SME #47: The Marketing Playbook For FAST Channels
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I’m Marion & this is your 5-min read to get a European take on the Global Streaming Video Business.
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Ask any FAST stakeholder what’s keeping them awake at night, discoverability will be top of the list.
For good reasons.
It’s tough to stand out on a platform referencing 100 to 400 FAST Channels.
Being in the top 20 helps but as a channel you don’t get to choose your spot in the EPG (unlike in regulated EPGs where French Broadcaster TF1 is slotted to n°1).
I wrote a piece earlier this year on this discoverability headache:
But what can channel owners do to boost discoverability?
Part of the answer lies in designing a FAST Channel Marketing Playbook.
Today at a glance:
The State of the FAST Marketing Playbook
What makes a FAST Channel marketing-ready material?
What are some cool executions?
What’s next?
The State of the FAST Marketing Playbook
I’m no marketer but to me the marketing playbook for FAST Channels is still a work in progress.
I see channel launches every week and besides a PR in industry outlets and several on platform promos, there isn’t much going on.
I know the economy of FAST is still fragile but why launch a channel if you’re not going to make noise about it?
The marketers in your organisations should be all over this (this is valid for both platforms and channels), otherwise viewers will stumble upon channels when you actually need them to build an habit.
What makes a FAST Channel marketing-ready material?
Great marketers can surely turn something okay into something amazing but let’s imagine for a second we make their job easier by laying healthy foundations.
Here are 10 things to look out for:
Channel number → Fight for your position
Eye catching logo → In color but in black & white too
Premium on screen graphics → Lower thirds, bugs, bumpers, title cards
Self-explanatory channel naming → Instant understanding of what you’re about
Localized assets across the board → English-only assets is so 2019
Acute understanding of the platform's audience → Know who you speak to
Proactive reach out to share channel's highlights → Tell others what’s in it
Get the platform annual editorial calendar → Understand your ecosystem
Solid creative asset production process → To grab platform real estate
Use your own real estate → Your paradise.
No need to tell you great content is top of the list.
What are some cool executions?
FAST finally stepped up its game and here are a couple of examples which caught my attention this year:
→ The Conan O'Brien FAST channel launch on Samsung TV+ was the 1st time I saw such a comprehensive launch in FAST. Here's why:
☑️ Exclusivity
☑️ Lean back genre
☑️ Single IP channel
☑️ Prominent brand
☑️ On platform campaign
☑️ Cool out of home stunts
☑️ Social media activations
☑️ Brand safe programming with celebrities
☑️ Sponsor launch partner (Apartments.com)
☑️ Launch announcement during the Upfronts
What did it look like?
Could this become the blue print for future launches?
→ The Jamie Oliver FAST Channel Taco Stunt with Samsung TV+
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Now you’ve noticed how every time it’s with a Single-IP FAST Channel?
It’s easier to market:
The brand exists and is recognisable.
A talent embodies it and brings a substantial social media following.
There is a content creation factory already operating in the background.
You understand better now why there’s been such a Single-IP Channel boom, a trend I wrote about earlier this year:
But FAST presents an opportunity at brand level too but so far we’ve seen limited activations.
→ The Tennis Channel España launch
They chose a local ambassador to support their launch announcement. For Tennis newbies, this is Carlos Alcaraz (n°2 ATP ranking). Check out the video here.
What’s next?
From 2024 onwards, FAST Channels and Platforms should co-invest in high-profile marketing campaigns on and off platform to build awareness, drive viewership and in turn boost monetisation.
Time to accelerate and equip marketing teams with the right tools and budgets to tell the world about their channels.
Enough with:
Time for:
That’s it for today but before you go:
Enjoy your weekend and see you next Friday for another edition of Streaming Made Easy!
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