on their cornflakes and the only people who never watch Coronation Street are the people in Coronation Street. It’s also an opportunity to bring branded things into television. It’s already becoming increasingly difficult to work out what’s filmed and what’s CGI in movies, and I’m sure TV won’t be far behind, so this seems like a welcome pause for physicality in the head-long rush to virtual experiences. We can look forward to seeing people holding things and interacting with real-life objects–not because drama is particular bereft of human-object interaction, but because it’s how we relate to brands in the real world. If it’s successful maybe these items might play a part in the storylines with replicated objects available for consumers, and allowing the stories to step off the screen and into the lives of consumers. Far from inviting a wave of crass point-and-grin-at-the-product camera shots, I think it will offer producers, writers and marketers yet more opportunities to create cross-platform experiences, and for a change, it won’t all be digital.

Mixed bag of advertising that fails to build relationships

692072 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:02:00 GMT

After last week’s incredulous blog post about eBay leaping onto Patrick Swayze’s demise, and the general state of advertising (Go Compare anyone?), I’ve actually been paying a little more attention just in case there’s anything good in between the main events.

Barclays seems to have caught a great advertising team – two ads for two different products were clever and eye-catching. I liked the latest ads for some car marque, which seemed to offer three different cars depending on your budget but I can’t remember which brand; likewise the “chasing her metaphors” piggy bank ad again, amusing ad but can’t recall the brand. I loved the army ad detailing a strike on an insurgent gun, but on reflection felt underwhelmed when this turned out to be the chap’s career highlight (the army chap, not the insurgent chap). I really liked the Cadbury’s Fair Trade ad. Actually, it was a mixed bag. I’m very glad I can avoid it all with a PVR’s ffwd button.

None of it however has been designed to develop a relationship. Even the Cadbury’s one, which presumably is part of a series designed to give me a rounded sense of the brand new brand onion, felt stuck on – unrelated to the Gorilla or those other ones that didn’t work. I’d love to see advertising that deliberately led off-screen, not just to the shop but to a place where a relationship can flower.

I can’t remember the last time an ad told me to visit the website in a clear, beneficial way. Oh, apart from all those second-string insurance aggregator sites of course, which do so so risibly it’s more a distraction than marketing (“let’s grab the consumer’s attention, at any cost” we imagine the account guy saying, shortsightedly – smacking of desperation on the part of both client and agency). I’d love to work with an ad agency that had the confidence to work with a digital specialist to create a genuine journey. Meerkats and Army aside, they just don’t cross-refer – and the beauty of the modern customer journey is that it can and should be fluid, media savvy and engaging, not ephemeral, boorish and – in some cases thankfully – entirely negligent of brand recall.

Matter explained

758183 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:26:00 GMT

Ours is an ambitious task–to create a new kind of advertising–based on the simple idea that giving (media-weary) consumers something is better than telling them something.

But, a simple concept for consumers turns into a complicated prospect for advertisers. My simple idea challenges quite a bit of accepted wisdom–which was kind of the point–and I spend quite a bit of time going through why it's 'not this' and 'not that'.

Advertising, like most industries, is bound by simplified wisdoms that serve as a shorthand so that everybody can get the job done and the ads out quickly. Deviate from this formula; challenge some of the wisdoms and you're in for a long night of arm-waving. What starts as a simple idea spawns a million questions that all take quite a bit of explaining.

I often joke that my life would be easier if I'd invented a TV channel and called it Dave. I wouldn't have to explain TV channels, measurements, pricing comparisons, consumer interaction–never mind the concept of television.

I've presented Matter enough times that I could do in my sleep (and maybe I do). The physical nature of it creates some logistical challenges, so it seemed like a good idea to make a film of my explanation. Seeing the result, it was still a shock to learn quite how much it takes to fully explain–so much so that we had to split into three films.

Now I'm wondering whether I make it over-complicated, so it would be interesting to hear what you all think.

Read my blog

2631677 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:15:20 GMT

I have been writing a blog on advertising for the past couple of weeks, I want to know what people think of it. Suggestions would be great on how to improve it!

http://steven-advertisehere.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Steven

Per-second advertising rates on cable TV and public TV?

2631363 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:22:10 GMT

I'm looking for statistics on price range for per-second advertising on cable TV and network/public TV here in UK.

Can't find any. Have you seen public analytics on this issue of maybe anybody has real data on some channels?

Would be grateful for you help, thank you.

Microsoft’s video player will pave the way for video advertising in 2010

1919324 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:26:00 GMT

Last week Microsoft discussed their plans to launch an updated online video player that will host full length programming as well as their existing library of video content. They join the ranks of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and LoveFilm, among others, who are all building, readying and improving online video services for the future. Yet Microsoft, like YouTube, is in a unique position.

Content

Microsoft isn’t a threat to the traditional broadcasters because it is positioning itself as an aggregator of content. It will house programmes from multiple broadcasters including BBC Worldwide and other production companies to offer programmes like What Not to Wear, Shameless and Peep Show.

This is how video content has always worked on TV; think of this player as a web-based digi-box of sorts. Similar to what YouTube is exploring, Joost already offers and something we’ll be seeing a lot more of in the future. Even newspaper sites like Guardian and Telegraph aggregate ITN and potentially BBC content.

Audience

There are a number of reasons why marketers are getting so excited about this new service but, primarily, it’s all about the consumer. This is the latest project by Ashley Highfield, one of the founders of the BBC iPlayer, the service that is still considered a benchmark on-demand video player. Microsoft’s video player is expected to be as usable as the BBC service.

Secondly, it’s the pure-play online media owners like YouTube and Microsoft that receive the lion’s share of the online video audience (over 70% - comScore), let alone the millions of people that visit their sites for other reasons. This is a major move from a major global media owner. It will undoubtedly gain traction with consumers with the right content.

Advertising

The Microsoft player will be free because it will be funded by advertising. Which formats will be used is yet to be revealed, but we can expect pre/mid/post-rolls and perhaps the use of some newer formats like in-stream overlays and branded skins.

Aggregators of quality content combined with an existing massive audience like Microsoft’s offers all of the branding power of TV with reach and the benefits of online targeting and measurability. Basically, it will become the most powerful way of delivering video ads traditionally reserved for TV because it's essentially all the same thing with extra bells and whistles.

The future

What this all means is that in 2010 consumers will have a variety of incredibly powerful on-demand video players to choose from. While Microsoft won’t be the only one, it will be one of the leaders of this pack.

Once it’s up and running, it will only be a very short matter of time before many of us are all accessing these services on our TV screens. Microsoft could easily make it available through the UK’s 4 million Xbox 360 consoles for instance (they’re doing this with films and Sky already). The mass market will follow extremely quickly.

These services are the living room’s digi-box of the future, not to mention the bedroom, the office and on mobile. For the likes of Microsoft, it’s a massive new market to compete for. If the last 12 months for online video were fast and furious, the next 12 are going into warp speed (sorry for that last sentence).

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