Channel 4 launches multi-million-pound viewer engagement strategy
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Channel 4 has launched a multi-million-pound strategy to build its understanding of and relationship with its audience and advertisers.
Dubbed its “Viewer Engagement Strategy”, the broadcaster is investing millions in building a viewer database to accumulate information that can provide better insight into viewer behaviours and preferences to feed back to its advertisers.
The broadcaster has made a series of senior management appointments in preparation for its data strategy drive, which will see it encourage viewers to register more information about themselves online.
Head of digital marketing Steve Forde has been promoted to head of viewer relationship management. His responsibilities will include driving loyalty to Channel 4 programmes by building engagement with viewers.
Sue Gray has also been promoted to the role of head of advertising research and development, reporting to sales director Jonathan Allan, and director of audience technologies and insight Gill Whitehead.
Sanjeevan Bala has been appointed to the newly created role of head of data planning and analysis. He will oversee the database infrastructure investment. He joins from analytics and customer insights specialist ClearCell.
The broadcaster is also on the lookout for a new head of audience research and insight, following the departure of Claire Grimmond.
Director of Audience Technologies and Insights Gill Whitehead, said, “As Channel 4 understands more of our audience and their behaviours and preferences, we will move to harness this insight to deliver superior innovation both to advertisers and to viewers.
“Specialists in viewer relationship management and data planning and analytics will bring new skills to the organisation, putting us ahead of the competition in developing our relationship with viewers,” she added.
As part of its renewed commitment to data, Channel 4 is leading a UK field trial exploring the use of advertising opportunities on internet-connected TVs and will collect data about how best to increase viewing figures and promote engagement on the devices.
This story first appeared on New Media Age. For more digital stories and analysis’ from NMA click here now
Readers' comments (1)
Dave Gurney, Alchemetrics | Wed, 24 Aug 2011 5:09 pm
Channel 4 has always been known for its emphasis on innovation and being at the ‘cutting edge’, so it’s heartening to see it apply this approach to every aspect of its business. Bringing in so many senior data specialists demonstrates a commitment to providing audiences with the best possible content and overall experience, even if this means investing in the means to understanding each viewer at an individual level. Further still, the data gathered from its 4OD platform, for example, has the potential to be marketing gold dust, generating better audience insight than the traditional channel could even dream of providing. I have no doubt these new appointments will play a significant part in enticing advertisers. This is clearly a very smart move.
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