Channel 4 announces new 4oD short form content brand

6 November 2013

Channel 4 today announced the launch of 4Shorts, a new destination for short form content on its on-demand platform 4oD, at its Upfront 2014 event. 4Shorts offers viewers a range of specially commissioned innovative, diverse and experimental short form programmes featuring Channel 4 talent that are exclusive to 4oD.

4Shorts is comprised of: Extracts – showcasing some of the most tweeted-about moments from Channel 4 shows soon after broadcast based on Twitter data; Extras – commissioned bonus content of some of Channel 4’s most popular shows from Made In Chelsea to Educating Yorkshire; and Originals – newly commissioned content that resonates with a digital audience enabling Channel 4 to innovate and experiment across all genres. Originals will also feature advertiser-funded content specifically for 4oD, for the first time.

Additionally to help viewers discover content, 4Shorts short form content will appear alongside flagship Channel 4 shows for the first time on 4oD.

Channel 4’s investment in digital short form content reflects fast-growing consumer demand for mobile optimised content which encourages interaction and enables social sharing.  Channel 4’s young skewing audience is increasingly active in this digital space with over 25% of 4oD views now on mobile devices, compared to less than 5% just a year ago.

Speaking at the Transforming TV event as part of the Channel 4 Upfront, Jonathan Lewis, Head of Digital & Partnership Innovation said: “Channel 4 has a heritage of developing engaging, innovative content with our advertising partners. 4Shorts enables us to further our strategy to work with advertisers more closely in new creative and experimental ways in 2014, giving them more cutting edge opportunities to take risks and engage with our young, connected audience, wherever they are.

“4Shorts breaks down some of the traditional conventions of television, removing entry barriers including high production costs and scheduling limitations to offer brands an opening to create content for a premium TV platform. And with over ten million users a month and up to 40 million streams viewed on a monthly basis, 4Shorts will give advertisers access to the significant scale of the 4oD audience.”

 

Channel 4 Sales delivers faster, higher and more efficient reach than other broadcasters

BARB data presented by Jonathan Allan, Channel 4’s Sales Director at the Upfront 2014 event showed that Channel 4 consistently attracts a younger and more upmarket audience than other broadcasters – with Channel 4 Sales still the only major saleshouse to efficiently deliver light viewers.

This was demonstrated with data revealing that the top 600 rating shows on Channel 4 drive more cover than the top 600 rating shows on ITV. Channel 4’s ability to attract light viewers enables it to deliver greater reach faster, amongst 16-34s with a £1m investment delivering 69.9% cover compared to Sky Sales (62.6%), ITV Sales (49.2%) and Five Sales (47.4%). This is also the case for ABC1s with a £1m investment in Channel 4 achieving 70.1% cover compared to Sky Sales (54.8%), ITV Sales (54.7%) and Five Sales (48.8%).

The data further illustrated that Channel 4 Sales delivers lower cost per cover point for both 16-34s and ABC1s in comparison to other broadcasters, particularly Five Sales. Based on a £1m investment Channel 4 Sales is more than 30% cheaper per cover point for ABC1s and 16-34s than Five Sales. This data, combined with the channel’s on-going viewer relationship strategy and fast growing database of registered users, demonstrates that Channel 4 Sales continues to be the number one saleshouse for reaching valuable, engaged audiences at scale.   

 

Channel 4 consistently beats the TV marketplace for ROI

Results of an econometric study by marketing effectiveness specialists Ohal were also announced at Channel 4’s Upfront 2014 event. They found that after revisiting 46 of their most recent client campaigns, they were able to isolate Channel 4’s contribution to ROI. The econometric analysis revealed that in 43 of the 46 cases, Channel 4 Sales delivered a significant uplift on sales to that of other TV saleshouses. In particular, across Healthcare clients, Channel 4 outperformed the TV marketplace in terms of ROI by 15.1%, Online Retail clients by 12.7%, Finance clients by 11.1% and Gaming clients (e.g. Bookmakers) by 10.6%.

A soon-to-be published research paper will describe the Ohal econometric study’s implications for TV planning – together with an accompanying interactive dashboard which will enable client and agency partners to observe the relationship between TV saleshouse investment and ROI.

Opening Channel 4’s 2014 Upfront, Jonathan Allan said: “In 2014, Channel 4 Sales will remain the most effective place to invest your TV budgets and we are aiming to accelerate our innovation and levels of creativity for our commercial partners, to further cement our place as a real marketing partner.

“Building on our proven effectiveness for ROI, we are focused on reshaping the future of telly by transforming our creative output for a mobile TV generation, evolving our relationship with our audience through the second screen and driving viewer engagement with our content and advertiser brands through our growing database of registered viewers.”

Ends

 

Notes to editors

·         Reach and cover cost data from BARB/K2 – 2nd-29th September 2013 – £1m investment in each saleshouse, based on station average prices, equal weekly strike weights, ITV Sales includes ITV Breakfast

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